Newark, NJ – Three Seahawks finished in double-figures, led by senior forward
Kem Nwabudu's game-high 13 points as the Wagner women's basketball team earned a 61-49 victory at NJIT on Tuesday evening.
Tonight's victory marked the first win of head coach
Terrell Coburn's tenure.
"What a game. It was one of those games that our girls had to grit out," said head coach, Terrell Coburn. "We made adjustments at the half and our girls responded. I am happy for all of us that we got the season off to a great start."
Nwabudu converted on 5 of 6 from the field in her 15 minutes of play. Classmate
Zhaneia Thybulle matched her career-high with 12 points while adding a team-leading eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in her 36 minutes of action.
Sophomore
Marisa Sanchez-Henry poured in ten points, eight of which coming in the second half of action.
NJIT also had three players score in double digits, as Trinity Williams led the way for the Highlanders with 13 points. Kenna Squier, the team's leading scorer from a season ago, and Lyzi Litwinko each finished with ten points while Litwinko grabbed a team-leading eight caroms.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE…
- With the victory tonight, Wagner moves to 21-31 all-time in season openers, while halting a ten-game losing streak on Opening Day.
- Prior to the 12-point win at NJIT this evening, Wagner's last road win in the season opener came on November 24, 1990, a 76-75 victory over Delaware as part of the Seton Hall Tournament.
- Wagner, one of the top three-point field goal percentage defenses in the Northeast Conference (NEC) a season ago, lived up to that mantra this evening, holding the Highlanders to just 2 of 17 from beyond-the-arc (11.8 percent).
- Both teams grabbed 33 rebounds in the contest.
- NJIT doubled up Wagner in the paint, outscoring the Seahawks 32-16.
- Wagner did outscore NJIT, 11-6, on fast break chances while the Seahawks bench accounted for 25 of the team's 61 points in the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED…
First Quarter…
- Nwabudu scored the first basket of the season for the Green & White before the two teams traded buckets over the first three minutes of action.
- NJIT's Kimi Evans made one of two from the line, that made it 6-5 in favor of the visitors. On the ensuing Seahawk possession, newcomer Lina Loceniece was able to bank home the top-of-the-key three-pointer for her first collegiate points.
- Squier closed out the frame with a layup off the feed from Grace Plummer as Wagner held on to a one-point lead after the opening quarter, 16-15.
Second Quarter…
- Both teams struggled in the second quarter, but Wagner was able to build its largest lead of the quarter, 25-17, thanks to a 9-2 run, that was capped off by a pair of made free-throws from Emilija Krista Grava.
- The Highlanders scored five of the final eight points in the second, but Alex Cowan was able to put Wagner up by six, 28-22, with a layup following her missed free-throw attempt.
Third Quarter…
- Similar to the start of the contest, Nwabudu nailed the 17-foot jumper to open the third quarter.
- Over the next 2:30, Wagner erupted on a 8-2 run that increased its lead to 12, 38-26, as newcomer Rakisha Ballinger was able to drill the baseline jumper off-the-feed from Thybulle.
- With 2:30 left to play in the quarter, Sanchez-Henry was able to allude her defender with a quick crossover as she was able to put in the layup as the visitors went ahead 40-30.
- The Seahawks went up by 12, 44-32, with just 42 seconds left as Katrice Jackson was able to nail the mid-range jumper after Sanchez-Henry was able to spot her on the left side of the court.
Fourth Quarter…
- NJIT opened the final quarter on a 7-3 run that trimmed Wagner's lead back to ten, 44-34, as Williams hit a pair from the line.
- Nwabudu and Thybulle posted all ten of Wagner points over the next 3:06, as the lead expanded to 57-43, before Evans halted the run with a layup.
- Wagner scored four of the final six points to give Coach Coburn and the team their first win of the 2021-22 campaign.
Up Next…
- Wagner will have a week to prepare for its next opponent in Saint Peter's when the Seahawks return to New Jersey on November 17.
- Tipoff from Jersey City is set for 7:00 p.m.
