BOX SCORE

Hanover, NH – Senior guard Megan Mahoney (Staten Island, NY/ St. Peter's), sophomore forward Marie-Laurence Archambault (Montreal, Quebec/ Montmorency) and sophomore guard Veronick Fournier (Gatineau, Quebec/ Montmorency) scored 15 points apiece to lead the Wagner women's basketball team to a 69-52 come-from-behind victory over Dartmouth in the second round of the 34th annual Blue Sky Classic.

In winning its third straight game, which came on the heels of last night's 68-40 opening round win over Vermont, Wagner improves to 7-5 on the season while the Big Green fall to 3-9.

Wagner finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 7-4 record (0-1 NEC). The seven wins are the most by a Wagner team in non-conference play since the Seahawks became a member of the Northeast Conference in 1986-87. The most non-NEC wins by a Wagner team previous to this season was six in 1996-97.

Mahoney and Archambault were named to the All-Tournament Team. In the two games, Mahoney averaged 16.5 points and 10 rebounds while Archambault averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and shot 44 percent (7-of-16) from three-point range. Against Dartmouth, Mahoney pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds in notching the first double-double of her career.The 5-7 guard also matched her career high with seven assists.

This one did not look good early for the Seahawks as Dartmouth jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead with 14:44 remaining in the opening half.. The teams traded baskets for the next eight minutes until Nicola Zimmer drained a three-pointer with 6:10 left in the half, pushing the lead to 11 at 26-15. Archambault countered with a three-pointer of her own off a feed from Mahoney at the 4:55 mark to make it 26-18. Both teams then went on a scoring drought until Archambault hit a jumper with 2:04 to go in the half to make it 26-20

Dartmouth would go on to take a 31-26 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Seahawks erupted with a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the game at 34-33 with 17:29 left on a jumper by senior forward Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY/ Notre Dame Academy). The lead then changed hand five times before Olsen put the Seahawks out in front for good with a three-pointer at the 10:25 mark that made it 45-42. The Olsen jumper ignited a pivotal 9-0 run. Mahoney capped the run by scoring five straight points, a three-pointer at the 6:22 mark that made it 52-42, followed by a jumper with 5:46 left that gave Wagner a comfortable 54-42 lead.

The Seahawks extended the lead to 16 at 63-47 on a Mahoney jumper with 2:10 left. The final score of 69-52 marked Wagner's biggest lead of the game and it came, fittingly, on a Mahoney jumper with 10 seconds to go.

“In the first 10 minutes of the first half it was a lid on the basket type of thing as we missed a number of easy shots,” said Wagner head coach Gela Mikalauskas. “Dartmouth came out hard and they were very tough on defense early but we still missed too many easy opportunities. Over the next 10 minutes, we played better and at halftime we regrouped, regained our composure and played very solid.

“Marie-Laurence (Archambault) was outstanding in the first half and had 12 points at halftime so we knew they'd be all over her in the second half and Veronick really stepped up and made some big shots when we needed them.” she added “She was 0 for four in the first half but came back to make five of six shots in the second half. And what can you say about Megan (Mahoney). I mean, 13 rebounds. She worked her tail off out there.”

All of Fornier's 15 points came in the second half while 11 of Mahoney's 15 points came in the second stanza. In addition to Mahoney's double-double, fellow Islander Olsen also turned in a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. For Olsen, it was her fourth double-double of the season.

Junior center Kelly Clark (Neptune, NJ/ St Rose), who stands 6-3, had the task of tangling with Dartmouth's 6-3 center Sasha Dosenko, who scored 14 points and blocked eight shots. Clark, the team's leading scorer at 13.7 points per game, was held to seven points but did manage six rebounds. Senior center Nyoto Patterson (Teaneck, NJ/ Manhattan Center, NY) came off the bench and supplied 19 quality minutes, finishing with four points and six rebounds. Her value to the team tonight however cannot be measured by statistics alone according to Mikalauskas.

“Kelly had a tough assignment and didn't have one of her better games. But Nyoto stepped in and played great defense for us which was a key to the victory.”

In out-scoring Dartmouth 43-21 in the second half, Wagner limited the Big Green to 29 percent (8-of-28) shooting from the field.

Wagner is next in action on Monday, Jan. 3 when the Seahawks begin their first of 17 consecutive Northeast Conference games by traveling to Sacred Heart for a 7:00 pm tip-off.

NOTES – Wagner finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 7-4 record. This marks the Seahawks' best non-conference mark in school history. In the two-game tournament, Wagner had five players average double figures in Mahoney (16.5), Archambault (16.0), Olsen (12.0), Clark (10.5) and Fornier (10.0). Both Archambault and Olsen have scored in double figures in five straight games.