Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Draddy Gymnasium | Riverdale, NY
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RIVERDALE, NY - The Jaspers have fallen in six of its last seven games heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. Senior forward Ines Gimenez Monserrat leads the team over the last seven averaging 13 points-per-game, while senior guard Nitzan Amar is one slot behind her teammate, averaging 9.7 points-per-game. Manhattan currently occupies the final spot in the 10-team field ahead of the 2025 MAAC Basketball Championships in Atlantic City. Against Iona in New Rochelle, the Gaels used a powerful final three quarters to take the wind out of the sails from a red-hot start by the Jaspers in the first quarter. Nitzan Amar and Leyla Ozturk led the Jaspers in the meeting on January 30 with 15 and 10 points, respectively. In the most recent game against the Fairfield Stags, Gimenez Monserrat led the team with 13 points, while Hana Muhl grabbed a game high eight rebounds.
Scouting the Opposition:
•The Iona Gaels currently sit fifth in the MAAC. The four teams ahead of the Gaels in the MAAC table (Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Siena, and Mount St. Mary's) have all clinched spots in the 2025 MAAC Basketball Championships in Atlantic City.
•Iona is led by second-year head coach Angelika Szumilo. The LIU graduate began her coaching career at the now-defunct LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds program, and was most recently head coach of the NEC's FDU Knights women's basketball program.
•In the 2024-25 MAAC Preseaon Coaches Poll released this past October, the Gaels were selected to finish eighth out of 13 total teams in the conference.
•Senior guard Ella Fajardo is the leading scorer for the Gaels averaging 10.1 points-per-game. Fajardo was a transfer from FDU, and played for Szumilo in Teaneck.
•The Gaels are coming off an eight point loss to the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday in New Rochelle. Iona had three players in double-digits, but was not enough.
•Forward Erin Leary sits tied atop the MAAC table in blocks and blocks-per-game with 49, and 2.0 per-game. Leary is tied with Marist's Morgan Lee.
•Senior guard Judith Gomez leads the team in three-point percentage 40.2%
•Zoey Ward and Erin Leary lead the team in rebounds-per-game averaging 5.3.
•Iona fell in three of its last five games to Fairfield, Marist, and Quinnipiac.
•Dating back to 1996, the Jaspers lead the Gaels 23-21, with the Gaels tallying four-of-the-last-six victories over Manhattan.
•Iona sits fourth in the MAAC averaging 6.8 three-pointers per game, 170 total.
Last Five Meetings:
Iona Leads 3-2
1/30/25..................................IONA 64-47
3/09/24.................................MAN 66-56
1/27/24..................................MAN 64-56
3/11/23...................................IONA 73-60
2/23/23.................................IONA 59-53