The Iona College basketball programs feature four of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) annual award winners.

On the women’s side, the Gaels won three of the five awards. Head coach Billi Godsey was named MAAC Coach of the Year. Junior guard Damika Martinez won MAAC Player of the Year, and sophomore guard Aaliyah Robinson received the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year honor. Men’s basketball head coach Tim Cluess won the MAAC Coach of the Year Award.

Godsey is the first rookie head coach to claim the MAAC Coach of the Year award since the 1990-91 season. She guided the Maroon & Gold to a program record 26 wins.

“It’s a team award, and I couldn’t have done it without the group of girls that I have and the phenomenal staff support that we have,” Godsey said in an interview on ICGaels.com. “I’m lucky to have my rookie year be with such a good group.”

Martinez repeated as MAAC Player of the Year. She averaged 24.7 points per game (which ranks seventh in the nation) and claimed her third straight conference scoring title. She is the fifth player in conference history to win the Player of the Year award twice. This season, she was one of six players nationwide to post two 40-point games.

“It feels great to be recognized,” Martinez said in an interview on ICGaels.com. “All my hard work is just paying off little by little.”

Robinson is the first Gael to win the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year award. She averaged 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. She netted 38 percent of her 3-point attempts, the eighth-best percentage in the MAAC.

“It’s amazing that I actually got this award out of all the people in the MAAC,” Robinson said in an interview on ICGaels.com. “I just want to thank my teammates for having the confidence in me when I get in the game.”

Cluess, who is in his fourth season, led the Maroon & Gold to the MAAC regular season championship. His Gaels went 17-3 in conference play this year, which is five games better than they finished last season (when they went 11-7). Iona has won 20 games in all of Cluess’ seasons at the helm.

“I’m really happy about it,” Cluess said in an interview on ICGaels.com. “It’s a real blessing that my peers thought that much of me, but it’s really about my team, and my coaching staff, and my players did this.”

Iona became the first school since Niagara in 2005 to have both coaches win the MAAC Coach of the Year awards in the same year.

These four honors are further proof of the exceptional year it has been for Iona basketball.