The AU women's basketball team dismantled Wagner, 71-58, Saturday behind 38 combined points from revitalized senior guard Tala Hadavi and junior guard Tara Williams.
Hadavi rebounded from a four-game shooting slump, sinking her first five shots from the field.
"It's good to see Tala hit a few shots," head coach Melissa McFerrin said. "She's been working really hard, taking a lot of extra shots at practice."
The Eagles jumped out to an early lead behind four Hadavi 3-pointers and 11 first-half points from Tara Williams.
After a 41-31 AU halftime lead, stingy defense forced Wagner into two midcourt turnovers to open the second half. AU converted both into easy buckets.
The Eagles lead by as much as 16 in the second half, but with 4:04 remaining, Wagner hit two free throws to close within eight.
On the next possession, AU inbounded the ball to freshman Pam Stanfield, who dribbled into the Seahawks' half-court trap. Wagner forward Takesha Dye came out with the ball but dribbled it off her knee on a breakaway that would have cut the AU lead to six.
AU scored the next four points in the post and from the free throw line to extend the lead back to 12.
From that point on the Eagles slowed the tempo and sealed the game at the foul line.
AU shot 54 percent from the 3-point line and for the first time all year had more assists than turnovers (15-14).
Thursday's effort was only a shadow of Saturday's, as the Eagles struggled from the 3-point line and gave up 23 turnovers en-route to a 68-56 loss to UMBC at Bender Arena.
Hadavi missed two rushed 3-pointers with 1:30 to play and Retrievers guard Brittnie Hughes went 6-6 from the free-throw line to finish off the Eagles.
"We got a little shot happy tonight, and we've not shot the ball well yet this year," McFerrin said after the loss. "We need to stay in transition, attack the basket and feed the post. Unfortunately when they're scoring on the other end, it's difficult to do that."
AU opened the game on a 10-2 run, overpowering UMBC in the post with Abby Lipskis, who scored four of her 15 points during the run.
Hughes displayed her own dominance, converting a three-point play off a steal from Hadavi to spur a 14-6 run. The half ended tied at 24.
AU turned the ball over on its first five possessions to open the second half, allowing UMBC to pull ahead, 33-25.
AU continually settled for long jump shots by Hadavi and Pam Stanfield who went a combined 2-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Ten minutes into the second half, AU closed the deficit to four, 49-45, by attacking the basket and getting to the foul line on four strait possessions.
With 6:45 to play AU climbed within one point, 51-50, after Hadavi swiped a steal from Hughes and found Tara Williams in transition for the uncontested lay in.
Retrievers guard Matea Pender hit a 3-pointer, and Hughes found a cutter for an uncontested lay in on subsequent possessions to give the UMBC a six-point cushion with 6:02 to play.
"I thought that was a winnable game for us," McFerrin said. "I was disappointed in the second half because I didn't think we mustered enough of an appropriate amount energy and passion.
"From a defensive standpoint we had a chance to win but we couldn't sustain it," she added.
