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Hackensack, NJ – The Wagner College women's basketball team saw its six-game winning streak come to an end Saturday on the road in Hackensack, NJ as the Seahawks dropped a 50-48 decision to Fairleigh Dickinson at the Rothman Center.
Wagner's (7-3; 7-2 NEC) six-game win streak was the longest since the 1997-98 season, when the Green & White, under then-head coach, Pam Roecker, rattled off six straight wins from Feb. 14 through their championship run before falling in the finals on March 7 to Saint Francis U.
Junior
Emilija Krista Grava led all scorers with a game-high 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field. Krista Grava grabbed a team-high seven caroms in 32 minutes of play. Senior
Khaleah Edwards filled up the box score, as she netted ten points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block in 35 minutes.
Fairleigh Dickinson (11-7; 7-6 NEC) had two players in score in double-figures. Lindsey Mack led the Knights with a team-high 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting in 35 minutes of action. Madison Stanley, who rattled in the game-winning basket for Fairleigh Dickinson, finished with 12 points.
Inside the Box Score...
- Today's contest between the Seahawks and Knights featured the NEC's top field-goal and three-point field goal percentage team defense in Wagner and the second-ranked team in the circuit in FDU. Both teams combined to shoot 5 of 23 from three-point range (Wagner: 2 of 12 | FDU: 3 of 11).
- Wagner's defense in the fourth quarter didn't allow Fairleigh Dickinson to make a field goal until Stanley's jumper at the 2:10 mark, as FDU went 0 of 6 from the field and 0 of 1 from three-point range.
- The Seahawks were out-rebounded, 37-31, but held a 12-9 edge on the offensive glass.
- Wagner turned FDU's 18 turnovers into 14 points.
- The Knights' bench outscored the Seahawks' reserves, 15-6.
- Krista Grava's 18-point outing marks the eighth time this season that she has scored in double-figures and is the 38th time in her Seahawk career.
- Both Krista Grava and Edwards have their sights set on becoming members of the Wagner 1,000 Career Points club, as with today's performance, Edwards stands at 819 career points while Krista Grava is at 805.
How It Happened…
First Quarter
- The Knights jumped out to an 8-2 lead early in the first quarter before Krista Grava was able to step back and drain the top-of-the-key three-pointer to end the FDU run.
- Both teams went nearly three minutes without a field goal until Krista Grava spun away from her defender in the low block and convert on the turnaround jumper that made it a three-point game, 8-5, at the 4:53 mark.
- The Knights closed out the first quarter of play scoring the final five points in taking a 13-7 lead.
- The opening stanza saw six lead changes and four ties, with the Knights holding Wagner to just 25.0 percent shooting from the field.
- The Seahawks, the NEC's leading three-point field goal percentage defensive team, didn't allow FDU to hit from the outside in four attempts.
Second Quarter
- Wagner opened up the second quarter with a jumper from Zhaneia Thybulle after receiving the feed from Kem Nwabudu.
- Stanley continued to power the Knights' offense, upping the lead to 15-9 on the ensuing FDU possession.
- The Seahawks sparked a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the ballgame at the 7:19 mark, 16-15, with Edwards scoring five of the seven points.
- The two teams went back-and-forth for the remainder of the quarter with Fairleigh Dickinson clinging to a 26-24 halftime lead following a pair of made free throws from Devyn Scott.
- Over the final 6:30 of the second quarter, Wagner's defense limited the Knights to just 3 of 7 shooting while converting on 4 of 9.
Third Quarter
- Krista Grava made the front-end of a two-shot foul to start the scoring in the third.
- A quick 5-2 run by FDU increased the home team's lead to 31-27, as Mack was able to hit from three-point range.
- Drayah Heyward scored Wagner's next two baskets that kept FDU's lead to a single possession, 33-31, with 5:55 showing on the game clock.
- The Knights took their largest lead of the ballgame, 42-35, as FDU scored nine of the next 13 points over three minutes.
- Wagner responded with a 6-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the deficit to one, 42-41, at the 1:24 mark, as Krista Grava hit from the charity stripe.
- Stanley netted the final points of the quarter that pushed FDU's lead back to three, 44-41.
Fourth Quarter
- Both teams couldn't find their shooting touch over the first three minutes of the fourth until Krista Grava netted her 16th point of the game off-the-feed from Edwards that made it a 44-43 contest.
- Wagner ignited a 7-0 run over five minutes, as the Seahawks went ahead, 48-44, with 2:36 remaining in the contest as Krista Grava muscled her way into the paint for two.
- FDU answered back with two straight buckets to tie the game at 48-48, as Stanley was to hit on another jumper.
- The Knights had the first chance to break the tie, collecting the rebound off a missed three-pointer from Amanda Pollard with 1:04 left to play, however, Edwards was able to rip the ball away from Stanley and call for time.
- Following the Seahawk timeout, Wilson stole the ball back from Edwards and the Knights took a full timeout with 15 seconds left.
- Stanley drove into the paint and hoisted up a shot over the outstretched reach of Krista Grava, as the ball bounced off the back iron and dropped in with 1.1 seconds remaining, which forced Wagner to call for time.
- On the final possession of the contest, Wagner, who advanced the ball into the frontcourt, was able to get a look at the game-tying basket, as Thybulle lofted the pass that Edwards secured, but her leaping layup attempt hit the side of the rim as the final horn sounded.
- Opening Statement…
- "Give Fairleigh Dickinson credit, they played hard and were able to come out of today's game with the win."
- "For Monday, we know we need to be sharper. There are a lot of loose ends we need to correct and anticipate for Monday."
- Senior Night on Monday… What your seniors mean to the program…
- "It is crazy to think that the seniors have been here for four years. We are proud of what they have accomplished so far and know there are still great things ahead for us."
Up Next...
- Wagner and Fairleigh Dickinson close out their home-and-home series on Monday, Feb. 15 with a 7:00 p.m. tipoff at the Spiro Sports Center.
- Monday evening is also Senior Night, as the Seahawks will recognize the 2021 Senior Class: Alayshia Dailey, Khaleah Edwards, and Kate Tokuhara.
