NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University women's basketball team used a total team effort to defeat Siena, 82-75 on Saturday afternoon. The Maroon & Gold shot a season-high 51.7% from the field and dished out 26 assists as a team in the victory over the Saints at the Hynes Athletic Center to start Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play 4-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
 
Senior duo Ella Fajardo and Judith Gomez both tallied career-highs in scoring with 20 points each. Fajardo also tied her season-high with seven assists and Gomez recorded four rebounds and four steals. Senior Erin Leary set a new season-high with 16 points on the day and first-year guard Chloe Vasquez added 13 points.

THE RUNDOWN

It was a blistering start to the first home game of 2025 for the Gaels with a 12-2 opening run paced by 10 points for Fajardo. Siena broke up the run with a four-point spurt. Iona continued to push the tempo, going 4-of-6 from the floor down the stretch to take a 23-14 lead. Gomez led the Gaels with eight points in the final four minutes of action.
 
Iona didn't skip a beat to start the second stanza as a layup from sophomore Zoey Ward kicked off four consecutive made baskets in the first two minutes. From there it was back and forth action as teams closed the quarter dead even with 23 points each. Vasquez led the Maroon & Gold with nine points in the second quarter. Gomez, Fajardo and Leary all chipped in seven points each. The Gaels shot 58.8% in the first half to take a 55-37 lead into halftime.
 
The Gaels continued to hold serve in the beginning of the third quarter as scoring slowed down with a 7-4 margin through the first four minutes of action. Gomez tallied five points, and Leary added a layup to bring the score to 62-41. Siena started to build momentum offensively with a 12-6 margin in the final five minutes of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 15 points, 68-53 as the game headed into the final frame.
 
A knockdown triple from senior Talia DePetrillo kicked off a 7-3 start for the Gaels in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. The Saints didn't back down punching back with a 17-5 stretch over the next seven minutes to bring the deficit down to single digits with 1:12 to go. Iona would hold on for the 82-75 lead and hand Siena its first loss of conference play.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Fajardo posted 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting with a 4-of-5 mark from downtown and four made free throws.
• Gomez made a game-high eight field goals including four made three-pointers on her way to a career-high 20 points.
• Leary posted a season-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting along with five assists and four rebounds.
• Vasquez went 5-of-6 from the field and hit three free throws to pair with five rebounds and five assists.

THE OPPONENT

• Teresa Seppala registered a game-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and a pair of steals.
• Myriam Traore recorded 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting for the saints.
• Anajah Brown added 11 points, a game-high eight rebounds and team-high five assists.

TEAM STATS

• For the second consecutive game, Iona tallied a season-high in shooting, going 51.7% from the floor while Siena shot 43.1% for the game.
• The Gaels drained a season-high 10 three-pointers at a 50% clip. The Saints connected on eight triples at 38.1%.
• Siena commanded the glass, out rebounding Iona 37-28.
• Iona forced 14 Siena turnovers leading to 18 points and Siena totaled 12 points off 12 Iona turnovers.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• The Gaels improve to 4-2 on the season at the Hynes Athletic Center winning the last four home contests.
• Iona is one of three remaining schools unbeaten in league play, joining Quinnipiac (4-0) and the defending MAAC champions, Fairfield (2-0).
• The Gaels 26 assists are tied for the fourth most in program history for a single game.
• Fajardo posted 20 points for the first time in her career and knocked down a career-best four three pointers. She also tied her season-high in assists.
• Gomez also eclipsed 20 points for the first time and made a career-high eight field goals. Her four steals are a new season high.
• Leary finished in double figures for the second straight game with a season-high 16 points. She also dished out a season-high five assists.
• DePetrillo and Vasquez both registered a career-high five assists.

UP NEXT

Iona will host the reigning league champions Fairfield at the Hynes Athletic Center on Thursday, January 9. Tipoff between the Gaels and Stags is slated for 6:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.