BOX SCORE            POST-GAME COMMENTS FROM GELA MIKALAUSKAS

New York, NY – Junior center Kelly Clark (Neptune, NJ/ St. Rose) had a spectacular night, pouring in 27 points and hauling in 15 rebounds, both career highs, to lead Wagner to a 69-50 come-from-behind victory at Columbia.

With the win, the Seahawks snap a two-game losing streak in improving their record to 3-2 while Columbia falls to 0-6 on the season.

Clark's previous career high in points was 16 at Monmouth on Feb. 28, 2009 and her previous best rebounding game was 12 at Army on Nov. 13, 2009. Clark also set career highs in field goals made (11) and attempted (14).

Clark supplied energy off the bench early, scoring six of Wagner's first 10 points and wound up scoring 13 first-half points. Both teams were cold from the field in the opening half with Wagner out-shooting Columbia 36 percent to 33 percent.

Trailing 24-17 with 4:30 left in the half, Wagner switched to a 2-3 zone defense which triggered a 7-0 run that tied the score at 24-24. The Lions would end the half though with a 5-2 burst to seize a 29-26 halftime lead.
With the zone defense continuing to set the tone, Wagner opened the second half on a 15-3 tear in taking a 41-35 lead with 14:02 to play on a Clark layup. Consecutive field goals by Micaela McDonald (Elkhorn, WI/ Elkhorn Area) contributed to the Wagner run.

Columbia would draw to within two at 41-39 on a Kathleen Barry jumper with 12:38 left to play. But this was as close as the Lions would get as the Seahawks responded with a decisive 12-0 run to open up a 51-39 advantage with 9:34 left. Senior guard Stephanie McBride (Mechanicvillle, NY/Catholic Central) keyed the Wagner outburst by scoring the first eight points of the run on a pair of three-point jumpers and two free throws.

Columbia whittled the lead to nine at 53-44 on a free throw by Taylor Ward with 7:26 left. But Wagner answered with a 9-4 run to push the lead back up to 14 at 62-48 with 2:27 to go. A Barry layup with 1:53 left made it a 62-50 game before the Seahawks rattled off the final seven points of the game to win by 19 points. Fittingly, the game ended with Clark hitting a jumper with second left in the game.

Wagner shot 15-of-29 from the field in the second half, a 52 percent clip, to finish the night with a 44 percent outing from the field. Defensively, Wagner held Columbia to 20-of-66 shooting from the field (30 percent). The Seahawks were particularly effective on the perimeter as they forced the Lions into an 0-fpr-16 shooting night from three-point range.

Thanks in large measure to Clark's 27 points, Wagner's bench outscored the Columbia bench by a 41-6 count.
 
Other double figure scorers for Wagner were McBride and sophomore forward Marie-Laurence Archambault (Montreal, Quebec/ Montmorency) who suppiled 10 points apiece. Senior guard Megan Mahoney (Staten Island, NY/ St. Peter's) added eight points and a game-high five assists.

Columbia was led in scoring by forward Kathleen Barry who, like Clark, turned in a doule-double performance with 16 points and 14 rebounds.