LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Interstat) — In a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s basketball game defined more by defensive struggle than offensive artistry, the Iona Gaels grinded out a 48-40 victory over the Rider Broncs on Thursday night at Alumni Gymnasium.

The game, witnessed by an intimate crowd of 426, saw both teams combine to shoot just 30 of 103 from the field, a stark 29.1 percent. The contest was ultimately decided by Iona’s superior efficiency at the free-throw line and its ability to capitalize on Rider’s persistent ball-handling woes.

Iona improved to 12-7 overall, while Rider fell to 4-15.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the first quarter, where Iona established a defensive tone that would resonate for all 40 minutes. The Gaels held the Broncs to a single field goal for nearly the entire opening period. Rider did not score until a Deb Okechukwu layup with 7:01 remaining, and managed just one more basket, an Aina Perez Mesquida layup at the 4:33 mark. Iona closed the quarter on a 7-0 run, fueled by a Zoey Ward three-pointer and four points from Adrianna Gonzalez, to take a 12-6 lead.

That early cushion proved vital as both offenses sputtered. Iona’s shooting was scarcely better, but its defense forced Rider into 21 turnovers, converting them into crucial, if limited, scoring opportunities. The Gaels also made 15 of 19 free throws, a 78.9 percent clip, while Rider managed only 4 of 9 from the line.

Iona’s Claudia Fiel, a guard from Pontevedra, Spain, provided the necessary offensive spark off the bench. In 24 minutes, she scored a game-high 14 points, including a critical three-pointer early in the second quarter and a driving layup in the final minute of the third that helped stem a Rider push. Her backcourt mate, Adrianna Gonzalez of Kenosha, Wisconsin, added 12 points, with eight coming from the free-throw line.

Rider, which never led, narrowed the gap to 19-17 late in the second quarter following an Amany Lopez three-pointer. Iona responded by holding the Broncs scoreless for the final 3:13 of the half, taking a 19-17 lead into the break.

The third quarter saw Rider’s most sustained offensive effort, scoring 16 points, but Iona answered with 17 of its own to maintain a 36-33 edge. The Broncs pulled within a single possession multiple times, the last at 33-30 after an Aliya McIver three-pointer, but Fiel sank two free throws with four seconds left in the period to preserve the three-point margin.

Any hope of a Rider comeback was extinguished by a combination of its own mistakes and Iona’s timely responses. The Broncs committed seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. After a Kaylan Deveney three-pointer brought Rider within 37-34 with 4:03 remaining, the Gaels scored the next five points on a Ward layup and three free throws from Isabellah Middleton and Mya Zaccagnini to push the lead to eight with under a minute to play, effectively sealing the outcome.

For Rider, Amany Lopez of Springfield, Massachusetts, led the way with 11 points and three assists. Aliya McIver of White Plains, New York, contributed six points, five rebounds and three blocks in 35 minutes. The Broncs won the rebounding battle 42-35, including an 8-5 edge on the offensive glass, but were undone by their 21 turnovers and poor free-throw shooting.

Iona’s Zoey Ward of Gastonia, North Carolina, filled the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in 33 minutes. Ella Fajardo of Bergenfield, New Jersey, added seven points.

The victory gave Iona a regular-season sweep of the series, having defeated Rider 72-53 on Dec. 29. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Iona entered the game with a 58.80 percent probability to win.

Iona next hosts Marist on Saturday, while Rider travels to face Saint Peter’s the same day.