Amber Wirth's 22 points help lead Women's Basketball to 65-58 triumph at Wagner in NEC opener

(boxscore)

12/7/04 -- Junior Amber Wirth (Hastings, Minn.) scored 20 of her season-high 22 points in a first-half barrage and Long Island held on for a 65-58 Northeast Conference victory at Wagner in Staten Island, N.Y.

Wirth scored 10 points during a game-opening 20-7 run over 6 1/2 minutes and ended the half shooting 6-of-7 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. The Blackbirds grabbed their biggest lead at 37-16 with 4:23 to play when freshman Joella Pounds (Clifton, N.J.) hit two free throws for her first collegiate points.

LIU (3-2, 1-0 NEC) built a 45-25 halftime cushion by shooting 56 percent (15-of-27) and limiting Wagner to 40 percent (8-of-20).

The Seahawks (0-6, 0-1) did not buckle, reeling off an 18-4 run to close to 53-47 with 11:08 remaining. The Blackbirds built the lead to 60-51 with 3:56 left when freshman Sara Oblak (Skofja Loka, Slovenia) hit a free throw, but Chelsey Bunyer netted five straight points as the Seahawks moved to 60-56 with 1:52 to play.

Wirth stripped Jessie Collins on the next possession and sophomore Kelli Sawyer (Philadelphia, Pa.) nailed two free throws for a 62-56 LIU lead with 58 seconds left. Joy Gallagher drilled a jumper to bring the Seahawks within four with 27 seconds left before the Blackbirds made 3-of-4 from the line for the final margin.

Wirth shot 7-of-13 overall as LIU closed hitting 43 percent (21-of-49) from the floor. She fell two points shy of equaling her career best from February 18, 2003 against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Oblak poured in nine of her season-best 15 points after intermission, Sawyer netted 11 points and senior Polona Oberc (Ljubljana, Slovenia) provided a huge lift with eight points along with a season-high-tying nine rebounds.

Bunyer scored 17 points, Joyce Queiroz netted 13 and Leeah Thomas added 10 and 12 rebounds for the Seahawks, who shot 42 percent (23-of-55) from the field.

This marks only the second time LIU has won two straight from Wagner in Staten Island during NEC play and the first since the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons.

LIU returns to action Saturday against Columbia for a 2:00 pm tip-off.