The Iona College women’s basketball team is in the midst of the longest winning streak in program history, having won 16 straight games. This stretch includes a victory over Marist, the eight-time defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champion.

The Maroon & Gold (17-2 overall, 10-0 MAAC) topped the Red Foxes 73-71 on Jan. 13 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. This victory marks the first time Iona defeated Marist since 2001; Marist beat Iona 29 straight times. With the win, the Gaels moved into sole possession of first place in the conference and bumped the Red Foxes from the top spot for the first time in nine seasons.

“It’s always good to beat a great team,” senior center Sabrina Jeridore said. “To see the program come up and blossom is great. We came back to win the MAAC, and the hard work is showing.”

The opening period featured 10 ties, and the largest lead for either team was five points. After trading a pair of buckets, Marist piled on 10 straight points to take a 46-36 lead with just under 15 minutes left. Iona answered with a 21-10 run to seize its first lead since the 4:30 mark of the first half.

After battling back and forth for a few minutes, the Maroon & Gold went on a 10-2 run to grab their largest lead of the game (67-62) with two minutes remaining. The Red Foxes clawed their way back and knotted the game at 71 with 24 ticks left on the clock.

After a Gaels timeout, junior guard Damika Martinez hit a foul-line jumper with 2.9 seconds left.

“I just wanted the ball,” Martinez said. “My teammates have confidence in me.”

Marist’s in-bounds pass was tipped by sophomore forward Joy Adams and secured by redshirt senior guard Haley D’Angelo.

Martinez finished with 18 points. Adams also tallied 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Aaliyah Robinson tied career-highs with 17 points and four 3-pointers and set a career-high with eight rebounds. Junior guard Aleesha Powell contributed 16 points.

Five days after this historic win, the Maroon & Gold took to the road again, traveling to Fairfield. The Gaels defeated the Stags 64-59.

After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, Iona fell behind and trailed by 12 with six and a half minutes remaining in the opening period. The Gaels closed the half on a 12-2 run and trailed by a point at the intermission.

Martinez knocked down a 3-pointer 13 seconds into the second half to give the Maroon & Gold the lead. Fairfield answered with 10 straight points to take a 40-32 advantage. The Stags held the lead until an Adams layup with 51 seconds remaining put the Gaels back on top. Iona ended the game with a 12-2 spurt en route to the Gaels’ 5-point win.

The Maroon & Gold held Fairfield to four second-chance points. Martinez tallied 23 points. Robinson scored 17 points for the second straight game. Adams amassed a double-double with 16 points and 19 rebounds (10 of which came on the offensive glass).

“[I was] not thrilled with the start, but the team was able to dig down deep,” head coach Billi Godsey said. “We are going to continue to get better.”

Iona closed out Martin Luther King weekend with a 70-52 win over Manhattan at home. The Gaels scored the first nine points of the contest. The Jaspers inched their way back into the game and took a 26-25 lead with 4:37 left in the first half. The Maroon & Gold countered with a 7-0 spurt and led 34-29 at the break.

“[We] came out pretty strong, [but we] let them hang around,” Adams said.

Holding a nine-point edge with nine minutes to go, Iona reeled off a 13-0 run, which ballooned the lead to 22. Manhattan went nearly six minutes without a point. Iona dominated on the boards, holding a 51-31 advantage. The Jaspers did not have any fast break points.

Jeridore recorded her second double-double of the season with 15 points (one shy of her career-best) and a career-high 14 rebounds. Adams compiled 16 points and 16 rebounds. Martinez posted 18 points; Powell was also in double-figures with 12.

On Jan. 24, the Gaels picked up an 86-77 victory at Monmouth. Iona led 44-29 at halftime. In the second half, the Maroon & Gold expanded their lead to 24 before the Hawks stormed back to cut the lead to three with just under two minutes to go.

Martinez led the way with 28 points and buried six of her nine 3-point attempts. Adams posted a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Robinson contributed 16 points.

Two days later, Iona defeated Saint Peter’s 66-54 at home. The Peacocks went a span of 10 and a half minutes with only one field goal in the first half. The Gaels led 37-21 at halftime and expanded the lead to 19 in the second half.

“We were a little lackadaisical today, but we played good defense,” D’Angelo said. “Our shots aren’t always going to fall, but we have to make up for it in other ways.”

Martinez scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds. Adams posted 16 points and 10 rebounds. This is her 17th double-double of the season, which is tied for the most in the nation.

Adams was named the MAAC Player of the Week on Jan. 27. This marks the third time she has received this honor.

Numerous Gaels are among the nation’s statistical leaders. D’Angelo is second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.6). Jeridore is averaging 3.7 blocks per game (one-tenth of a block behind the nation’s leader). Adams’ 14.1 rebounds per game mark is good for third in the country, while Martinez is fifth in the country with 24.3 points per game. Iona is the only team in the nation with a player in the top five for scoring and rebounding.

The Gaels, who are ranked No. 16 in the Mid-Major Top-25, host Fairfield on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Hynes Athletics Center. This match-up is followed by games at Siena, Rider and Manhattan.