Dance partners: Iona men's and women's basketball teams ready for March Madness
Dancing is fun, but it's always better with a partner.
For the second time in Iona athletics history, the Gaels' men's and women's basketball teams will be dancing on to the NCAA Tournament after being crowned as kings and queens of the MAAC last weekend.
"Even with the students on spring break, you can feel the energy the moment you come on campus," Iona women's basketball coach Billi Chambers said. "You're getting messages from so many of the kids. Our practice squad players, who have been incredible all year, some of them came down to the tournament or watched us at home. They're excited, everyone's sending you messages, but our men's program has been phenomenal.
"Coach (Rick) Pitino, the moment he got here, we sat down and had a conversation. He supports us, we support them, and it's about all of us doing it together."
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Iona is one of four schools that have both men's and women's basketball conference champions competing in March Madness.
The others are Drake (Missouri Valley), Princeton (Ivy League) and Vermont (America East).
Iona last doubled up in 2016.
"It's a special day because it doesn't happen often, when the women win a championship and the men win a championship," Pitino said. "I know our Matt (Glovaski), our Athletic Director, has got to take a lot of great pride because he and his staff worked their butts off to sell out the place. Billi Chambers represents all the great things about Iona, it's really a special Catholic university with great alumni, great fans. Really proud of Billi and certainly proud of our teams."
The two coaches have been vocal and supportive of one another throughout the year, and that has trickled down to their players within the programs.
If their schedules allow for it, they'll attend each other's games and cheer for one another.
They've developed camaraderie since sharing the gym for summer workouts and have supported and celebrated each other's successes since then.
"Each time we're not in the gym, they're in the gym," Iona junior Daniss Jenkins said. "They got a great team, great coaching staff, great leaders. I was hoping and praying that they got the job done first (and win the women's MAAC Tournament), and we knew we were going to follow suit. They did it, and I hope they go into the tournament with a lot of confidence just as well as us."
The men's team is 27-7 and fresh off of winning its sixth MAAC Tournament title in eight years, and the second in the Pitino era.
As for the women's team, it broke a streak of below-.500 seasons with a resurgent campaign that saw them capture MAAC regular season and tournament titles for the first time in a single season.
The Lady Gaels are 26-6 and will be making their second trip to the Big Dance in program history. They'll relish in being able to make the trip for the first time since 2016.
"Them supporting us is important because we need that," Iona senior Ketsia Athias said of the men's team. "The more support, the better for everyone, so them supporting us is a plus."
The men's team is the 13-seed in their bracket, and they will head north to Albany to play UConn in the opening round.
Meanwhile, the 14th-seeded Lady Gaels will get to play at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium for a road game against Duke to start.
"Kara Lawson's a legend, Cameron Indoor – it's been my dream since I was a kid to play there," New City native and Albertus Magnus alumna Kate Mager said. "This is gonna be really cool, but our team, we never go down without a fight."
Both teams will have uphill climbs as lower seeds in the bracket, but their confidence in themselves and for one another remains high.
"Everybody's happy for the girls, and this has been a great year with both teams winning," Iona sophomore Walter Clayton Jr. said. "A lot of great energy, and hopefully, we'll keep it going."
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Iona men's, womens basketball ready for March Madness, NCAA Tournament
