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ZhaneiaThybulleNEC
Dave Saffran
55
LIU LIU 9-18,9-7 NEC
66
Winner Wagner WC 17-11,9-8 NEC
LIU LIU
9-18,9-7 NEC
55
Final
66
Wagner WC
17-11,9-8 NEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
LIU LIU 20 6 17 12 55
Wagner WC 14 16 20 16 66

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Five Seahawks Score In Double-Figures As No. 4 Seed Wagner Advances To NEC Semifinals With 66-55 Win Over No. 5 Seed LIU

Staten Island, NY - The No. 4 seed Wagner College Seahawks withstood an early six-point deficit before outscoring the No. 5 seed LIU Sharks, 16-6, in the second quarter to post a 66-55 home win in the 2022 Northeast Conference (NEC) Quarterfinals. 
 
Wagner (17-11) had all five starters score in double-figures, led by recently minted All-NEC First Teamer, Emilija Krista Grava's 15 points and 10 rebound outing. Alex Cowan netted 12 points on 3 of 5 shooting from the floor while Kem Nwabudu, All-NEC Third Teamer Zhaneia Thybulle, and Drayah Heyward each hit for 11 points. 
 
The Sharks (9-18) were paced by NEC First Team honoree, Brandy Thomas, who finished with a game-high 18 points and matched Krista Grava with 10 rebounds on the night. Emaia O'Brien, who claimed this year's NEC Rookie of the Year award, added 12 points while being held to just 5 of 14 shooting from the field and 1 of 7 from three-point range. 
 
Inside-The-Boxscore...
  • In Wagner's 16-6 run in the second quarter, the Seahawks shot 50.0 percent from the field while holding the Sharks to just 2 of 14 shooting, with both made field goals coming from three-point range. 
  • Of Wagner's 66 points, 34 of those came from inside the paint while the Seahawks held a 7-2 edge on second-chance opportunities. 
  • Wagner outscored LIU 15-9 on the fast break. 
  • The Seahawks were out-rebounded by the Sharks, 42-37, despite both teams grabbing 12 offensive rebounds in the contest. 
  • For the first time this season, all five Seahawks scored in double-figures. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED…
First Quarter…
  • Wagner jumped out to an 8-2 lead that was capped off by a Heyward layup. Kennedy Taylor stopped the run with a layup on the other end. 
  • The Sharks took their largest lead of the contest, thanks to a 14-0 run over a three-minute span that saw the visitors go a perfect 6 of 6 from the field during this span while limiting Wagner to just four shot attempts with a made field goal after Aislinn Flynn dialed one up from long range. 
  • Heyward again was able to find her way into the paint after receiving the pass from Raven Pitt that made it 16-10. 
  • The two teams split the final eight points of the frame as LIU held a 20-14 advantage. 
 
Second Quarter…
  • Katrice Jackson opened the scoring for the Green & White to start the second quarter, bringing Wagner to within four, 20-16. 
  • Following a triple from Thomas, the Seahawks went on an 11-0 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch that saw Wagner retake the lead, 27-23, with 1:41 remaining before halftime. 
    • The Green & White were firing on all cylinders, hitting 5 of 10 from the field while holding the Sharks to nine attempts without a score. 

 
  • O'Brien halted the run with a three-point from Taylor, which closed the gap to one, 27-26, with a minute left to play in the half. 
  • Heyward continued to find the shooter's touch on route as she drove the lane, got fouled, and completed the traditional three-point play from the line as Wagner claimed a four-point lead heading into the intermission, 30-26. 

 
 Third Quarter…
  • The two teams traded baskets to start the third quarter before Wagner scored eight of the next 12 points in building an eight-point advantage, 40-32, thanks to a three-point play by Cowan. 
  • The remainder of the quarter was evenly matched between the two New York-based programs, with the Seahawks going up by seven, 50-43, as Thybulle beat the third-quarter buzzer with a pull-up jumper. 



Fourth Quarter…
  • The Sharks managed to cut into Wagner's lead in the early portion of the fourth quarter, as Kiara Bell made the front end of a two-shot foul that trimmed the deficit to five, 51-46.
  • Thybulle found the shooter's touch, as she was able to rattle home a three-pointer that pushed the lead to eight, 54-46.
  • With 5:01 remaining, the Sharks got to within six, 57-51, as O'Brien was able to convert on a difficult driving layup. 
  • Over the final three minutes, Wagner was able to put the game away, holding the visitors to just a made field goal in five chances while going 9 of 10 from the line in moving on to the semifinals. 

 
2022 NEC Tournament Recap...
  • The top-seed, Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights got past the No. 8 seed Sacred Heart, 66-58. 
  • Bryant, the No. 7 seed, upset the No. 2 seed, St. Francis Brooklyn, 65-63, as Mariona Planes Fortuny sank three free-throws after being fouled by Khaleah Edwards with one second remaining to win it for the Bulldogs.
  • In the last quarterfinal game, the No. 3 seed, Mount St. Mary's defeated the No. 6 seed, Saint Francis U, 69-53. 
  • Thursday's semifinals are scheduled as follows:
    • No. 1 seed FDU will host the No. 7 seed Bryant 
    • No. 3 seed Mount St. Mary's will host the No. 4 seed Wagner in a rematch of last season's NEC Championship game in Emmitsburg, MD. 
    • Both semifinal games will air on ESPN3/SNY and MASN at 7:00 p.m.
    • The advancing teams will meet on Sunday, March 13 to determine who gets the NEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

 
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