Nov. 20, 2010
Box Score
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - The good news for the Saints was that Serena Moore had yet another tremendously dominant performance. The bad news was that the Saints didn't receive enough else as they fell short to Wagner 64-61 this afternoon at the ARC. Moore, who recorded her eighth career double-double, finished with game-highs of 25 points and a career-high tying 12 rebounds.
"I thought the Wagner guard play really stepped up, while we really struggled to score on the perimeter," said head coach Gina Castelli. "I was however really pleased with the way Serena Moore played. She had another great game all-around."
Trailing 29-28 at half, Wagner (2-0) opened the second half on a 15-5 run and never looked back. The big blow came on a Marie-Laurence Archambault trifecta which pushed the Seahawks' lead to nine at 43-34 with 9:11 remaining.
Archambault was the key difference in the second half, scoring 14 of her 17 points off the bench after halftime while going 4-for-5 in the stanza from beyond the arc and seemed to hit the big shot every time the Saints (1-2) would get close. Three-point shooting was a key difference in the game as Wagner sunk 8-for-20 from long range while the Saints converted just one of their eight attempts from beyond the arc.
Although Wagner only went three deep on their bench, their reserves were the difference. Kelly Clark provided 22 solid minutes adding 10 points and five rebounds, contributing greatly to the Seahawks' offense which shot 50% in the second half and 44% for the game. Siena meanwhile struggled to hit shots throughout and finished at just 34%.
Moore, who has been nothing short of incredible in the season's first three games, had perhaps her strongest performance so far for the Saints. The senior, who is now averaging 19.7 points and nine rebounds, added two blocks and four steals to her stat line and even hit a 35-foot fade away jumper as time expired in the contest.
Siena dominated the boards, holding a +13 advantage (42-29) on the glass, but had trouble all-around offensively and routinely could not cash in despite second and third chance opportunities. The Saints opportunistic defense however kept them close, as they forced 20 Wagner turnovers including 11 steals.
Lily Grenci complimented Moore's performance with 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Megan Mahoney (14) and Mechanicville native Stephanie McBride (13) joined Archambault and Clark in double figures for the Seahawks.
The Saints continue their season-opening five game homestand Saturday against Central Connecticut State. Game time is 2 p.m. from UHY Court.
