NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles' women's basketball team fell to Iona, 73-46, on Thursday night.

Taylor McKay led Niagara in scoring with 14 points. Tiffany Corselli led the team in rebounding with a career-high seven rebounds, as well as leading the team in assists with a career-best six, and also added 11 points for the Purple Eagles. Freshman Jayla Nichols played a career-high 21 minutes and added a career-best six rebounds for Niagara.

The Gaels held the Purple Eagles (6-12, 4-5 MAAC) to only seven points in the first quarter, going on a 19-1 run in the first six minutes of the game. McKay opened scoring for the Purple Eagles in the second quarter, sinking a basket with a little over six and a half minutes to play. However, the Gaels began to pull away further. Lapszynski scored the only other points for the Purple Eagles in the second quarter and going into halftime Iona (11-9, 7-2 MAAC) led Niagara, 41-11.

The Purple Eagles came out of halftime looking energized and ready to keep putting up a fight against the Gaels. Lapszynski made a basket to open the third quarter and NU got baskets from McKay, Corselli, Kharysma Bryant and Emily Granruth to trail 62-23 at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Niagara put forth a strong effort to cut Iona's lead. Granruth hit a 3-pointer to begin the quarter and with about six and a half minutes left to play, Corselli made a lay-up while being fouled; she converted the 3-point play.With 31 seconds left to play in the game, Granruth sank another 3-pointer  to put the score at 73-44 and with two seconds remaining, McKay scored another two points for the Purple Eagles. 

The Purple Eagles play next on Saturday, Jan. 23 at Marist at 7:00 p.m.

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