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KemNwabudu
Dave Saffran
53
Winner LIU LIU 2-13,2-3 NEC
50
Wagner WC 10-6,3-3 NEC
Winner
LIU LIU
2-13,2-3 NEC
53
Final
50
Wagner WC
10-6,3-3 NEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
LIU LIU 16 10 9 18 53
Wagner WC 20 2 14 14 50

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women's Basketball Drops A 53-50 Home Decision To LIU On Friday Afternoon

Staten Island, NY -  The Wagner women's basketball team held a 47-39 lead with 4:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, but, the LIU Sharks outscored the Seahawks 14-3 over a 4:28 span as a last-second three-point chance by Alex Cowan fell short as Wagner dropped its first game at the Spiro Sports Center, 53-50, on Friday afternoon. 
 
Wagner (10-6; 4-3 NEC) had three players reach double-figures on the afternoon, led by Kem Nwabudu, who tallied a team-leading 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the field in 24 minutes of action. 
 
Emilija Krista Grava notched 11 points while tying for the team lead with five rebounds while Zhaneia Thybulle added 10 points. 
 
LIU (2-13; 2-5 NEC) also had three players score in double-figures, led by Brandy Thomas, who netted a game-high 14 points notching a double-double, corralling a game-best 11 caroms. Reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Week, Emaia O'Brien and Kiara Bell each chipped in 11 points. 
 
Inside-The-Boxscore...
  • The Seahawks held a four-point lead after the first quarter (20-16) but were limited to just 1 of 10 in the second quarter as the Sharks outscored the home team, 10-2, in taking a four-point lead at halftime. 
  • Wagner was outrebounded by a 43-37 margin. 
  • 28 of Wagner's 50 points came from inside the paint while the visitors capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 22 points to the Seahawks' 10. 
  • With today's setback, this marks Wagner's first three-game losing streak since 2019-20, when the Green & White dropped four straight contests against LIU, FDU, Bryant, and former league members, Robert Morris, in the NEC quarterfinals. 
Press Conference… Head Coach Terrell Coburn
 

Wagner - LIU Highlights
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED…
First Quarter…
  • Wagner jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, capped off by a Drayah Heyward driving layup. 
  • The visitors got on the board three minutes into the contest as Thomas was able to bank it off the window from inside-the-paint. 
  • The two teams would trade baskets before a 5-0 spurt by LIU made it a one-point game, 8-7, as O'Brien was able to hit from the outside. 
  • Both teams found their stride over the final four minutes of the frame, with the Seahawks scoring 12 of the final 21 points of the stanza, as Rakisha Ballinger was able to hit the baseline floater that made it 20-16 in favor of Wagner. 



Second Quarter…
  • Bell opened the second quarter for the visitors with a layup and a minute later, the game was knotted at 20-20 as Shyla Sanford was able to hit the floating jumper in the paint. 
  • The two teams were unsuccessful in their attempts to build upon the early success until the 5:55 mark, when Thomas was able to drain the mid-range jumper, giving the Sharks their first lead of the contest, 22-20. 
  • Carter was able to bury the triple off the feed from Kennedy Taylor hat extended the LIU lead to five, 25-20. 
  • Heyward was able to drive the lane that cut into the deficit for Wagner's only made field goal of the quarter. 
  • Bell was able to make the second of a two-shot foul as LIU went into the break with a 26-22 advantage. 
 
Third Quarter…
  • When play resumed for the second half, Nwabudu muscled her way into the paint and was able to power in a layup that made it 26-24. 
  • LIU went on a 6-0 run, thanks to a pair of buckets by Thomas as the lead went up to 32-24. 
  • The Seahawks responded with a 6-0 run of their own, starting with Alex Cowan, who was able to find space in the paint and hit on the running floater to put a halt in the Sharks' run. 
  • Krista Grava and Thybulle followed with tough baskets as Wagner found themselves trailing by two, 32-30, at the 6:25 mark, forcing the visitors to call for time. 
  • Over the final 4:42, Wagner was relentless in retaking the lead, forcing five LIU turnovers, as Katrice Jackson was able to track the loose ball and just beat the third-quarter horn, as Wagner regained the lead, 36-35. 
 
Fourth Quarter…
  • In the early portion of the quarter, the two teams traded a pair of makes, as Kate Tokuhara's jumper gave Wagner a 38-37 advantage. 
  • Jackson was once again a catalyst for the Seahawks, as she was able to come down with the rebound following a missed three-point attempt by Cowan and spot Lina Loceniece, who was able to hit from in front of the Wagner bench, as the Seahawks went ahead 41-37, with 7:40 left to play. 
  • Following an O'Brien turnover, Thybulle was able to split two defenders in the paint as Wagner increased the lead to six, 43-37 before adding a pair from the line. 
  • LIU embarked on an 11-3 run over the next 3:13 that tied the game at 48-48 after Thomas hit both attempts from the line after Nwabudu was called for a technical foul with 1:57 showing on the game clock. 
  • With possession, O'Brien broke the stalemate with her third three-pointer of the afternoon that gave LIU a 51-48 lead before Nwabudu responded with a layup that brought Wagner to within one, 51-50, with 1:19 left to go in regulation. 
  • The Sharks called their final timeout with 17 seconds and had trouble advancing the ball, as Jackson was able to thwart the pass. 
  • With just five seconds left, Nwabudu's layup attempt, which would have given the Seahawks the lead, rimmed out and Thomas was able to hit two free throws, giving LIU a three-point lead with just three seconds left. 
  • Wagner burned their final timeout to advance the ball in front of their bench. 
  • Cowan got the ball on the inbound at the top of the key, swarmed by two LIU defenders, and was able to get a shot off but couldn't sink it as the Seahawks suffered their first defeat on their home floor this season.  
 
Next Up For Wagner…
  • Wagner closes out the mini two-game homestand on Sunday afternoon, January 23, as the Seahawks play host to the Merrimack College Warriors. 
  • Tipoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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