Feb. 4, 2008

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College women's basketball team stood toe-to-toe with NEC Preseason favorite LIU before the Blackbirds pulled away late, ending the Seahawks' two-game winning streak with a 57-53 victory at the Spiro Sports Center. With the loss, Wagner falls to 4-17 and 2-8 in the NEC play while the Blackbirds improve to 17-4 and 8-2 in league play.

Standing out in defeat was the Seahawks' inside-outside combination of sophomore Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) and senior Ali Ridge (Barrington, IL / Fremd). Reed, despite standing just 5-4, paced the Green & White in rebounding for the second-straight game with eight rebounds while adding 12 points and a game-high seven assists, against just two turnovers. Ridge scored a season-high 15 points, on just 7-9 shooting, with seven rebounds and three blocks.

The Seahawks had a chance against the Blackbirds, committing a season-low nine turnovers while forcing the opposition into just 28.6 percent shooting (18-63), including 6-25 (24.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Wagner hit on 39.0 percent (23-59) and 5-10 (50.0 percent) from three-point land. LIU controlled the tempo thanks to a 52-35 advantage on the glass, including 20-6 on offense, and outscored the Seahawks 19-10 on fast break points. LIU sophomore Valerie Nainima, the NEC's second-leading scorer, led all players with 24 points.

Trailing 28-20 at the half, neither team could assume command and with LIU up 43-32 with 11:36 remaining, the Seahawks went to work. Wagner scored nine-straight points while holding the Blackbirds scoreless for over five minutes and trailed just 43-40 with 6:39 to go after Reed's fourth three pointer of the year. That however was as close as Wagner would come as Nainima quickly answered with a triple of her own on the next possession while sporting a 9-2 run to put the Blackbirds up 52-42 with 1:00 minute remaining. The Green & White would cut it to four points on three more occasions as Reed scored eight points in the final minute but it was not enough as Wagner fell 57-53.

The first half was a nip-and-tuck affair. Wagner jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead on a Ridge lay-up at the 15:12 mark. With the game tied at 13-13, the Seahawks took their last lead of the game on a lay-up by local product Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY/ Notre Dame Academy), which made it 15-13 with 8:06 left in the half. LIU then went on a 7-0 run, capped by a Mikaelar Whippy jumper with 2:36 to go in the half which gave the Blackbirds a 20-15 lead.

After the teams traded lay-ups, junior guard Casey Stokes (Hummelstown, PA/ Lower Dauphin) drilled a three-point jumper to cut the deficit to 23-20. LIU proceeded to end the half with five-straight points to go into intermission up 28-20.

Mikaelar Whippy (10 points, nine rebounds) and Chelsi Johnson (13 points, six rebounds) also had strong games for the Blackbirds.

Wagner is next in action on Saturday when the Seahawks travel to Quinnipiac. Tip-off is with the Bobcats is set for 1:00 pm.

NOTES: LIU head coach Stephanie Gaitley won her 400th career game and is the second coach to celebrate the accomplishment on Wagner's home court as Mike Deane collected his 400th earlier this season vs. UMES (12/15) ... Over her last three games, Ridge is 17-22 (77.3 %) from the floor ... The Seahawks' last two opponents have been limited to just 20.4 percent shooting (10-49) from three-point range ... Wagner's nine turnovers are the lowest since the Seahawks committed just seven in a 59-56 win at Sacred Heart in the First Round of the NEC Tournament on March 3, 2000.