The Iona College women’s basketball began its quest for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title on Friday when the team face Arizona on the road.

Arizona, who finished 14-16 and was plagued with a seven game losing streak, managed to make it to the PAC-12 championships, where they were eliminated in the first round by Oregon.

The Wildcats weren’t the best shooting team last season, as they shot under 40 percent from the floor and three-point line. However, teams committed 15.7 turnovers per game when playing Arizona.

Arizona had two players -LaBrittney Jones and Malena Washington -average double figures last season. Both players will not return this season as they have graduated.

Arizona wasn’t able to win against any of the ranked teams they played against last season. The Wildcats were positive at home with a 9-7 record. This could be taken in a somber tone as Iona was 6-8 on the road last year.

Gaels’ juniors Alexis Lewis and Treyanna Clay will be players to keep an eye on against the Wildcats. Lewis proved to be a key performer last season, averaging 15.9 points per game and starting in every game. Clay averaged 6.2 points per game and played a total of 966 minutes.

While the returning players are important, the incoming freshmen such as Toyosi Abiola and Rebekah Justice have the potential to play important minutes this season.

The matchup against the Wildcats will be a big test out the gates for an Iona team that features five freshmen and five sophomores. If Lewis can bring back her scoring ways from 2016 and the Gaels can apply pressure on the defensive end, they have a chance to pull off a victory.

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