ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The Iona University women's basketball team defeated Manhattan, 73-60, on Saturday afternoon at Boardwalk Hall to capture its second MAAC Championship in program history.
Juana Camilion poured in a game-high 24 points and was named the MAAC Championship MVP, while
Ketsia Athias registered the first triple-double in program history to help the Gaels cut down the nets.
THE RUNDOWN
A 12-0 run that eventually culminated in a 30-point third quarter for the Gaels was the key moment in Iona capturing its second MAAC Championship in school history.
The Gaels and Jaspers battled back and forth, trading leads over the course of the opening 20 minutes of the title game. Iona was firing on all cylinders offensively out of the break though, connecting on six three-pointers and 85 percent of its field goal attempts in the third stanza.
What was a two-point lead at the half became a 19-point advantage for the Maroon & Gold entering the final frame. The lead grew as large as 20 points and the Jaspers never got closer than 13 points of a lead that Iona protected and closed out to become champions again.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Juana Camilion scored a season-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, adding six rebounds and a game-high five steals. Her performance earned her MVP honors.
- Ketsia Athias registered the first triple-double in Iona women's basketball history, posting 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. It was the second triple-double in MAAC postseason history and helped her earn a spot on the All-Championship Team.
- Kate Mager finished 5-of-11 from three-point range, adding 17 points to earn All-Championship honors. She eclipsed 100 threes for the season and sits just five shy of setting a single-season program record.
- Thoranna Hodge-Carr contributed 10 points, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. The Gaels improved to 9-0 this season and 14-0 all-time when Hodge-Carr scores at least 10 points.
THE OPPONENT
- Brazil Harvey-Carr paced the Jaspers offensively with her 12 points, knocking down a pair of trifectas.
- Dee Dee Davis and Bella Nascimento contributed a combined 21 points.
TEAM STATS
- Iona shot 56.9 percent from the field, connecting on 10 shots from beyond the arc. The Gaels are now 12-1 this season and 24-5 under Chambers when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor. The Maroon & Gold knocked down double-digit threes for the eighth time this season.
- The Gaels recorded 21 assists, the seventh time this year that Iona has amassed at least 20 assists in a single game.
- Iona doubled up Manhattan on points in the paint (32-16) and finished with a 4-0 edge in blocked shots, dominating the Jaspers inside.
- Manhattan made 24 trips to the free throw line, converting on 19 attempts. Both numbers were season highs for an Iona opponent.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The conference title is the second in Iona women's basketball history, the other coming in 2016 under head coach Billi Chambers. With the victory, Iona earns the MAAC's automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Tournament
- Iona's win was its 26th of the season, matching a program record for the most victories in a single season in (2013-14).
- Iona's 73 points were the seventh-most in a conference postseason game in program history. 30 of the Gaels' 73 total points came during the third quarter in which Iona shot 12-of-14 (85.7%) overall and 6-of-8 (75.0%) from three.
- Head coach Billi Chambers earned her 141st career victory, tying Sandie Capifali for the second-most career wins in program history. Chambers' title is the second of her career and she is the only coach in program history to capture a MAAC Championship.
- Camilion now has 1,602 points for her career. She is 82 points shy of passing Patty Reynolds for No. 4 on Iona's all-time scoring list.
- Iona's starting five of Athias, Camilion, Gomez, Hodge-Carr and Mager made their 31st overall and 23rd consecutive appearance together this season.
- Iona and Manhattan had met four times in conference postseason play prior to today's tilt. Today marked the Gaels' first win over the Jaspers in the MAAC Tournament play.
UP NEXT
Iona awaits the results of the Selection Show, airing live on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. Sunday evening, for its second trip to the Big Dance. Stay tuned to Iona's social media pages and IonaGaels.com for more information.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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