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Brooklyn, NY - The Wagner women's basketball team completed the season series sweep of the LIU Sharks with a 49-35 win at the Steinberg Wellness Center on Friday evening.
Junior
Emilija Krista Grava was the lone player to finish in double-figures, scoring a game-high 11 points in 29 minutes of action. Senior
Khaleah Edwards and redshirt sophomore
LaNiya Miller each poured in nine points on a combined 6-of-11 shooting from the floor. The pair connected on an impressive 4-of-5 from beyond-the-arc.
Kiara Bell and Zoee Hache of LIU netted six points each with Bell corralling a game-high 12 caroms.
Inside the Box Score...
- Wagner improves to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Sharks falter to 1-5 overall and in the league.
- With the season sweep complete, Wagner now leads the all-time head-to-head series, 48-47.
- The Seahawks held LIU to just 26.3 percent shooting from the field and 18.2 percent from three-point range.
- Junior Kem Nwabudu pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Seahawks. She also recorded a steal, an assist, and a block on the night.
- Miller scored all nine of her points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting from three.
How It Happened…
First Quarter
- Nwabudu got the visitors on the board first with a jumper off-the-feed from Krista Grava.
- Kennedy Taylor gave LIU its first lead of the contest after converting the traditional three-point play.
- Both teams were trying to find their rhythm throughout the quarter.
- Following a Ryan Weise layup, that put LIU up 12-7, Miller was able to beat the first-quarter horn with a three-point from the right corner that trimmed the lead to 12-10.
Second Quarter...
- The Sharks opened the second stanza on a 7-0 run that upped their lead to 19-10.
- The Seahawks mounted a comeback, with Miller serving as the catalyst, as her back-to-back three pointers were part of a larger 10-0 run that gave the Seahawks a 20-19 edge.
- Camille Gray for LIU ended the run that gave the home team a slim 21-20 lead with 1:24 left before halftime.
- Dailey was able to make the backend of a two-shot foul that tied the game before the half.
Third Quarter...
- The two teams came out trading early baskets as play resumed.
- Shyla Sanford kicked off the scoring for the Sharks with a three before junior Raven Pitt answered back with a layup that cut into the lead, 24-23.
- Bell was able to step into a jumper and extend the home team's advantage, 26-23, at the 8:15 mark.
- Over the final eight minutes, the Seahawks outscored LIU, 10-6, with Krista Grava beating the buzzer in the quarter as Wagner regained the lead at 33-32.
Fourth Quarter...
- Wagner continued its upward trend, opening the final quarter of action on a 9-2 run that propelled the lead to 42-34 with Edwards capping the run with a layup.
- Taylor made one of two from the line that proved to be LIU's final score of the night as the Seahawks closed the game out with six straight points and picked up the 14-point win.
Postgame Interview...
Head Coach Heather Jacobs
- Opening Statement…
- "I am proud of our effort and resilience. It was not pretty, but we go the job done."
- On LaNiya Miller…
- "It was great to see her getting going and we expect this to be the start of something moving forward."
- On your team's grittiness…
- "Defensively, we knew we wanted to keep mixing it up and late in the game, they were dialed in.
- As we continue to compete, we are looking forward to learning from and growing from each and every game."
Up Next For Wagner...
- Wagner is slated to host Bryant for the Seahawks' home opener on Saturday, Jan. 23, and Sunday, Jan. 24.
- Both games will tipoff at 4:00 p.m.
- Keith Raad will have the call on NEC Front Row.
