Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College women's basketball came back from a ten-point halftime deficit to defeat the Colgate University Raiders, 62-53, in the Seahawks home opener on Tuesday afternoon at the Spiro Sports Center.
Three Wagner players finished in double-figures, led by senior forward
Emilija Krista Grava, who poured in a game-high 19 points on 6 of 18 shooting from the field.
Kem Nwabudu registered the first double-double of the season for Wagner, as the Elmont, NY native tallied 15 points and grabbed a game-high ten rebounds.
Zhaneia Thybulle was the third Seahawk in to score in double-figures, finishing with 12 points and a team-high five assists.
Colgate's Alexa Brodie and Jenna Paul each finished with 14 points. Taylor Golembiewski added eight points while Morgan Frank chipped in seven and a team-best nine caroms.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE…
- With Krista Grava's 19-point performance, the senior forward is only five points away from becoming the 25th member of the 1,000-career point club.
- For the fourth straight contest, Wagner's defense held their opponents to under 30.0 percent shooting from three-point range, as Colgate converted on 2 of 10 from beyond-the-arc.
- Wagner forced 17 turnovers and scored 15 points off those Raiders' mishaps.
- The Seahawks out-rebounded the Raiders by one, 32-31.
- Wagner outscored Colgate, 22-9, in the third quarter, holding the visitors to just 4 of 12 shooting and 1 of 7 from three-point range. The Seahawks in the quarter made 10 of 16 from the field (62.5 percent).
HOW IT HAPPENED…
First Quarter…
- The visitors jumped out to an early 6-3 lead after Brodie converted on a driving layup before Drayah Heyward cut into the lead with a jumper from the right elbow.
- Colgate scored six of the final ten points of the quarter, taking a 12-9 lead. Thybulle rattled in a jumper for the final score of the period.
Second Quarter…
- Wagner opened the second quarter with a layup from Marisa Sanchez-Henry that cut the lead down to one, 12-11 and Sanchez-Henry tied it up a minute later at 13-13.
- Following a layup from Brodie, Krista Grava tied the game at 15-15 with a turnaround jumper.
- Colgate embarked on a 9-2 run that extended their lead to 24-17, as Paul, netted a three-pointer off the feed from Golembiewski.
- Alex Cowan dropped in a layup after Nwabudu was able to find her cutting to the basket that made it 24-19.
- The visitors outscored the Seahawks, 7-4, over the final two minutes that saw Colgate take a ten-point lead into the break, 31-21.
Third Quarter…
- The Seahawks came out of the break on a quick 5-0 spurt, as Krista Grava was able to convert the reverse layup before Cowan drilled a three-pointer that cut the Colgate lead to five, 31-26, forcing the Raiders to call for time.
- Nwabudu added to the Wagner run with jumper that furthered trimmed into the Colgate advantage, 31-28, with 6:10 left in the quarter.
- The Raiders regained the composure with back-to-back buckets that pushed the lead back to seven, 35-28, as Tiasia McMillan converted on the layup.
- The Green & White continued their climb back into the contest with a 7-0 run of their own to tie the game at 35-35 as Thybulle got the friendly roll on her jumper.
- A quick jumper by Golembiewski briefly gave Colgate the lead again, but Thybulle was able to race past her defender on her way to the basket, tying the game at 37-37 with 2:26 showing on the third quarter clock.
- Wagner closed out the quarter on an 8-3 run, as Thybulle beat the third quarter horn with her eight point of the game on a jumper.
Fourth Quarter…
- Wagner carried the momentum into the fourth quarter, going out on a 6-2 run over the first 2:27 of the stanza in building a 49-42 lead as Heyward made both from the free-throw line.
- Colgate to back into the game, finding themselves within three, 51-48, with six minutes to go as Morgan McMahon completed the traditional three-point play from the line.
- It would be the closest the visitors would get, as an 8-3 spark by Wagner increased the lead to eight, as Nwabudu muscled her way in for two, giving Wagner a 59-51 cushion.
- Brodie converted on the final points of the game for the Raiders, as Wagner was able to pick up their third win of the season and the first home win under head coach Terrell Coburn.
Up Next…
- Wagner continues the homestand after the Thanksgiving break as the Seahawks play host to the University of New Hampshire on Sunday, November 28.
- Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. at the Spiro Sports Center.
