Five Sacred Heart women's basketball players scored a dozen or more points as the Pioneers rallied from two deficits to earn an 82-80 win over Iona College Sunday afternoon in New Rochelle, N.Y. The Pioneers earn their first opening day win since 2011 to improve to 1-0, while the Gaels fall to 1-1.
In a second-half that saw 13 lead changes and six ties, Iona built the largest lead of the half, 77-72 when Damika Martinez made 1-2 free throws with 2:32 to play in the game. Adaysha Williams banked home a three-pointer on the Pioneers next possession to cut the deficit to two points with 2:18 to play. After getting a defensive stop, Hannah Kimmel tied the game 77-77 with a foul line jumper with 1:25 to play in the game and Williams came up with a steal on the other end, leading to a Lerae Ettienne layup with 48 ticks left to put the Pioneers in front 79-77.
SHU got another defensive stop and Ettienne came away with the rebound. Williams was fouled by Joy Adams and knocked down both free throws for an 81-77 lead with 25 second to play. Martinez connected from behind the arc with seven seconds left to get the Gaels within a point, 81-80, but a Williams free throw with four seconds to play put SHU up 82-80 and then the defense did not allow a shot to Iona on its final possession.
Kelcey Castro, Kimmel Williams, and Shelby Hickey all scored 14 points in the win, while Ettienne finished with 12 points. Hickey shot 4-6 from behind the arc as both her point total and her three-point field goals made gave her new career-highs. The Pioneers shot 46.2 percent from the field for the game, hitting 12-26 from behind the arc.
Williams and Katie Shepard, who scored seven points, both had six assists for Sacred Heart. The Pioneers assisted on 19 of their 30 made field goals, while committing just 11 turnovers – and only four in the second-half. Williams also had three of the Pioneers six steals. Ettienne had a team-best nine rebounds for SHU, who finished with 36 boards.
Iona was led by the 37 points of Martinez, who shot 13-27 of from the floor, hitting 4-11 from behind the arc and 7-10 from the free throw line. Joy Adams finished with a double-double, 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Aaliyah Robinson had a dozen points off of the bench.
The Gaels shot 41.8 percent from the field and 8-24 from downtown. Iona was 16-22 from the free throw line and finished with 14 assists and 12 rebounds as a team.
Hickey knocked down her first two attempts from behind the arc and the Pioneers took a 6-3 lead 1:42 into the half. Iona went on a 16-2 run, beginning with a Joy Adams basket at the 18:05 mark, to take the 18-8 lead as the Pioneers went scoreless for a nearly four minute stretch. Castro ended the drought with a three at the 12:38 mark of the period.
Iona stretched the lead to 13 points with 5:12 to play in the half when Aaliyah Robison knocked down a pair of free throws, making the score 35-22. SHU scored the next seven points from that point, and scored 16 of the next 18, taking a 38-37 lead on a Lerae Ettienne jumper with 67 ticks before halftime. The Pioneers defense allowed only five points to Iona over the last 5:00, holding Iona 1-6 from the field and forcing three turnovers.
The Pioneers open the home portion of their schedule on Tuesday night, hosting Bridgeport at the William H. Pitt Center. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Coach Bike Court.
