W&M Falls to Iona, 76-69, in Opening Game at Bank of Hawaii Invitational

12/28/07 9:30PM

Honolulu, Hawaii - The William and Mary women’s basketball team narrowed a 19-point second half deficit to just three in the final minute but fell to Iona, 76-69, in the opening game at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational in Honolulu on Friday evening.

Junior Courtney Portell led the Tribe (5-6) with a game-high 23 points, as she sank a school-record seven three-pointers for the third consecutive game. The Woodbridge, Va., native went 7-of-15 from beyond the arc and also added five steals. Senior Kyra Kaylor registered a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards, while classmate Devin James finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Tiffany Benson contributed eight rebounds and four blocks.

The first half was tightly contested as the teams traded the lead eight times and found themselves tied on seven occasions.

While the score was knotted, 6-6, at the initial media timeout, W&M pulled ahead by three, 15-12, following a pair of free throws by sophomore Lindsey Moller at the 10:24 mark. However, the Gaels (6-6) responded with a 6-0 run during the next three minutes to take an 18-15 advantage.

The score remained close, but the College utilized a pair of Portell three-pointers and a long ball by sophomore Lauren Aadland to reclaim the lead, 24-21, with 5:35 showing.

Although the Green and Gold went ahead, 29-28, with Portell’s third three-ball of the half, Iona closed the stanza with five unanswered points to take a four-point lead into the locker room.

At the break, Portell led the Tribe with 10 points and four steals, while Aadland had six points off the bench.

The early portion of the second half was played at a fast pace, and both teams had little trouble scoring. While IC extended the margin to eight on a pair of occasions, a layin by Kaylor cut the deficit to six, 47-41, at the first media timeout.

Following the media break, Iona rattled off a 13-0 run during the next 3:38 to claim a 19-point advantage, 60-41, with 12:07 remaining.

Despite the significant deficit, the Tribe countered by scoring 12 of the next 14 points during a four-minute span to narrow the lead to single digits. Portell sank a pair of three-pointers during the stretch.

W&M continued to battle back and cut the margin to six, 64-58, following a free throw by James with 5:37 to play.

Although Iona pushed its lead back to double figures, 68-58, the College utilized a 9-2 spurt to draw within three points with 59 seconds remaining. A three-pointer by Portell punctuated the comeback run, while Benson converted a pair of layins during the stretch.

W&M was unable to get any closer the rest of the way, as Iona held on for the win.

The Tribe will wrap up play at the Invitational when it takes on UC Irvine on Saturday at 5 p.m. (HST).

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