Jan. 22, 2007

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - Northeast Conference frontrunner LIU topped host Wagner College 67-40 in women's basketball action at the Spiro Sports Center tonight. The Seahawks slipped to 1-8 in the NEC and 3-17 overall as the Blackbirds won their eighth straight game improving to 8-1 in the league and 15-5 overall.

Junior Chelsey Bunyer (Shannon, IL / Eastland) scored the first basket of the game to give Wagner a 2-0 lead, but it was all LIU the rest of the first half. An 18-2 Blackbird run in the middle of the stanza would then leave the Seahawks trailing by 16. Valerie Nainima scored eight straight points, including consecutive three-pointers to complete the stretch. After senior Takesha Dye (Boynton Beach, FL / Daytona Beach CC) scored inside for Wagner, the Blackbirds rattled off five straight to establish a 36-13 lead at halftime.

Freshmen Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) scored three of Wagner's first five points to start the second half, as the Seahawks shot 52.0 percent from the field and managed 27 second half points. LIU however proved to be too much for Wagner as they went on to their school record eight straight win.

Freshmen Naomi Augustin (Valley Stream, NY / Valley Stream) led the Seahawks with eight points, shooting 4-5 from the field. As a team Wagner ended the game hitting 38 percent from the floor, but was doomed by a 24 percent (6-24) start in the opening 20 minutes.

Nainima totaled a game high 15 points to pace three double digit scorers for the Blackbirds who shot 50.9 percent for the game. LIU also held a huge advantage in three-pointers making 10-24 compared to a 0-5 performance for Wagner.

The Seahawks now take a week off before returning to game action at Mount St. Mary's next Monday.

~ wagnerathletics.com ~