The Iona University women’s basketball team has lost their momentum throughout the early going of the new year. To date, the team holds a 2-4 record in January, with both wins coming at home in the Hynes Athletic Center.
Following their defeat at the hands of Rider University by seven points on Jan. 4, Iona suited up two days later for a matchup against the Marist Red Foxes.
Graduate student Natalia Otkhmezuri took control of the game early on, setting a new personal best with 38 points. The onslaught started when Otkhmezuri hit a three-pointer right after Marist’s 7-0 run to begin the contest.
Graduate student Sierra DeAngelo and junior Judith Gomez added double-digit point totals to the stat sheet as well, combining for a total of 28 points.
Iona rookie, Mya Zaccagnini, had one of her more impressive games to date, dishing out a career-high of four assists and leading the defense with three steals in the 70-60 win.
The Gaels’ next game came, following a five-day lull in the schedule, this time in Fairfield University’s Mahoney Arena.
The Stags, with a near-perfect 13-1 record heading into the affair, swarmed the Gaels right out of the gate, picking up the first points of the game and storming away with an 8-1 run.
Fairfield’s lead sat at 34-17 at the halfway point and, thanks to a 50% shooting percentage, they never relinquished the lead and ended up with a 72-44 victory.
Quinnipiac University proved to be tough for Iona too, as they dropped 70 points, compared to Iona’s 64 points on that evening.
Eight different Gaels got in on the scoring, though Gomez went 5-for-11 on shots, totaling 13 points.
The game was tied with only 3:37 on the clock in the fourth quarter, but Quinnipiac made a late layup and ran away with it after an 8-2 stretch.
Iona hosted Saint Peter’s University in front of a sell-out crowd for “Kids Day” on Jan. 18, beating the Peacocks with a 68-62 final score.
It was a tight matchup early on, with a 12-12 tie late in the first quarter. Sophomore Noa Givon’s last-minute layup pushed the Gaels slightly ahead heading into the second quarter.
Second-year student Petra Oborilova took charge as the game wore on and added five points during a 15-2 run. The Gaels led by five points with 54 seconds on the clock but closed the gap by going 6-for-7 from the free throw line.
Iona’s most recent game came on Jan. 20 versus Siena College. Otkhmezuri led the way for the women thanks to a 15-point showing.
Iona, who trailed by 16 points at the end of the third quarter, could not stop the Saints’ offensive push, eventually losing by a double-digit score of 77-56.
The Gaels’ next outing comes against Canisius College, as a two-game home slate is kicked off on Jan. 25.
