NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara women’s basketball team dropped its MAAC opener to the Iona Gaels 76-65 in the Gallagher Center on Friday night.

“I don’t think that we came out ready to play,” head coach Kendra Faustin said.  “We turned the ball over a lot, then in the second half it was rebounding.”

The Purple Eagles (5-7, 0-1 MAAC) found themselves down by 10, 45-35, with three minutes played in the second half.  Lauren Gatto, who finished with a career-high 22 points, hit a jumper to send the team on a 13-3 run to tie the game 48-48 six minutes later.  Throughout the run NU forced four turnovers without committing one of their own. 

The two teams traded baskets and NU was able to stay within five, but Iona (6-6, 1-0 MAAC) was able to build their lead down the stretch and came away with a 76-65 win.  Throughout the second half Niagara committed only two turnovers in the second half.

“I thought we did a nice job in the press, the problem was we needed to go to a zone but obviously we didn’t rebound very well out of that zone,” Faustin said.  “They were missing shots and we were making them take shots they were uncomfortable with but then we didn’t secure the rebounds.”

Three players finished with double-digits for Niagara as Gatto finished with 22, and both Kayla Stroman and Chanel Johnson finished with 10 each.  As a team Niagara shot 42.1 percent from the field but went 15-for-21 (71.4 percent) from the line, including 11-for-13 in the first half.  Gatto also finished with a game-high six rebounds while each of the Purple Eagles pulled down at least one board.

Niagara wraps up the home weekend with a match-up against the Siena Saints on Sunday in the Gallagher Center.  Game time is 2 p.m. and ticket information can be found by clicking here.