STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – FDU women's basketball (19-3, 9-0) took down Wagner (5-17, 2-8) by a score of 54-41 on the road Saturday night.
With the win, the Knights have begun 9-0 in conference play. That has never before been done in FDU program history.
It did not come easy as the prior eight NEC wins. The Knights began the game in a large hole, thanks to early shooting woes. FDU could not buy a bucket in the first half, shooting 7-for-32 (21.9%) across the first twenty minutes. They went into halftime uncharacteristically trailing; Wagner held a 26-18 lead at the break.
The Knights needed an answer. They faced a double-digit deficit after Wagner's Taleah Washington knocked down a shot to open the second half. With a historic win-streak hanging in the balance, the Knights elected to turn up the defensive pressure to get back into the game.
It worked.
FDU exploded in the third quarter. A well-timed press by head coach Stephanie Gaitley put Wagner's offense into disarray, and the Knights were able to force a mountain of turnovers. More importantly, they were able to convert on the coming offensive opportunities.
Across a four minute stretch, FDU forced seven Wagner turnovers. During that same time-span, from the nine-minute mark to the five-minute mark in the third, the Knights erupted on an 18-0 run, completely flipping the script on the game.
The momentum inside the arena shifted when Abaigeal Babore stole the ball away from Taleah Washington, leading to a fast break layup for Lilly Parke. The Knights took a 30-28 lead on that bucket. They would not give up the lead for the remainder of the game after that.
FDU picked up their twelfth-straight win in the effort. The win also moves Coach Gaitley into 16th place in all-time wins at the D1 level, passing former Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder.
THE STATS
- Teneisia Brown led the way for the Knights in both scoring and rebounding, dropping an 18 point, 14 rebound double-double.
- It is the eighth double-double by Brown this season.
- Brown has recorded a double-double in back to back games.
- Abby Conklin played a major role in the defensive shutdown by FDU in the third quarter.
- Conklin picked up four steals in the contest.
- Four different Knights (Conklin, Brown, Babore, Parke) had multiple steals in the victory.
- FDU scored 21 points off turnovers, and 11 fast break points.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Knights will be back in action when they head to Chicago State to face the Cougars on Thursday, February 13. Tip-off will be at 7:00 p.m. with coverage available on NEC Front Row.
Connect with FDU Women's Basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsWBB.
Segovia Steakhouse is the presenting sponsor of the 2024-25 FDU Women's Basketball season.
