For the fifth time in the last eight years, the Iona College women’s basketball team made the postseason and competed in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Gaels, who claimed their first ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season championship this year, played in the WNIT for the second straight season.

In the opening round of the tournament, the Maroon & Gold (26-6 overall, 18-2 MAAC) hosted the Harvard Crimson on March 20. Harvard (22-8 overall, 11-3 Ivy League) prevailed 90-89 on a last second coast-to-coast drive that dropped through the net with 0.8 seconds remaining in the contest.

Trailing 8-5 three minutes into the game, Iona reeled off a 13-2 run. The Crimson answered with a 13-0 spurt to retake the lead at 25-20. At the half, Harvard led by three (36-33).

The Crimson scored the first eight points of the second half to open up an 11-point lead. They expanded their lead to 13 with 13:43 left.

Trailing by 10 with 10:48 remaining, the Gaels’ offense came to life; the Maroon & Gold went on a 16-4 run to seize a 74-72 advantage. Iona built its lead up to five with less than four minutes to play.

Harvard battled back to tie the game at 84 with 1:42 remaining. The Crimson took a two-point edge with 11 seconds to go.

Junior guard Aleesha Powell took the ensuing inbounds pass coast to coast to tie the game. She got fouled on the play and made the free throw to put the Gaels on top 89-88 with 6.5 seconds on the clock. Harvard countered with its own coast-to-coast layup to seal the victory.

“It said a lot about who we are by battling back from being down 13,” head coach Billi Godsey said. “It stinks being six seconds from advancing.”

Both teams shot the ball exceptionally well in the second half, connecting on 62 percent of their field goal attempts. In the final 20 minutes, the Crimson made five of their seven 3-point attempts, while the Gaels hit 10 of their 18 attempts from beyond the arc.

For the game, Iona shot 50 percent from 3-point land and set a school record with 17 makes from long distance.

Junior guard Damika Martinez netted a game-high 29 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Powell posted 21 points (on seven of 10 shooting), six assists and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Aaliyah Robinson chipped in 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

“At many points in the game Harvard made us play at their pace, which took us out of our up-tempo style that we like to play,” Robinson said. “Towards the end we started battling back, but it was too late. Even though our season didn’t end how we wanted it to, everyone played as hard as they could.”

Harvard, who made its fifth appearance in the WNIT in the last six seasons, advanced to the second round, where it was defeated by Rutgers 63-52.

For Iona, the 2014 season was one to be very proud of. The Gaels set program records for wins in a season (26) and conference wins (18). They had an 18-game winning streak, which is the longest in school history.

The Maroon & Gold claimed their first MAAC regular season championship. They made their fifth appearance in the postseason and won 20 games for the fifth time in the program’s 40 year history. (Four of these 20-win seasons have been since Iona joined Division I.)

Iona was one of two teams in the country with a player who ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring (Martinez) and rebounding (Adams). Stanford is the other school.

With 26 wins in her first season, Godsey set the MAAC record for wins by a rookie women’s basketball head coach. She claimed the MAAC and the College Sports Madness Mid-Major Coach of the Year awards. She is a finalist for the WBCA 2014 Spalding Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year award; the winner will be announced on April 7.

Martinez, who won her second straight MAAC Player of the Year Award, broke the single season program records for points (771), scoring average (24.9 points per game), field goals made (262) and 3-pointers made (107). With 1,866 career points, she sits 28 behind Maggie Timoney for the most in program history.

“I am so proud of her,” Godsey said. “She spends her nights in the gym, so it is not shocking that she has accomplished so much with the effort that she puts in.”

Sophomore forward Joy Adams, an All-MAAC First Team selection, set the Iona single season record for rebounds with 442. She recorded 26 double-doubles this season, which was tied for the third most in Division I. In her two years at Iona, she has compiled 794 rebounds (fourth in program history) and 967 points.

While the Maroon & Gold say good-bye to three seniors (Haley D’Angelo, Sabrina Jeridore and Shonice Hawkins), they will feature five new players in uniform next season.

After transferring from La Salle University, sophomore Karynda DuPree will be suiting up for the Gaels next year. She sat out this season due to NCAA transfer rules. The forward has three years of eligibility remaining.

Iona has four freshmen coming in next fall. They are guard Philecia Atkins from Memphis, Tenn., guard Kristin Mahoney from The Woodlands, Texas, forward Ashley Murray from Philadelphia and forward Casey Wortley from Tucson, Ariz.

“I am excited for next season as most of the team is coming back,” Robinson said. “During the offseason our chemistry not only with the players but with the coaches will grow stronger. With the new recruits coming in there is a lot of talent being added to our team.”