For the first time ever, the Iona College women’s basketball team was the No. 1 seed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament. The Gaels’ trip to Springfield, Mass. for the championship ended in disappointment on March 9 when they lost to Quinnipiac 79-68 in the semifinals.

The Maroon & Gold (26-5 overall, 18-2 MAAC) held a 24-18 advantage with three minutes left in the first period. Quinnipiac, the number four seed, scored the last six points of the half to tie the game going into halftime and then the first five points of the second half. The Bobcats led for the remainder of the game.

Quinnipiac amassed 17 offensive rebounds and controlled the boards 45-36. The Bobcats outscored the Gaels 20-4 on second chance points.

The first half was low scoring, as the two teams entered the halftime intermission tied at 24. The two teams found their offensive flows in the second half, during which Quinnipiac outscored Iona 55-44.

“They did a good job in the first half on stopping our 3-pointers,” junior guard Damika Martinez said in the postgame press conference.

Martinez scored a game-high 32 points and was a perfect eight for eight at the free throw line. Sophomore forward Joy Adams amassed 20 points and 17 rebounds for her 26th double-double of the season, which is the second most of any player in the nation.

The following day, Quinnipiac fell to Marist 70-66 in the championship game. This victory gives the Red Foxes their ninth straight title.

Iona advanced to the semifinals by topping ninth seeded Monmouth 71-56 in the quarterfinals on March 7.

The Maroon & Gold led 33-25 at the break. Martinez and Adams accounted for 27 of the Gaels’ 33 first half points.

The Hawks went on a 17-4 run to seize the lead 46-42. The Gaels countered with a 20-4 run to bring their lead back to 12.

Iona converted on 22 of its 27 free throw attempts, while Monmouth made six of its nine shots from the charity stripe.

Adams led the charge with 29 points, which ties a career-high. She also grabbed 16 rebounds and recorded five steals. Martinez compiled 23 points and five rebounds.

“I’m really proud of our girls how they stepped up and battled a little bit of adversity there and came back to pull off that win,” head coach Billi Godsey said in the postgame press conference.

Before the conference tournament began, the conference announced the All-MAAC First, Second and Third Teams. Adams and Martinez were named to the All-MAAC First Team, making Iona the only school with two of the top five players. Junior guard Aleesha Powell was named to the All-MAAC Second Team.

Iona is one of three schools to have three All-MAAC selections (along with Marist and Quinnipiac).

Prior to the MAAC Tournament, Iona closed out the regular season with a 79-67 loss to Marist on March 2 in New Rochelle. Following this game, the two teams finished the regular season tied for first place in the MAAC with a record of 18-2 in conference play. The Red Foxes earned a share of the MAAC regular season crown for the 11th year in a row.

Marist led 40-37 at halftime and opened the second period with a 17-2 run to take control of the contest. Iona narrowed the gap to eight with 3:25 remaining, but never got closer.

Martinez recorded 20 points and six rebounds. Senior center Sabrina Jeridore amassed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Though the Gaels came away from the MAAC Tournament without a championship, they will be playing in the postseason. By virtue of winning the conference regular season championship, Iona is assured a spot in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

There is a chance that the Maroon & Gold could be chosen for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament. This would be the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The announcements of both tournament fields will be on March 17.

“We have to be mature enough to accept that there’s more basketball ahead of us,” Godsey said in the press conference after the Quinnipiac game. “It may not be in the bracket that we want, but we have to be mature enough to accept it and continue to fight.”