Sawyer's First Double-Double Lifts Women's Basketball to
56-49 Victory over Maryland Eastern Shore in LIU Turkey Classic

(UMES at LIU) / (Miami vs. Oregon)

11/26/04 -- Sophomore Kelli Sawyer (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished with 18 points to tie a career high and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first career double-double to pace Long Island, which rallied for a 56-49 victory over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to open the LIU Turkey Classic at Schwartz Center.

The Blackbirds (1-1) advance to the final Saturday at 4:00 pm against Oregon, which notched a 79-73 triumph over Miami (FL) in the second game. Miami (FL) and UMES play Saturday in the consolation game at 2:00 pm.

LIU, which trailed by as many as eight points in the opening half, went on a 14-2 second-half run to gain a 46-39 cushion with 7:09 left. Sawyer nailed a 3-pointer to put the Blackbirds ahead for good, 40-39 with 11:13 to play, and capped the run on a fast-break layup.

Sawyer shot 6-of-12 from the floor and matched her point total from November 21, 2003 at Colgate and January 8, 2004 at St. Francis (PA). The 2004 Northeast Conference All-Rookie pick fell one rebound shy of her career best set January 27 against St. Francis (NY).

Senior Polona Oberc (Ljubljana, Slovenia), one game after netting 28 points Tuesday against Boston University, came back with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Sara Oblak (Skofja Loka, Slovenia) had 10 points and eight rebounds with junior Amber Wirth (Hastings, Minn.) adding nine points on three 3-pointers.

Jamila Griffith finished with eight points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Hawks (0-4) with Toni Kennedy (Baltimore, Md.) and Daynese Stowe adding nine apiece.

Miami (2-2) trailed by 11 in the second half and cut it to 66-65 with 3:53 left when Tamara James hit a layup. But Oregon (3-0) went on a 9-2 spurt to make it 75-67 with 1:21 remaining as Cathrine Kraayeveld and Eleanor Haring finished with four points.

Haring and Chelsea Wagner scored 21 points apiece for the Ducks, who shot 62 percent (18-of-29) from the field in the second half and 53 percent (31-of-58) overall. Corrie Mizusawa dished 12 assists, Andrea Bills netted 11 points and Kraayeveld added 10.

James paced the Hurricanes with 22 points, Yalonda McCormick scored 18 and Tatjana Marincic added 16.