Postgame interview with freshman Kerstie Phills
Staten Island, NY – Four-time Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Week
Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, NC / Charlotte Christian) scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures as the Wagner women's basketball team earned its first league win of the season, defeating St. Francis Brooklyn 58-45 in wire-to-wire fashion tonight at the Spiro Sports Center.
In addition to her 19-point offensive output, the 5-9 Phills pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. The North Carolinian has now scored in double figures in 11 straight games and 13 of her last 14 overall.
Junior guard
Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ / Vineland) and freshman guard
Kellie Crouch (North Brunswick, NJ / St. John Vianney) supplied 11 points apiece while another freshman guard,
Corinn Baggs (Staten Island, NY / Staten Island Academy), added 10 for the victors. In addition to her 11 points, Russell dished out a career-high five assists in the win.
With the victory, the Seahawks snap an 18-game losing streak, and are now 2-19 on the season, 1-9 in the NEC, while the Terriers fall to 6-15 overall and 4-6 in league.
Wagner jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead en route to building an 18-10 lead after the first quarter. The Seahawks then held the Terriers to 2-of-14 shooting (14.3 percent) in the second quarter while outscoring SFNY 14-4, in surging to a 31-14 halftime lead.
The Green & White shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) in the opening half while holding the Terriers to 22.2% shooting (6-of-27).
The Seahawks biggest lead of the game, and season, was 19, on two occasions in the third quarter. Wagner's previous biggest lead this season was 17 in the 62-60 win over CSI back on November 15. The Green & White's largest lead coming into tonight's game in NEC play was 10 vs. Sacred Heart on January 9.
Alex Delaney was the lone Terrier in double figures with 12 points.
For the game, Wagner outshot St. Francis 41.7%-26.0%, and led in points in the paint (18-12) and points off turnovers (13-11) while the Terriers held a slight 35-34 edge in the rebounding department.
Wagner was 8-of-16 (50 percent) from three-point range, which is the Seahawks' second-highest percentage of the season. Defensively, the 45 points allowed, 13 made field goals and 26 percent shooting for SFBK were opponent season lows.
The Green & White are next in action on Saturday, February 4 when they travel to Hackensack, NJ to meet the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights. Tip-off at Stratis Arena is set for 4:00 p.m.
Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics
Women's Basketball:
Head Coach
Heather Jacobs:
Wagner Gameday:
Play-by-play announcer
Pete Mundo
