Women’s College Basketball: Iona College 88, Rider University 58

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — In a contest seen on ESPN 3, the Rider University women’s basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Iona College 88-58 on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 9) in New Rochelle.

For Rider (11-12, 6-6 MAAC) senior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) had 18 points

Iona was led by Damika Martinez who had 31 points and she out-scored Rider in the opening half 24-20.

Rider led 2-0 on a jumper by Bopp before the Gaels responded with a 12-2 run over the next six minutes.

Trailing 12-4, Bopp scored on a layup to cut the Iona lead to six, seven minutes into the contest.  The Gaels then used a 15-0 run, 10 points by Martinez to open up a 27-6 lead with 8:59 left in the first half.

Martinez finished the game 14-20 from the floor and added seven rebounds and six assists.

Iona led 49-20 at intermission.

The Gaels maintained a 30-point lead for most of the final period.

Also for Rider, junior MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) had 14 points on six for nine shooting.

Also for Iona, Joy Adams was 7-14 from the floor and finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds and Sabrina made six of seven shots and scored 12 points with seven rebounds.

Iona shot 59 percent in the game, 67 percent from three-point range.  Rider was held to 34 percent shooting in the game.

This was the first meeting of the season between Rider and Iona.  The teams split two regular season games in 2011-12 with the Gaels defeated Rider 61-60 in overtime in the MAAC playoffs.  Iona leads the all-time series 22-13.

The teams meet again in the final game of the regular season, March 3.

Rider travels to Siena on Friday for a MAAC game at 7p.m.