The Iona University men and women’s basketball teams finished their 2023-24 seasons at the 2024 MAAC Championships.
Both programs had some business to attend to regarding the regular season, with two games apiece from March 7-9.
In two games against Quinnipiac University and Manhattan College, respectively, Natalia Otkhmezuri and Sierra DeAngelo each posted two double-digit point efforts. The women’s team could not get the crucial stops defensively, though, and dropped each matchup, first by 72-68 and then 66-56.
The men’s team also lost to Manhattan, this time by a score of 77-60. Jeremiah Quigley and Joel Brown both scored at least 10 points in a combined hour of play.
They did bounce back two days later, however, and beat Siena College in a dominant 68-54 route on Senior Day. Graduate student Idan Tretout scored 19 points on eight field goals made in the 1 p.m. affair.
Iona’s basketball program headed to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., for the opening round of the 2024 MAAC Championships on March 12.
The Gaels’ women’s team was the ninth seed in their conference and faced off against the Rider University Broncs.
Both teams went back and forth to start off the game, but the Broncs held an 11-5 advantage deep in the first quarter. DeAngelo made a clutch three-pointer and later headed a 6- run for the Maroon and Gold with Otkhmezuri.
Sophomore Noa Givon cut the deficit to 23-22 in the second quarter, and DeAngelo helped push the Gaels on top by two with a late first half bucket.
An eight-point run put the Gaels up by eight early in the third, but Rider came back strong and later tied the game at 41. The Broncs’ 13-2 stretch essentially put Iona away in the fourth as they trotted to a 66-56 victory.
Iona’s men’s team started their MAAC Championship run against rival Manhattan. The game ended up being a close match at 60-57, but Iona pulled away thanks to a 24-point showing from Tretout.
A hot start to the second half was vital as well, with Tretout, Osborn Shema and Wheza Panzo all scoring in a 10-point run.
The Gaels held a two-possession advantage with 35 seconds to go, but the Jaspers had a late push and made it 59-57 after a jumper. Manhattan later missed two free throws, ending any possibility of a comeback.
Iona had the tough challenge of facing the No. 2-seeded Fairfield University Stags next, on March 13.
Quigley was superb on the day, registering the first double-double of his career with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Brown and Tretout had double-digit showings too, but Iona lost 68-63 after a hard-fought battle.
The Iona basketball program now heads into the offseason after solid debut seasons under coaches Tobin Anderson and Angelika Szumilo.
