Providence, RI - Senior forwards
Emilija Krista Grava and
Kem Nwabudu combined for 42 points on a collective 16 of 31 shooting as the Wagner women's basketball withstood an eight-point second quarter deficit to defeat the Brown University Bears, 67-57, on Saturday afternoon from the Pizzitola Sports Center.
With the win, the Seahawks conclude their three-game road trip with a 2-1 record while the Bears drop to 1-4 on the year.
Krista Grava spearheaded the Green & White offense early on in the contest, as the Lignate, Latvia native poured in a game-best 26 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the floor. Krista Grava converted on a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line while chipping in six rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
Nwabudu found her rhythm in the fourth quarter, netting 14 of her 16 points in the final stanza on 7 of 9 shooting over the 11 minutes she played in the final frame. The Elmont, NY native finished 8 of 15 from the field while collecting five rebounds in her 22 minutes of action.
Alex Cowan and Drayah Heyward each had seven points with Heyward grabbing a team-leading eight rebounds. Zhaneia Thybulle contributed six points while dishing out a game-high seven assists.
Brown had three players finish in a double-figures, led by Kyla Jones, who poured in 14 points on 7 of 17 shooting. Mya Murray and Maddie Mullin each finished with 12 points. Amanda Latkany was a point shy of a double-double, ending with nine points and a game-best 13 caroms.
"I am really proud of our young ladies and how they responded from our last game at Saint Peter's," said head coach
Terrell Coburn. "Everyone came together, especially in the second half, as we turned up our intensity. When adversity hits, you have to respond the right way if you want to be good. I am proud of our team's effort today."
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE…
- Krista Grava's 26-point outing Saturday afternoon is the first for the senior forward this season and 12th time in her Seahawk career that she has reached the 20-point plateau.
- Today's performance by Krista Grava brings the senior closer to joining the 1,000 career point club, as she now sits just 26 points away from joining the 1,000 career point list.
- The Seahawks converted 22 points off of 28 Brown turnovers.
- The Bears did hold the advantage on the boards, 41-34, and a slim 32-30 edge off points in the paint.
- The Seahawks defense for the third straight game didn't allow their opponents to convert on 30.0 percent shooting from three-point range, as Wagner held Brown to just 27.8 percent from long range (5 of 18).
- Additionally,Wagner's defense forced 20 or more turnovers for the third straight contest, as the Bears accounted for a season-high 28 mishaps.
HOW IT HAPPENED…
First Quarter…
- Krista Grava provided the bulk of the offense for the Seahawks in the opening quarter of action, scoring 12 of the visitors 15 points on 4 of 8 shooting while connecting on four free-throws.
- Her turnaround jumper off the feed from Thybulle pushed Wagner's lead to three, 14-11.
- Brown closed out the quarter outscoring the Green & White, 7-1, in taking an 18-15 lead as Jones was able to hit on the driving layup with 23 seconds left to play.
Second Quarter…
- Wagner managed to tie the game at 18-18 in the opening minutes of the second quarter before the Bears sparked a 10-2 run over a near five minute span that saw Brown go up by eight, 28-20, as Mullin connected on a deep three-pointer to cap the run.
- Krista Grava hit back-to-back jumpers followed by a pair of free-throws made from Thybulle that saw the Brown lead shrink to a single-possession, 28-26.
- Both teams struggled for points over the final 93 seconds as the Bears hung on for the two-point halftime lead.
Third Quarter…
- Wagner came out for the third quarter re-energized and focused, starting the quarter on a 7-0 run.
- Krista Grava hit the turnaround jumper after receiving the pass from Thybulle that tied the game at 28.
- On the ensuing Seahawk possession, Cowan spotted up on the wing and swished home the three-point attempt, to the adjalation of her teammates.
- In a blink of an eye, Heyward stole the inbounds pass and put home the layup, as the visitors went up 33-28, before Jones stopped the run with a layup of her own that made it 33-30 as Brown called for time.
- Following a Jones layup at the 6:21 mark, Wagner built a 10-0 run, pushing the lead up to 11 at 45-34, as Katrice Jackson converted from the line.
- Brown closed out the quarter with a 13-4 run of their own, as Mullin hit on a trio of three-pointers that trimmed the deficit, as her three just before the third quarter made it a 49-47 game in favor of Wagner.
Fourth Quarter…
- Both teams came out for the fourth quarter miss firing on their first attempts before Cowan's driving layup ceased the scoring drought, as the Seahawks went up 51-47.
- Nwabudu would go on to score Wagner's next 12 points over a four-minute stretch, that increased the visitors lead to 63-54 with a little over two minutes remaining in the contest.
- After Murray hit a pair from the line, Nwabudu added her 14th point of the stanza on the pass from Cowan, as Wagner went up 65-56 with 1:24 showing on the clock.
- Nwabudu would be called for a foul on Murray, who subsequently hit the front end of the two shot foul, making it 65-57.
- Cowan added a pair from the line with thirty seconds left as the Seahawks earned their second win under coach Coburn.
Up Next…
- Wagner gets set to host its first game of the season, as they will welcome Patriot League members, Colgate, to the Spiro Sports Center on Tuesday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m.
- Admission to Tuesday's game is Free as part of the Wagner Athletics Department Welcome Back Fans promotion.
