Nov. 10, 2007

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - Led by the trio of seniors Chelsey Bunyer (Shannon, IL / Eastland), Ieva Sulskyte (Vilnius, Lithuania / Daytona Beach CC) and sophomore Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) the Wagner Seahawks (1-0) won their season opener by a 78-67 score over Columbia (0-2) earlier tonight at the Spiro Sports Center. The threesome combined for 55 points, on 20-37 shooting to lead the Green & White to their first season-opening win since the 1998-1999 season against the same New York City school.

Bunyer led all scorers with 23 points, on 9-15 shooting, and six rebounds for her eighth career 20-point game while Sulskyte scored a career-high 17 points to go along with a career-best 13 rebounds for her first career double-double. Last but not least was Reed, who hit for 15 points while depositing eight assists with three steals.

The Green & White snapped their eight-game losing streak in openers and improved to 5-0 all-time against Columbia in lidlifters. Since the 1991-1992 season, those five wins have accounted for every one of Wagner's season-opening wins.

Wagner's offense fired on all cylinders from the beginning, as the Green & White hit on their first five shots while opening up a 15-10 lead with 14:36 to go in the first. Columbia would hang around taking a 20-18 lead with 10:28 to go in the first. Trailing 27-26, Wagner made their move with a game-altering 10-0 run over the next 2:45 to go in front for good at 36-27 with 1:26 before intermission on their way to a 40-35 halftime lead. In first period, Wagner shot 46.4 percent (13-28), led by Bunyer's 13 points.

In the second half it would be more of the same for Wagner as the Seahawks shot a blistering 60.0 percent (15-25) led by Sulskyte (5-9 FG) and Bunyer (4-5 FG), as the pair combined for 23 of Wagner's 38 second-half points. The Green & White extended their lead out to double-digits just over 10 minutes into the second stanza and led by as many as 14 points before coming away with the 78-67 win.

Also turning in solid performances for the Seahawks were senior Ali Ridge (Barrington, IL / Fremd), who had nine points and nine rebounds, and sophomore John'a Poole (Middle River, MD / Eastern Tech), who filled up the stat sheets with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.

Wagner shot 52.8 percent (28-53) from the floor and outrebounded the Lions by a 37-26 margin. Both teams shot an identical 18-23 (78.3 percent) from the charity stripe.

Lauren Dwyer scored 20 points to lead the Lions, which shot a solid 40.7 percent from the floor.

The Seahawks will face fellow Ivy League opponent Princeton on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 pm.