The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team won, 67-49, at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY, Saturday, Feb. 24. Junior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) (Laurelton, NY) poured in a season-high 18 points, as the Knights improved to 10-17 overall and 7-10 in the Northeast Conference.
Junior guard Megan Kirkland (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) (Glen Allen, VA) struck for a season-best 11 points ? on the strength of a season-high three field goals from behind the arc ? in addition to notching four assists and four rebounds. Freshman forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (Bayonne, NJ) added 13 points and six boards.
FDU took a 10-2 advantage after the opening tip, punctuated by senior forward Mercedez Walker (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) (Stratford, CT) banking in an attempt from the right elbow and Altamirano converting an old-fashioned three-point play opportunity with 15:04 remaining.
Freeman dropped in a lay-in on the break then spotted up from long-range, shifting the Knights ahead, 15-4, at the 13:36 mark. Kirkland followed suit by hitting all net from downtown.
Wagner (3-25, 1-16 NEC) forward Olivia Nagle (Acton, MA) ended a 10-0 FDU run with a pair of attempts at the charity stripe with 9:34 left. Kirkland responded by crossing up her defender and spinning around another Seahawk in the lane, before kicking out to junior forward Nikki Lockhart (Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) (Rochester, NY) on the right baseline for a 12-footer.
Wagner guard Jessie Collins (Crofton, MD) connected on a three-ball to end an 11:33 scoring drought from the field, marking the second player to score in the contest for the home-standing squad.
Altamirano halted a 5:23 scoring drought ? and a 6-0 Seahawks run ? at the 3:12 mark with a jumper narrowly inside the arc, creating a 26-12 contest.
Fairleigh Dickinson entered halftime ahead, 30-15, with Freeman tallying eight points, coupled with Altamirano's seven points and five boards. Collins and Nagle each collected six points for the Seahawks, who were held to a quartet of field goals in the initial 20 minutes.
Freeman scored the Knights' first two baskets to open the second-half, followed by Wagner's Nagle capping off a three-point play. Kirkland stepped into a trifecta with 16:39 remaining, to hold a 37-24 advantage. Junior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster) (Westminster, MD) then netted two-straight hoops in the post, en route to recording eight points (ten total) in the second stanza.
Sophomore forward Katie Warehime (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) (Littlestown, PA) drained a three-pointer from the right wing at the 9:36 mark, ending a 5:15 scoring drought. Kirkland hit her third trey of the afternoon on the ensuing possession, opening up a 47-33 lead.
Freeman popped a three-ball from straight-on, followed by an Altamirano fade-away and one-handed runner in the lane. Walkling spun baseline for a lay-up on the right block, marking FDU's fourth field goal in as many possessions.
Freeman sealed the victory with a three at the 1:37 mark, opening up a 61-44 stronghold.
“Today was a good win, solidifying out No. 7 seed in the NEC Tournament,” Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. “Shanay really stepped up and Megan gave us an offensive spark coming off the bench. We needed to bounce back after Wednesday ? we will aim to take this momentum into our final home game of the season.”
Nagle finished with a game-high 19 points, while Collins chipped-in 11 points and six assists.
The Knights host Monmouth University at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27 in their final home contest of the season ? Senior Night.
