Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Gaels Can't Tame Jaspers on Senior Night

The Gaels were playing catch-up all second half, but couldn't overcome Manhattan's Abby Wentworth and company. Iona made a 9-3 run at the end of the game to cut it to six, but it was not enough, ending the game with a 57-51 defeat. Juniors Milicia Paligoric and Kris Ford led the Gaels with Paligoric's double-double and Ford's 12 points and seven rebounds. Seniors Anda Ivkovic tallied 10 points and five boards, while Marissa Flagg dished out four assists.

The Gaels take on Manhattan again Friday to open up MAAC Tournament play in Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Brideport, CT. Come out and support the Gaels!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Little Hoopstars Play at Iona

The following is a link to an article written on "the loop" blog by Polly Kreisman.

http://theloopny.com/2011/02/05/little-hoopsters-play-at-iona/

Gaels Lose Two Straight

The Iona College women's basketball team (9-14, 5-6 MAAC) lost a gutsy overtime battle, falling 67-63 to Fairfield (15-7, 8-3 MAAC) to end a four-game winning streak. The loss also put a stop to the Gaels' string of seven consecutive home victories over the Stags.

After falling behind 4-0 to begin the night, Iona scored eight straight points to lead 8-4 six minutes into the contest. With the exception of a 10-10 tie and a fleeting one-point Fairfield edge, the Maroon & Gold led for the remainder of the first half and was in front by as many as eight points at the 6:21 mark. The Stags cut it to one on an 8-1 run and pulled in front on a layup by Alexys Vazquez with 1:16 to go in the half. A steal by Tomica Bacic led to a Jessica Scannell trifecta as Iona regained the advantage to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room.

The close-matched second half showcased eight tied scores, with the lead changing hands eight times and neither team able to break away by more than five at any point. The Gaels were ahead 57-55 with five seconds left in regulation when Katelyn Linney drove to the basket for a score to force Iona's second overtime situation in three games.

The Gaels controlled the jump ball to open the extra frame and pulled in front by two on a jumper by Bacic. The Stags then registered the next six points, four coming from Taryn Johnson, and went on to outscore Iona 10-6 in the period.

Anda Ivkovic recorded her third consecutive double-double, leading Iona with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Bacic followed with 15 points and eight boards while Marissa Flagg added nine points and led all players with six assists.

On Sunday the 6th,Senior Anda Ivkovic recorded her record-setting fourth consecutive double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Iona College women's basketball team was beaten in double overtime at Rider by a score of 93-87.

Tied at 65 at the end of regulation, Iona opened the first overtime period scoring nine of ten points, including five by Jackie Marshall, to lead 74-66 with 3:07 on the clock. Trailing by eight once again with 2:06 left, Rider ended the frame on an 8-0 run.

The Gaels seemed to have a win in hand, leading 78-75 with time running out. The Broncs' Shereen Lightbourne put up a last-ditch three point shot as the clock ran down to zero, but a foul was called on Iona to send Lightbourne to the line with 0.3 seconds on the board. Lightbourne hit all three attempts, tying the score at 78-all to force a second overtime.

Rider opened the final overtime with a 7-2 run and led by as much as seven (89-82) with 24 seconds remaining. Iona cut the difference to four twice down the stretch, but could not get any closer.

Marshall finished with career highs in points (17), three-pointers (5), rebounds (3), and minutes (21). Kristina Ford posted her fourth double digit performance in five games with 12 points, despite struggling at just 3-for-17 from the floor. Marissa Flagg added ten points and a team-high seven assists while Tomica Bacic also had ten points.

Iona played its third overtime contest in four games, dropping its second straight in extra minutes. The squad next hosts Marist on Feb. 11 in a game to be televised on ESPNU beginning at 4:30 pm.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Gaels Give Back

On Saturday January 22nd, the Iona players and staff participated in helping give back to the local Mamaroneck community. They traveled to Hommocks Middle School to put on a basketball clinic for young girls interested in sports. The Gaels coached the girls in scrimmages and relay races. The Iona program really enjoyed spending time with the girls and helping them become better players!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Iona Wins Third Straight

Following Iona's 15 point win against Canisius, the Gaels stayed tough and pulled out an overtime victory at Siena.Kristina Ford and Anda Ivkovic recorded just the second and third Iona double-doubles of the year; Ford leading with a season-best 19 points and 11 rebounds while Ivkovic added 12 points and ten boards. As a team, the Gaels outrebounded the Saints 54-44.

The Saints led 32-23 at intermission and were up by six with 3:44 left in the second half. Ford knocked down a jumper to cut the lead to four with 3:20 to play and Ivkovic drained a three-point shot, bringing the Gaels within one with 1:41 on the clock. Siena's Maja Gerlyng connected on two free throw attempts to push the margin back up to three at 50-47. With 20.7 seconds remaining in regulation, Ford nailed her only trey of the night to knot the score at 50-all and send the game into overtime.

In the five extra minutes, Iona was able to hold Siena to an 0-4 shooting performance while picking up points on a layup by Marissa Flagg and a trio of foul shots by Ford and Tomica Bacic. Iona's defense was once again a key factor in the team's success as the Saints could only manage 18 points in the last 25 minutes of play, with just one field goal and three points past the 9:17 mark of the second half.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Iona Gets Second League Win Against Rider

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Junior Tomica Bacic scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Iona College women's basketball team in a 92-61 victory over Rider at the Hynes Athletics Center. The Gaels (6-13 overall) ended a two-game losing streak and picked up their second league win to improve to 2-5 in MAAC play.

Iona led for all but four minutes, when Rider (2-16, 2-5 MAAC) took a three-point advantage on back-to-back field goals by Ali Heller and Caitlin Bopp early in the first half. The Gaels quickly came back from the 10-7 deficit and moved in front for good on a jumper by Bacic at the 10:21 mark. Iona mounted a 21-6 run over the final 9:18 of the half to lead 34-17 at the break.

The squad went on to shoot a sparkling 61.3% in the second half with six three-pointers. Iona had a season-best nine treys in the game and also set a new standard for the year with a 52.5% field goal percentage. The team's 92 points were the most since putting up the same number at Rider during the 2008-09 campaign.

Bacic was one rebound shy of a double-double, adding nine boards to her 22 points. She shot 7-9 from the floor and was a perfect 7-7 at the free throw line. Marissa Flagg had 11 points, and Milica Paligoric and Anda Ivkovic followed with ten points apiece. Paligoric added seven rebounds. Catherine Lutz (9 pts) and Jackie Marshall (8 pts) both picked up season highs.

Iona tries to continue the streak today against Canisius at 2 p.m. at home. Come out and cheer the Gaels on!