NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Senior Shaunna Ambrose (McKees Rock, Pa.) produced her second consecutive 22-point outing, but it wasn’t enough as the Niagara University women’s basketball team (13-12, 5-9) lost a heartbreaker, 69-67, to Iona College (15-10, 10-4) Sunday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s basketball action at the Hynes Athletic Center.

Along with her 22 points, Ambrose also grabbed a career- and team-high 10 rebounds to record her first collegiate double-double. Junior Michelle Manfredi (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) scored 12 points and added nine rebounds.

Iona was led by Tiara Headen with 17 points and Anna McLean with 15 points.

Trailing by 10, 60-50, with 3:07 left, Niagara mounted a comeback. Freshman Jen McNamee (Oxford, Ohio) sank a three-pointer and Manfredi followed with a traditional three-point play to cut Iona’s lead to 60-56. Lauren DeFalco scored for the Gaels, but senior Chantelle Wilson (Burlington, Ont.) buried a three-pointer to make it a three-point game, 62-59, with 1:28 remaining.

Headen and DeFalco scored from the field and the foul line, respectively, for Iona, but McNamee countered with a three-point play with 22 seconds left to cut the lead to four, 66-62. Iona’s Regan Pettijohn made it 67-62 with a free throw, but Ambrose sank a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to make it 67-65.

DeFalco made the second of a two-shot foul with nine seconds left to give Iona the three-point lead, 68-65. McNamee then cut it to one, 68-67, with a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining. DeFalco once again hit the second of two free throws with five seconds left but a jumper by sophomore Erika Harris’ (Gahanna, Ohio) at the buzzer was off the mark.

Iona opened the second half with an 8-2 lead before Ambrose responded with a pair of three-pointers to cut the lead to 35-34 at 13:48. The Gaels then built an eight-point lead before the Purple Eagles fought back with baskets from junior Cathy Rutter (Old Bridge, N.J.), Manfredi and a three-pointer from junior Sarah Wilson (St. Catharines, Ont.) to make it 43-42 with 10:10 remaining. The Gaels took a 10-point lead when they outscored the Purple Eagles 9-1 over a 3:36 span, setting the stage for Niagara’s comeback attempt.

Niagara returns to action Feb. 16 when it hosts Saint Peter’s College at 7 p.m. in the legendary Taps Gallagher Center.