The Iona Lady Gaels clinched a first round bye in the MAAC tournament as Martina Weber scored a career high 28 points to lead the Lady Gaels to a 83-69 win over Siena. The final score was not indicative of how close the game was for the most part. Siena led by as many as nine in the first half, 24-15 before Iona went on a 21-6 run to go up 36-30 at the half.
Siena though scored the first seven points of the half and took a 37-36 lead. Iona regained the lead but Siena stayed close 55-53 with 8:14 left. That's when Iona went on a 9-2 run to lead 64-55 with 5:41 left and Siena never recovered.
As when the teams met the first time, Iona used its significant height advantage by working the ball into Weber, Jessica Anger, and Anna McClean in the paint in the second half. Tiara Headen had 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Lady Gaels, while McClean had 10 points and 7 rebounds and Anger added 8 points. In her final home game, Iona's lone senior, Melissa Yeagley totaled three points, two rebounds, and a career-high six assists. The Lady Gaels outrebounded Siena 42-31 and shot 49 percent from the field for the game, including 55 percent in the second half. The Lady Gaels also limited Siena to 39.6 percent from the field.
Iona is now 11-5 in conference tied with Loyola for third place in the MAAC conference, however Loyola has the tie breaker, having won both games against the Lady Gaels. Iona is also now 14-11 overall. Iona has also now tied the school record for wins in a season as a Division I program with 14 and has guaranteed itself its best finish ever in the MAAC.
If coach Tony Bozzella does not get MAAC coach of the year for taking a preseason ranked #9 team to its best MAAC conference record in school history and a first round bye, there ought to be an investigation.
Iona finishes the regular season at Rider on Friday, then finishes with a televised road game at Manhattan next Sunday on MSG. Its part of the Manhattan-Iona men's women's doubleheader with the men's first game possibly deciding who gets the first seed and double bye in the MAAC tournament.
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