NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball ended its 2013-14 season Thursday evening with a 90-89 heartbreaking defeat to Harvard (22-7) in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament at the Hynes Athletics Center. Trailing by one, Harvard's Christine Clark connected on a coast-to-coast layup with 0.8 seconds left to lead the Crimson to the one point win.
Junior guard Damika Martinez led the Gaels with a game high 29 points, connecting on 12-of-21 attempts from the field, including five from behind the arc. Junior guard Aleesha Powell scored 21 points off the bench, connecting on 7-of-10 of her attempts fro the field while sophomore guard Aaliyah Robinson scored 17 points and connected on five three pointers. Overall, Iona knocked down a single game record 17 three-point field goals in the contest.
Trailing by two early, Iona went on a 10-0 run, grabbing an 18-10 advantage on a three by Martinez with 13:05 left in the first. Harvard responded with a 15-2 run, taking a 25-20 lead on a three pointer by Erin McDonnell with 8:14 remaining in the frame.
The Crimson extended their lead to seven, 34-27, with 2:20 left in the stanza before back-to-back Iona threes cut the margin to one, 34-33, with 1:35 remaining. Harvard connected on a layup with five seconds left to take a three point advantage, 36-33, into the locker room.
Harvard came out red hot early in the second half, scoring the first eight points of the frame, taking an 11 point lead, 44-33, on a three by Jasmine Evans with 18:44 left. The Crimson kept the advantage at or close to double digits, taking a game high 13 point cushion, 60-47, on a layup by Evans with 13:43 left.
From there, the Maroon & Gold answered with a 20-10 run, trimming the deficit to three, 70-67, on a layup by Adams with 9:14 remaining in the contest. The Gaels then evened the game at 72, on a three by Robinson, before taking the lead, 74-72, on a layup by Martinez with 7:18 remaining.
With Iona ahead 84-79 with 3:12 left, Harvard scored five straight, tying the game on a jumper by Temi Fagbenle. Fagbenle then connected on a layup on the next trip down the floor to give the Crimson a two point lead, 86-84, with 41 second remaining.
Martinez answered to knot the game at 86, before a pair of free throws by Clark tied the contest for the seventh time overall with 11 seconds left. Powell quickly took the ball down the court, and connected on a layup while being fouled. She knocked down the free throw to complete the three point play to give Iona a one point lead, 89-88, before Clark answered with her game winning layup to deliver the one point victory for the Crimson.
Fagbenle scored a team high 26 points for the Crimson and grabbed a game high eight rebounds. McDonnell finished with 24 points for Harvard while Evans and Clark had 16 apiece.
Martinez rewrote the Iona record books during the 2013-14 season, scoring an single season record 771 points, while connecting on 273 field goals, another single season record, and a single season record 107 three pointers. She will enter her senior season as Iona's second all-time leading scorer and now sits 28 points from tying for first all-time.
Sophomore forward Joy Adams finished the campaign with a single season record 442 rebounds, and in just two seasons, sits fourth all-time with 794 boards. With 967 points scored, she will enter her junior season 33 points away from becoming Iona's 24th 1000 point scorer.
The game marked the final Iona contest for seniors Haley D'Angelo and Sabrina Jeridore. D'Angelo played in her 121st game for the Gaels Thursday, tied for the seventh most all-time. She dished out 336 assists, sixth most all-time, during her career. Jeridore had a game high four blocks in the contest Thursday evening, finishing her career with an Iona record 230 blocks in 113 games played.
Iona completes the 2013-14 season with a program record 26 victories, and its fifth 20-win season. The Gaels have competed in two consecutive postseasons, with back-to-back WNIT appearances.