Oblak Leads Women’s Basketball Past Wagner for 11th Consecutive Win

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2/3/07 -- The Long Island University women’s basketball team used an early second-half run to push past Wagner, 59-47, and gain its 11th win in a row on Alumni Day at the Wellness Center. Senior Sara Oblak (Skofja Loka, Slovenia) came up one rebound shy of a double-double, registering season highs with 21 points and nine rebounds.

Following a first half that saw the Blackbirds (18-5, 11-1 Northeast Conference) take a six-point advantage, Long Island built a sizeable lead using a 12-4 run. The scoring outburst featured a pair of three-pointers from senior Brittani Kozik (Belle Plaine, Iowa), who made her first appearance after missing seven games with a foot injury.

The Blackbirds led by as many as 14 points, but could find no comfort in their cushion as Wagner (3-19, 1-10) refused to back down. The Seahawks made things interesting late, cutting their deficit to five points with 3 minutes, 34 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws by Naomi Augustin. From there, Long Island got to the charity stripe eight times, converting seven of those attempts to hold off Wagner’s last-ditch effort.

Freshman Valerie Nainima (Suva, Fiji) finished with 11 points, but Oblak stole the show, going 9-for-14 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. Freshman Connie James (Galloway, N.J.) also snared a game-high nine rebounds as the Blackbirds won the battle of the boards, 33-27. Ali Ridge’s nine caroms led the Seahawks. Wagner did not have a single player register double-figures in points, but saw six players score at least six points. Takesha Dye and Chelsey Bunyer each netted eight points to pace the Seahawks.

The win ties Long Island for the second-most victories in a season, matching the 18 games that the 2001-02 Blackbirds won. The program record for victories is 19, set by the 1976-77 squad.

The Blackbirds will be off until Saturday, Feb. 10, when they host Monmouth at 2:00 p.m.