Feb. 11, 2006
Box Score
STATEN ISLAND, NY - Despite playing perhaps their best game of the season the Wagner College Seahawks dropped a heartbreaking 67-63 decision to Monmouth earlier this evening at the Spiro Sports Center. Wagner moves to 1-20 and 1-11 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Hawks improve to 13-9 and 10-3 as they won their fourth straight game and in the process pushed the Seahawks losing streak to 10.
With the Seahawks down 63-58, senior guard Joy Gallagher (Hazleton, PA / Hazleton) hit her fifth three of the game with 59 seconds remaining to bring Wagner to within two. Following a pair of Veronica Randolph free throws sophomore guard Chelsey Bunyer (Shannon, IL / Eastland) knocked down two of her own to cut the lead back to two at 65-63 with 29 seconds remaining. Monmouth's Brianne Edwards then went to the line and hit the first but missed the second giving the Seahawks a chance to tie the game. However Gallagher's three point attempt with 17 seconds went in and out and Monmouth split a pair of free throws to ice the game.
Gallagher led the way for the Green & White with a game-high 19 points on 7-16 shooting, including a season-high five three pointers on 11 attempts from behind the arc, to go along with a team-best four assists. Sophomore center Ali Ridge (Barrington, IL / Fremd) also had a strong game hitting for a career-high 17 points on 5-7 shooting from the field and 7-10 from the free-throw line and added a game-high nine rebounds. Bunyer rounded out the Seahawk double-figure scorers with 11 points.
The Seahawks came out of the gates slowly spotting the Hawks eight-straight points and an early 20-7 lead as Monmouth looked ready to blow the game open like they did last week in their 77-44 win at West Long Branch. The Seahawks then switched to a zone defense and frustrated the Hawks, storming back with a 22-7 run over 6:56. During the run Wagner put the clamps on Monmouth holding them to just two field goals while going up by a score of 29-27 with 3:27 remaining in the half. However their lead would be short-lived as the Hawks answered with a Randolph three pointer and went into the half with a 35-33 lead.
In the first half, the Seahawks shot a blistering 55.0 percent (11-20) but their 12 turnovers led to 17 points for Monmouth.
In the second half, the Hawks could not put the Seahawks away as Wagner continued to shoot well hitting at a 40.7 percent-clip on their way to a season-best 46.8 percent (22-47) for the game go along with 35.3 percent ( 6-17) shooting from behind the arc. Monmouth was 41.5 percent (27-65) from the floor and outrebounded the Seahawks 40-29 on the strength of 20 offensive rebounds and scored 31 points off of 22 Seahawk turnovers.
Monmouth was led by Randolph's 17 points off the bench.
Wagner hits the road on Monday, Feb. 13 at 7 pm when they travel to city-rival St. Francis (NY).
NOTES: With her 19 points, Gallagher now has 1,067 points and moves past former teammate Toni Roker and Jenny Frazier and is now in 17th place on the all-time Seahawks scoring list ... Gallagher also deposited a season-best five three pointers while passing Chris Anderson for second on the all-time Wagner list with 228 and is eight behind Susan Moffat for the No. 1 spot ... Ridge's previous career-high in points was 14 vs. Columbia on Dec. 30, 2005.
