Nov. 19, 2005

Box Score

EASTON, PA - Plagued by several costly turnovers the Wagner College Seahawks dropped a 63-46 decision to Lafayette in their season opener earlier tonight at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, PA. For the Seahawks, it was their seventh-straight loss in a season opener as they last won to open a season in 1998.

The game was evenly contested as Wagner shot 34 percent (18-53) from the field and grabbed 42 rebounds while the Leopards hit on 33.9 percent (20-59) and collected 41 caroms. However Lafayette forced 25 Wagner turnovers that resulted in 20 points while only committing only 14 turnovers.

Down 23-10 with 6:59 to go in the first half, the Seahawks would go on a 22-4 run over the next 10:14, including a 15-0 spurt, to take their largest lead of the game at 32-27 with 16:45 remaining in the game. During the run, six different Seahawks hit the scoring column while the defense put the clamps on the Leopards holding them to just one field goal on 13 attempts while forcing six turnovers.

However from that point, Lafayette outscored the Seahawks by a margin of 36-14, including a 12-2 run that followed Wagner's 15-0 run, to close out the game.

Both teams started the first half sluggish as neither squad scored until the 16:50 mark, when junior guard Jessie Collins (Crofton, MD / Arundel) knocked down a pair of free throws for Wagner's only other lead of the game. From that point on Lafayette outscored Wagner 12-2 until the Seahawks would score on their first field goal of the game, a Takesha Dye (Jr., Boynton Beach, FL / John Leonard / Daytona Beach C.C.) jumper, at the 11:04 mark of the first half.

The Leopards continued to pour it on the Seahawks early as they matched their largest first-half lead at 23-10 with 6:59 to go in the first.

Wagner was led by Dye, who had a team-high 10 points, on 5-9 shooting, and a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double in her first collegiate game. Freshman forward Olivia Nagle (Acton, MA / Acton Boxborough) scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, off the bench, in the first game of her Wagner career. Collins had nine points and a team-high four assists and senior guard Joy Gallagher (Hazleton, PA / Hazleton) tallied eight points and a career-high eight rebounds to round out the top scorers for the Green & White.

Lafayette was led by Val Gomez (14 points) and Kara Stetler (13 points).

The Seahawks return to action Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 7 pm when they travel to Riverdale, NY to take on Manhattan.