NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University women's basketball team earned the weekend sweep with a 65-64 victory over Marist on Saturday afternoon. The Gaels erased a first half deficit at the Hynes Center with a big third quarter before the defense shut out the Red Foxes in the final possession.
 
Total team effort for the Maroon & Gold as four scorers posted double figures. Graduate student Ella Fajardo led the way with 16 points to pair with five rebounds and two assists. Junior Claudia Fiel chipped in 14 points, along with a team-high four assists. Graduate student Isabellah Middleton tallied 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists while junior Zoey Ward posted 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

GAME SUMMARY

Iona came out of the gates firing with the first three baskets as Fajardo, senior Ale Civera and Middleton to take a 6-0 lead. Marist countered with a 7-0 run to take the one-point lead at the 6:22 mark. It was back and forth from there with Iona holding a slight 11-10 margin in the final 6:30 of play to bring the score to 17-17.
 
The two teams continued to trade blows for the first 3:45 of the second stanza as Iona held a slight 6-5 edge as a layup from Fajardo made it a 23-22 ballgame. The Red Foxes countered with a 9-0 run to take the lead. The Gaels answered with a 10-1 run paced by six points from Fajardo and four points by Fiel to take a one-point lead into the final minute. Marist took a 34-33 lead into the break thanks to a pair of free throws.
 
Iona responded out of the intermission with a 19-8 start to the third quarter with six different scorers contributing baskets on the way to the team's largest lead of the game 52-42. Ward and junior Mya Zaccagnini led the way with five points and four points each. Marist countered in the final half of the quarter with a 9-2 run to make it a 54-51 ballgame into the final frame.
 
The Gaels extended the lead to begin the fourth quarter as Fiel and graduate student Naomi Barnwell went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. Iona continued to hold Marist at a distance before a quick 6-0 spurt from the visitors made it a one-possession game 63-61 with 3:12 to go. Iona made it a four-point game on a layup by Middleton with 2:42 left. The Red Foxes cut the deficit to one in the final minute on a driving layup. Iona turned the ball over with 23 seconds left to give Marist one last look. The Gaels defense came up clutch to force a contested final possession to secure the 65-64 win.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Fajardo chipped in 16 points on six made field goals including three three-pointers.
• Fiel recorded five made field goals and a pair of free throws for 14 points. She dished out a team-high four assists.
• Middleton went 4-of-6 and 5-for-5 at the foul line for her 13 points to pair with seven rebounds and two steals.
• Ward chipped in 10 points, a team-high nine rebounds and three assists.

THE OPPONENT

• Jackie Piddock recorded a game-high 18 points to lead the Red Foxes.
• Justine Henry registered 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Lexie Tarul added 12 point and New Rochelle native Ciara Croker tallied a game-high 10 rebounds, four assists and five points.

TEAM STATS

• Marist held a slight 39.6% field goal percentage to Iona's 37.7% field goal percentage.
• Both teams struggled from three-point range as the Gaels made six three-pointers at 27.8% and the Red Foxes made four triples at 26.7%.
• Iona won the rebounding battle 40-37 over Marist.
• The Gaels scored 16 points off 13 Marist turnovers and the Red Foxes totaled 14 points off 10 Iona turnovers.

TEAM STATS

• Iona has now won six of the last eight meetings over Marist.
• Head coach Angelika Szumilo improves to 4-1 over the Red Foxes.
• Fajardo recorded her fifth game in double figures this season
• Fiel posted her second straight game in double figures, tying her season-high with 14 points. She led the Gaels in assists for the sixth time this year.
• Middleton tallied her 15^th double-digit scoring effort and led Iona in steals for the 12^th time.
• Ward finished in double figures for the 17^th time in 21 games and has secured five or more rebounds in every game this season.

UP NEXT

The Gaels hit the road next weekend for two games, first up is a meeting at Merrimack on Thursday, January 29 for a 11 a.m. matchup at Lawler Arena.