The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team hadn’t lost to the Wagner Seahawks since Jan. 3, 2002 – a span covering 15 games. However, that all changed tonight when the Bobcats fell to the Seahawks 72-58.
Senior center Courtney Kaminski’s double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) was not enough, as the Bobcats fell behind by 10 points early and were never able to recover. Wagner’s defense forced the Bobcats into making 27 turnovers, including 11 from Lisa Lebak.
“With the amount of turnovers we had, we put a lot of pressure on the defense tonight,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “We need to make sure we handle the ball a little better moving forward and not rely on our defense to bail us out.”
Both offenses came alive in the second, with each team shooting well over 40 percent. Ashley Olsen led the charge for the Seahawks, scoring 10 of her 16 points in the second half.
The Bobcats appeared to be on the verge of a comeback. They cut the lead to eight with just over three minutes left. But the Seahawks answered each of the Bobcats’ baskets with one of their own. Wagner’s defense stepped upped after that and never let the Bobcats get any closer.
The Seahawks pulled ahead during a 14-3 run to go up 20-10 with nine and a half minutes left in the first half. The Bobcats cut the lead to five at the half, but the Seahawks pulled away in the second half.
The loss was Quinnipiac’s fourth straight, dropping its record to 9-11 overall and 4-5 in Northeast Conference play. The Bobcats will look to snap this streak on Jan. 30 when they travel to Emmitsburg, Md., to face NEC foe Mount St. Mary’s.
Photo credit: Caiti Kaminski
