BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY - Judie Lomax scored a career-high 30 points, on 11-of-17 shooting, while grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds in leading Columbia to a 73-49 win over Wagner at the Spiro Sports Center.

The Lions outscored the Seahawks by a 42-23 count in the second half while shooting 54.8 percent to break open a close game while improving to 5-4. Meanwhile, the Green & White fell to 2-6 with their third-straight loss.

Lomax's career-high 30 points marked the first time since December 19, 2002 when Reka Cserny hit for 33 points for Harvard that an opponent scored 30 points against Wagner.

Columbia scored the first six points en route to a game-opening 16-4 run over the first 4:47 of the stanza in which the Lions converted 7-of-10 from the floor. The Seahawks also were outrebounded 11-0 to begin the game before senior Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) grabbed the Green & White's first carom with 13:17 to go.

Wagner got back in the game with seven-straight points, highlighted by an old-fashioned three point play from Reed. After a Melissa Shafer three pointer with 11:56 momentarily quelled the run, Wagner ripped off five-straight points on a three pointer and a jumper from junior Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY / Notre Dame Academy), cutting the lead to three at 19-16 with 10:48 to go. A pair of Lomax free throws pushed the lead out to 21-16 before freshman Veronick Fournier (Gatineau, Quebec / Montmorency) answered with a three pointer.

With Lomax on the bench, Danielle Browne hit a pair from the line before converting the Lions' first field goal in 7:59 with a running lay-up, making it 25-19 with 3:57 to play in the first. Columbia pushed its lead out to eight at 27-19 with 3:11 to go in the first half. Wagner then answered with seven-straight points cutting the lead to one at 27-26 before the Lions scored the last four points of the half, heading into intermission up 31-26.

After allowing the Lions to start the game 7-for-10 from the floor, the Seahawk defense limited Columbia into just 5-of-23 shooting the rest of the way, including a 1-for-15 stretch that spanned 11:17. Despite allowing Columbia to hold an 18-6 advantage in points in the paint, Wagner used a 6-0 advantage in second-chance points to stay in the game.

Columbia raced out of the gates to open the second half, scoring the first eight points on 4-of-7 shooting, to take a 39-26 lead with 16:02 to play. The Lions would use another 6-0 run to push the lead out to an insurmountable lead at 47-30 with 11:57 to go. Wagner would cut it to 12 points but could get no closer, dropping a 73-49 decision.

Columbia shot 45.3 percent (29-64) for the game, compared to just 35.7 percent (20-56) for Wagner, while winning the battle of the glass by a 49-25 count, including 21-11 on the offensive end.

Sophomore Kelly Clark (Neptune, NJ / St. Rose) scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half while pulling down seven rebounds to pace the Green & White. 

Wagner returns to action on Saturday, December 12 when the Seahawks head to Albany to take on the Great Danes. Tip time is slated for 2:00 pm.