Contact: Amanda Brickell
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'xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The 51·çÁ÷ women’s basketball team defeated the Seahawks of Wagner 64-54 on Sunday afternoon.
Both 51·çÁ÷ and Wagner struggled to put points on the board in the first half shooting 33.3% and 34.5% from the field respectively. The Raiders went basket-for-basket with the Seahawks in the early going, before Wagner took off on a nine point scoring run holding 51·çÁ÷ off the board for just over six minutes and pushing the score to 13-7.
Freshman guard Molly Patterson (Euclid, Ohio) ended the scoring drought with a three-point basket at the ten minute mark to put the Raiders within three. Raider foul trouble would be the team’s downfall for the remainder of the first half. Fourteen team fouls sent the Seahawks to the line where they drained 10 points in 14 attempts and headed into the locker room up 30-21 at the half.
In the second half, Leandra Fuller (Harrisburg, Pa.) came out firing scoring six straight points to close the gap to 32-27, before heading to the bench with four fouls. The Raiders then closed the margin to three on a basket from Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.). Wagner answered with two free throws from Vanessa Wyffels to put the score 34-29.
Over the next ten minutes 51·çÁ÷ outscored the Seahawks 18-8 and would emerge at the five-minute mark up 52-43. Six points from Patterson would stretch the score to 58-46 with 2:38 to go. 51·çÁ÷ would maintain the lead for the rest of the game and walked away with the victory
Patterson led the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds marking the first double-double performance of her career. Emily Braseth (E. Grand Rapids, Mich.) contributed 12 points and four assists to effort. Fuller was 4-4 from the field with eight points and two blocked shots, and Milaina Lagzdins (Burlington, Ont.) grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds.
The Seahawks were led by Carrie Walker with 17 points and Wyffels who was 6-6 from the field with 15 points and ten rebounds.
The Raiders return to Hamilton to face Buffalo on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. on Cotterell Court.