Gaels go 1 and 1 in the Thanksgiving Classic

The Gaels earned our first victory of the year, snapping a three-game season-opening skid with a 73-67 win over Brown (2-3) in the Iona Thanksgiving Classic. The Gaels more than doubled their first half production with a 50-point second half to claim the come-from-behind triumph.

Anda Ivkovic and Kristina Ford put up nearly identical numbers to lead the Maroon & Gold. Each posted a team-high 18 points on seven field goals, two three-pointers, and two free throws, and both added five rebounds and a steal. Marissa Flagg followed closely with 14 points and a team-best six boards while Suzi Fregosi had seven assists.

The second game of the tournament was not as successful for the Gaels. Iona dropped a 68-60 decision to Toledo in the Iona Thanksgiving Classic finale. The Rockets (3-3) used a significant scoring run in each half in holding off the Gaels (1-4) at the Hynes Center.

Junior forward Kristina Ford led Iona with 16 points and a season-best nine rebounds. Her classmate, Tomica Bacic matched a season-high with 12 points and senior Marissa Flagg posted 11 points and four assists in the loss.

The Maroon & Gold opened up the second half with a flurry. After surrendering a field goal on the first possession, Iona scored eight straight points to cut the deficit to just two points. Bacic was the star of the run, scoring seven points in the 90-second stretch. Ford gave Iona the lead at the 14:50 mark, burying a three-pointer from the wing and putting her squad ahead 38-37. A conventional three-point play by the Rockets and another Bacic jumper on back-to-back possessions knotted the score at 40-40 with 12:40 to play. Toledo began to pull away, scoring 10 straight points over the next 1:10. The Gaels would get as close as five points on two occasions, but could not erase the deficit and free throws in the final minutes accounted for the 68-60 win for Toledo.

Gaels sign Two for 2011

Head coach Anthony Bozzella has announced the signing of two players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Damika Martinez, a 5'7" point guard from Meriden, CT and Briana Graham, a 6'0" forward from Dearborn, MI will join the Gael squad for the 2011-12 season.

"I am so pleased that these two outstanding student-athletes have decided to join our family here at Iona," said Bozzella. "I give coach Kelly, our recruiting coordinator, and the rest of my staff a tremendous amount of credit for bringing in such a talented twosome."

Martinez, who will graduate from Orville H. Platt High School, has averaged 26 points, ten rebounds, and four assists per game with a career total of 1,350 points. She was named Hartford All-Courant Fab 15 in 2009 and New Haven Register All-State HM in 2008 and 2009. Martinez is ranked among the Top 25 point guards in the Class of 2011 by ESPNU and is included in ESPNU's Top 100 National rankings. In 2010, Martinez played AAU with the NYC Gauchos.

"Damika can do so many different things from both guard positions on the floor. She is a dynamic player who I feel will have an immediate impact on our team."

Graham, who will graduate from Martin Luther King High School, has averaged ten points and six rebounds per game as one of four seniors on her team to go on to play in Division I. She is ranked 58th in her position by ESPN Hoopgurlz, is a McDonald's All-American nominee, and has been inducted into the National Honors Society. Graham played AAU basketball with the Michigan Crossover.

"I'm excited because Briana will bring a toughness and aggressiveness to our team at both the guard and post positions. She is a true competitor who will have an exceptional career here at Iona."

Gaels Drop Three in WNIT

The Lady Gaels have started off the season on a three game skid. Iona College opened its 2010-11 campaign with a 72-40 loss on the road to Charlotte in the Preseason WNIT. The Gaels had double-digit production from senior Anda Ivkovic and junior Kristina Ford, but struggled to keep pace with the quick and athletic 49ers.

Iona then took on the Knights of Central Florida, in Harrisonburg, VA. The Gaels were led by Kristina Ford with 14 points, followed by Cat Lutz and Milica Paligoric with 8 points apiece. After being tied at 18, UCF mounted a 9-1 run to lead by eight at halftime. The Gaels could never catch-up and ended the game losing 59-48.

The last game in the WNIT Tournament ended with the same result as the first two, with a defeat for the Gaels. Iona was paced by Anda Ivkovic with 22 points and 8 rebounds, along with Marissa Flagg who tallied 16 points, and Tomica Bacic with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Despite outscoring St. Francis University 40-36 in the second half the Gaels could not comeback, losing 77-69 to end the WNIT Tournament. The Gaels look to rebound this weekend against Brown University Saturday, and the University of Toledo Sunday in our Thanksgiving Day Tournament at Hynes Center. Come out and support Iona!

Gaels Win in Exhibition Matchup

The Gaels defeated Philadelphia University by a score of 79-55 in an exhibition matchup at the Hynes Athletics Center. Junior center Milica Paligoric led three Gaels in double digits with 15 points.

Paligoric was followed by classmate Kristina Ford and senior Catherine Lutz who added 12 points apiece. 15 of the 16 Gaels who stepped on the court recorded at least one point in the win. Senior floor leader Suzi Fregosi had a game-leading seven assists.

Iona took a 2-0 lead on a layup by Ford in the opening minutes and remained in front the rest of the way. The squad led by as much as 14 in the first half and pushed the margin as high as 30 in the second. The Gaels forced 27 Hawk turnovers while committing 21.

The regular season gets under way with the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament beginning Nov. 13. Iona faces Charlotte in the first round at 5:00 pm in North Carolina.