NEW ROCHELLE, NY — In her final game at the Hynes Athletics Center, Iona College women’s basketball senior guard Damika Martinez tallied 34 points in an 81-53 victory over Niagara University. The win broke a three-game losing streak for the Gaels, who complete the MAAC regular season with a 12-8 record in league play.
Martinez connected on a season-high 14 field goals in the contest, including four from behind the arc. She also collected three rebounds and three assists in the game. With 2,569 career points, she is now 45th all-time on the Division I scoring ledger.
Junior forward Joy Adams collected her 17th double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. Of Adams’ 18 boards, 10 came on the offensive glass. With 1,167 career rebounds, Adams is now third all-time in MAAC history in the category. She sits 43 shy of second place, and 51 rebounds shy of first all-time in league history.
Freshman guard Philecia Gilmore tallied 11 points, and junior forward Karynda DuPree had one of her best all around games of the season with 10 points, and a season high eight rebounds and six blocks.
After an early Niagara bucket gave the Purple Eagles a 2-0 lead, the Gaels answered with an 11-2 run to take an 11-4 advantage, with Martinez contributing eight points during the charge.
Late in the first half, Iona grabbed its biggest lead of the period, 37-22, on a jumper by Martinez with 1:46 left. Niagara scored the final five points of the stanza to cut the lead to 10, 37-27, at half.
A jumper by Niagara’s Meghan McGuinness opened up the second half scoring, and trimmed the Iona lead to single digits, before a three by Victoria Rampado with 17:30 cut the Gaels’ advantage to six, 40-34. A 7-0 run, bookended by threes from Martinez and junior forward Cassidee Ranger, pushed Iona’s lead back to double digits, 47-34 with 15:23 left.
A pair of free throws by DuPree gave Iona a 21 point advantage, 62-41, with 10:49 left before a a three by Gilmore with 3:15 remaining gave the Gaels their biggest lead of the game, 78-48.
Overall, Iona outshot Niagara 43.1% – 34.4%, and held an 11-3 advantage in three-point field goals. The Maroon & Gold outrebounded the Purple Eagles 49-38 and turned 14 Niagara turnovers into 15 points.
McGuinness led the Purple Eagles with 11 points. The Gaels, the number four seed in the 2015 MAAC Championship, will take on fifth seeded Siena, Friday afternoon at 2:30 pm.