Feb. 3, 2007

Box Score

Brooklyn, NY - For the second time in less then two weeks LIU defeated the Wagner Seahawks. This time Green & White gave the Blackbirds all they could handle before succumbing 59-47 at the Wellness Center. The victory was the 11th straight for the Blackbirds, which improved to 18-5 and 11-1 in the NEC while clinching a NEC playoff-berth. Wagner falls to 3-19 and 1-10 in conference-play.

Despite the loss the Seahawks shut down the Fijian combination of Valerie Nainima and Mikaelar Whippy, limiting them to just a combined 15 points on just 4-12 shooting after the two went off for 26 points in LIU's 67-40 win over Wagner on Jan. 22. Unfortunately Sara Oblak stepped up for the Blackbirds to the tune of 21 points and nine rebounds, both game highs.

Down 48-36 with 7:27 to go in the game, freshman Naomi Augustin (Valley Stream, NY / Valley Stream Central) drilled Wagner's lone three of the day to cut the lead to nine. Following a defensive stand, senior Takesha Dye (Boynton Beach, FL / Daytona Beach CC) knocked down two free throws after being fouled while pulling down an offensive-rebound. The Seahawks would continue to chip away as Augustin knocked down two free throws to culminate the 7-0 spurt, making it 48-43 with 5:27 to go. LIU would answer the next time down on a lay-up from Oblak before two Nainima free throws extended the lead back to nine.

Wagner wasn't finished though as freshman Andrea Reed (Pocomoke, MD / Pocomoke) then dropped in a lay-up and following a Blackbird turnover Reed found junior Ali Ridge (Barrington, IL / Fremd) with a nifty pass to cut it back to five at 52-47 with 3:34 remaining. However that would be as close as Wagner would get as the Seahawks saw their next shot rim out and LIU scored the last seven points of the game to escape with a 59-47 win.

Both teams shot the ball well with Wagner hitting on 42.9 percent and LIU 42.3. The Green & White defense limited the Blackbirds to just 3-15 from beyond the arc, but were outrebounded 33-27, including 13-8 on the offensive end. The Seahawks were a perfect 4-4 from the line and hit 1-3 from three-point land.

In the first half, LIU scored the first six points on their way to the early 9-2 lead and seemed poised to blow the game open. However the Seahawks ripped off eight straight points while holding LIU scoreless for 4:32. The two teams went back-and-forth over the rest of the first half as there were four lead changes and two ties before the Blackbirds went up for good with six-straight points to make it 22-16 on their way to a 28-22 halftime lead.

Junior Chelsey Bunyer (Shannon, IL / Eastland) and Dye each had eight points to lead the Wagner offensive-attack. Reed, Ridge, sophomore Olivia Nagle (Acton, MA / Acton Boxborough) and freshman John'a Poole (Middle River, MD / Eastern Tech) all chipped in with six points to round out a balanced Wagner offensive-attack. Ridge also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds to go along with four blocks. She is now just four away from tying the Meredith Kerns' career-mark of 153

Wagner will welcome Sacred Heart to the Spiro Sports Center on Tuesday at 7 pm.