Feb. 12, 2008

Box Score

Emmitsburg, MD - Senior Chelsey Bunyer (Shannon, IL / Eastland) and freshman Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY / Notre Dame Academy) each scored 18 points to lead Wagner to a 58-49 win over Mount St. Mary's at Knott Arena. With the victory, the Green & White take the season-series (2-0) and the all-important tie-breaker from the Mountaineers while improving to 5-18 and 3-9 in the NEC. The Mount falls to 7-18 and 5-9 in conference play.

Wagner used a 28-20 advantage in points in the paint and shot 40.7 percent (24-59) while limiting the Mount to a miniscule 28.6 percent (16-56), including just 3-20 from beyond the arc. Since allowing the Mountaineers to make good on 55.6 percent of its three pointers in their first meeting, the Seahawks have shut down the opposition to the tune of 20.0 percent (17-85).

After the Mount scored the first two points of the game, Wagner went on a 10-2 run to assume a 10-4 lead with 15:32 to go in the first. The two teams would go back-and-forth the rest of the half with the Mount cutting the deficit to four on three different occasions, but each time the Green & White would answer and went into intermission up 33-24. Olsen scored 13 in the first stanza, hitting on all five shots, while pulling down six rebounds in the decisive period. Bunyer added nine points and sophomore Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) chipped in with six points as the Green & White shot 43.3 percent (13-30) in the opening stanza. The Mount, in what would be the underlying story of the game, was pressured into 33.3 percent shooting (8-24), including 0-5 from beyond the arc, by a stingy Wagner defense.

In the second half, the Seahawks hit on their first four shots, including triples from Bunyer, freshman Stephanie McBride (Mechanicville, NY / Catholic Central) and Olsen to extend the lead out to 13 points, the largest of the game, at 44-31 with 17:19 to go. The Seahawks defense would continue to apply the pressure the rest of the way forcing the Mount into 25.0 percent shooting (8-32) in the final period. The Mountaineers cut it to eight on three occasions but could not get any closer as Wagner won going away 58-49.

Olsen scored her career-best matching 18 points, on 7-12 shooting, while also equaling her personal best in rebounds with nine in 29 minutes off the bench. Bunyer hit for her 18 points, on 7-13 shooting, and was a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc. Reed pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds and hit for eight points with three steals. Rounding out the top performers, junior Casey Stokes (Hummelstown, PA / Lower Dauphin) chipped in with four rebounds and five points, highlighted by her lay-up with one second on the shot clock that extended the lead back out to 10 with just under two minutes remaining that all but iced Wagner's fifth win.

The series sweep marks the first time since taking two from Fairleigh Dickinson in the 2004-2005 season that the Green & White has swept both games from a conference opponent.

Mount St. Mary's was led by Mary Dunn (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Dominique Mazzuchi (11 points).

Wagner returns home for Alumni Day on Saturday, Feb. 16 when the Seahawks host Monmouth at 4 pm in the Spiro Sports Center.