NEW ROCHELLE — The Niagara women’s basketball team fell to reigning MAAC Champions Iona, 68-61, on Friday.
The Purple Eagles came out hot in the first quarter, going on a 9-0 run to take the early lead over the Gaels. With a little under two and a half minutes remaining in the first, Jamie Sherburne sank two free throws after a technical foul on Marina Lizarazu of Iona, followed by a jumper from Corselli to give Niagara a 16-point lead, 22-6, over the Gaels. Iona began to creep toward the Purple Eagles’ lead, going on a 12-0 run in the final 2:11 of the quarter but Niagara maintained its lead, 22-18, going into the second quarter. Back-to-back threes for Niagara from Sherburne and Corselli in the second quarter kept the Purple Eagles on top, 28-23, but the Gaels came back quickly, tying up the score 28-28 with a little under five minutes remaining in the quarter. The Gaels held Niagara scoreless through the final seven and a half minutes of the second quarter and the Purple Eagles went into the half trailing the Gaels narrowly, 32-28.
The third quarter was a defensive battle between the Purple Eagles and the Gaels. Niagara came back within three points of the lead after Morgan Baughman sank a three with a little over six minutes remaining and again one minute later after a fast-break layup in the paint from Maggie McIntyre. The Gaels, however, clung to their lead and went into the final quarter of play ahead of Niagara, 44-35. In the fourth quarter, Corselli and Rampado each sank two 3-pointers to cut the Gaels’ lead, 64-57 with a little over 30 seconds remaining in the game but Iona hung onto its lead and came away with the win.
Niagara heads to Manhattan on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Purple Eagles return home on Wednesday when they host Canisius at 7 p.m. for the teams’ first Battle of the Bridge game of the season.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
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