Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College women's basketball team began its 2024-25 campaign with a 83-39 win over the Saint Elizabeth Eagles on Monday night.
The returning duo of graduate student Julia Fabozzi and junior Angelie Ricard combined to score 43 points, as Fabozzi put in 22 while Ricard was responsible for 21 points.
Both Fabozzi and Ricard made five three-pointers during the contest, with two coming from Ricard less than three minutes after tip.
Wagner jumped out to a 10-2 before the first timeout was called and never looked back, earning a coast-to-coast victory after scoring junior Irene Fernandez de Caleya capitalized on a layup five seconds into the game.
In the first quarter, the Seahawks converted on six of their 10 three-point attempts, as Ricard and Fabozzi both chipped in three makes from beyond-the-arc during the opening frame.
The Green & White would conclude the quarter on a 18-10 run to lead 28-12 after 10 minutes of action. In the first, Wagner shot 55% from the field and 60% from three-point land while scoring 10 points in the paint compared to Saint Elizabeth's two.
The Seahawks also forced Saint Elizabeth to commit nine turnovers in the first frame.
In the second quarter, Wagner extended its lead by eight to head into halftime with a 46-22 advantage. At the break, Fabozzi and Ricard had 17 and 14 points, respectively, followed by freshman Keana Foz with five, junior Irene Fernandez de Caleya with four, and sophomore Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor, sophomore Shamique Cummings, and senior KC Carter each with two points.
In the third quarter, the Seahawks displayed an impressive shooting showcase with an 80% in the frame, finding the bottom of the net in 12 out of their 15 shots. Along with their strong shooting clip, Wagner also outscored Saint Elizabeth 22 to four in points in the paint in the third.
Doyinsola Modesayor scored eight of her 10 points in the quarter, shooting four for five in the third. Additionally, graduate student Raneem ElBarky shot four-for-four in the third, making four layups to score all eight of her game points.
The Green & White held a 72-28 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Wagner and Saint Elizabeth both scored 11 points in the fourth as Ricard, Doyinsola Modesayor, Carter, and junior Hawa Balde-Camara scored to put the Eagles away, 83-39 at the sound of the final buzzer.
As a team, the Seahawks shot 53.3% from the field with a 43.5% success-rate from three-point land. Wagner scored 44 points in the paint, 20 second chance points, and 17 points off turnovers.
Defensively, the Green & White limited Saint Elizabeth to a 20.3% field goal percentage, a 9.5% shooting mark from three-point land, and kept the Eagles at six second chance points and two fast break points.
In her first collegiate start, Keana Foz led Wagner with seven assists to go along with seven points, four rebounds, and three steals. Fabozzi led Wagner on the glass with eight rebounds followed by Doyinsola Modesayor with seven.
Next up, the Seahawks will travel to South Orange, NJ for a matchup with the Seton Hall Pirates on Thursday, November 7. Tip-off for that game is set for 7:00 pm.
