After a two-game win streak, the Iona Gaels are looking to establish more momentum going into the final stretch.
The Gaels headed to Riverdale, New York, to face rival team Manhattan University. On the road, they pulled off the victory.with a final score of 65-51. There were never any doubts as Iona kept control of the majority of the game, especially in the third quarter, when they doubled the Jaspers in points.
Zoey Ward and Isabellah Middleton were crucial, scoring a total of 39 points between the two. Ward has been on a roll, as she produced a double-double for the fifth time this season. The Jaspers, on the other hand, had Brianna Davis put up 20 points for them and seven rebounds.
The next game saw Iona play Mount St. Mary’s at the Hynes Athletic Center in a tough game, which ended in a Gaels loss, 63-62.
Ward once again put the team on her back, scoring 27 points, which was a game and career high score for her. Unfortunately for her, it was not enough. In the first half it was 37-35 Mountaineers, because they also had one of their star players step up, Alana Powell, who scored 22 points.
Iona did have the chance for victory at the end of the game, and they got the last possession, but it was not enough as the Mountaineers held on to the one-point lead and secured victory.
Iona then travelled to Fairfield, Connecticut to take on the Fairfield Stags. The final score of the game saw a Gaels loss, with the final score being 46-82.
The game started strong as they traded buckets in the first few minutes of the game, but the second Fairfield found their groove, there was no stopping them. Iona was not able to produce momentum as they were getting shut down completely; there was no genuine contribution from the Gaels. Fairfield shot 49.8% from the field, while Iona was only able to reach 40%. Another factor to consider is that Fairfield made Iona make history with a season high of 23 turnovers in a singular game.
With six games left in the season, the Gaels will be hoping to finish strong. The Gaels start this stretch with two home games, against Canisius on Feb. 12 and Niagara on Feb. 14, which is the Gaels’ Senior Day.
