NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University women's basketball team earned its second straight win with a 50-31 victory over Saint Francis University on Friday afternoon. Seven different scorers contributed for the Gaels in the wire-to-wire win over the Red Flash in the first game of the 2025 Iona Turkey Tip-Off tournament.
 
Junior Zoey Ward led the Gaels with her first double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Junior Mya Zaccagnini registered nine points, three rebounds, three assists and a career-high four steals. Graduate student Isabellah Middleton tied her career-high with five assists to pair with five rebounds and seven points.

GAME SUMMARY

The Gaels got started with a driving layup from Zaccagnini in the opening possession, that kicked off a 11-2 opening stretch. The Red Flash promptly called timeout with 5:43 to go in the quarter to regroup. Iona continued to hold serve the rest of the frame with a 6-3 closing stretch to take a 17-5 lead. Middleton and Ward led the Maroon & Gold with five points apiece.
 
Saint Francis regrouped out of quarter break with a 6-2 start over the first three and a half minutes. Iona called timeout to regroup and responded with a knockdown three-pointer from Zaccagnini to extend the lead back to 10. The Red Flash countered with a 7-2 spurt to make it a six-point game with 2:18 to go. Iona closed the first half on a long step back jumper from graduate student Ella Fajardo to take a 26-18 lead at halftime.
 
Iona continued to hold serve to start the third quarter with a 10-0 opening run paced by four points from Zaccagnini and Ward over the first four and a half minutes of action. Saint Francis broke up the run with a triple with 4:52 to go. Iona countered with a pair of layups from Middleton and junior Claudia Fiel down the stretch. The Red Flash got the last basket on a corner three-pointer to bring the score to 40-24. The Gaels forced 10 turnovers in the third quarter and held Saint Francis to just two made field goals.
 
The Gaels paced the final frame over the Red Flash with a 10-7 scoring margin. Iona held Saint Francis to just two made field goals for the second straight quarter to take the 50-31 ball game.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Ward posted 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting on the day and five of her 13 rebounds were on the offensive end.
• Zaccagnini tallied nine points on three made field goals and two free throws. She chipped in three rebounds, three assists along with four steals.
• Graduate Student Naomi Barnwell added eight points along with six rebounds and one block.
• Middleton posted an all-around effort with seven points, five rebounds and a game-high five assists.

THE OPPONENT

• Aleah James led the Red Flash with seven points and three steals. She assed four rebounds and two assists.
• Zaiha Minnis chipped in seven points and four rebounds for Saint Francis.

TEAM STATS

• Iona shot 32.8% for the game while Saint Francis shot 23.9% from the field.
• Both teams recorded four made three-pointers with the Red Flash holding a slight 25% to 14.8% edge.
• Iona won the rebounding battle for a fifth time this season with a 42-40 edge.
• The Gaels forced 23 turnovers leading to 12 points and the Red Flash caused 11 turnovers leading to nine points. 

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• The Gaels improve to 3-1 all-time over Saint Francis.
• It was Ward's first double-double of the season and the third of her career. She posted double digit points for the third time this year, finishing with 13 for the game. Her 13 rebounds set a new career high.
• Zaccagnini registered a career-high four steals this afternoon.
• Middleton tied her career-high with five assists, last reaching the mark on December 3, 2021 against Mansfield as a member of Slippery Rock.

UP NEXT

The Gaels will take on either UIC or Maine in the Turkey Tip-Off Championship game on Saturday, November 29 with a 2:30 p.m. start from the Hynes Athletic Center.