BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY – Five players scored in double-figures to help ignite a red-hot Wagner-offense that shot 55.6 percent (30-54) from the floor as the Seahawks defeated NJIT by an 82-73 count at the Spiro Sports Center. With the win the Green & White move to 2-0 for the second-straight year while the Highlanders fall to 0-2.

Junior Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) again led the way, turning in her second career double-double with a career-high 14 rebounds and 11 points to go along with seven assists and two steals in 36 minutes. After not seeing a minute of action in the first game, classmate Naomi Augustin (Valley Steam, NY / Valley Stream Central) scored a career-high 13 points, on 5-9 shooting – including 2-3 from beyond the arc – with three assists in 19 minutes off the bench. The freshmen duo of Kelly Clark (Neptune, NJ / St. Rose) and Brittney Thorpe (Newport News, VA / Heritage) also turned in monster games in the post. Clark scored a team-best 14 points, on 6-7 shooting, while Thorpe added 14 points with five boards in just 15 minutes of action. Rounding out the double-digit scorers was senior Casey Stokes (Hummelstown, PA / Lower Dauphin), who deposited 10 points with five assists and two steals while turning the ball over just once in 25 minutes of action.

With NJIT up one to start the second, the Seahawks scored the first eight points of the half on the way to a 10-1 run, giving the Green & White a 46-38 lead with 17:46 remaining. Wagner would push the lead out to nine at 54-45 with 14:27 remaining before the Highlanders made their move. NJIT used a 15-7 run over the next 3:28 to slice the deficit to 59-58 with 11:53 remaining.

However, Wagner immediately answered with eight-straight points, all of which were scored by the freshmen trio of Thorpe (4), Clark (2) and Kanifa Hicks (Paterson, NJ / Passaic County Tech), to push the lead back out to nine at 67-58 with 8:09 remaining. The Highlanders would cut the deficit to five at 75-70 with 2:06 remaining but would not get any closer as the Seahawks avenged last year's heartbreaking loss with an 82-73 win.

Wagner dominated in the paint, out-scoring the Highlanders 38-18 and used a balanced offensive attack as all nine players scored, leading to a 34-21 advantage in bench points. NJIT shot just 37.1 percent (23-62) for the game but hit 11 three pointers and were 76.2 percent (16-21) from the charity stripe.

The first period was a back-and-forth affair that featured seven lead changes and three ties. NJIT used a late 9-0 run to take a 37-36 lead at halftime. The Highlanders shot just 38.5 percent (10-26) from the floor but were aided by 50.0 percent shooting (5-10) from beyond the arc while also knocking down 12-14 from the charity stripe. Wagner shot a blistering 55.2 percent (16-29) from the field but got to the free throw line just twice, splitting a pair.

Jessica Gerald scored a game-high 21 points to pace four double-digit scorers for NJIT.

Wagner will look to go 3-0 for the first time since 1985-86 when the Seahawks play Seton Hall in the first game of the Seton Hall Classic at Walsh Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 21 at 6 pm.

Notes: The last time the Seahawks scored 80 points in a game was in an 81-59 win at Long Island on Jan. 21, 2004, a span of 125 games … This is also the first time in Gela Miakalauskas' second stint as head coach that the Green & White have had five double-figure scorers … Augustin's previous career-high was 12 points, set on Feb. 19, 2007 at Robert Morris … It is also just the third time in her career that she has hit for double-digits … After going 0-18 when trailing at the half to start last year, the Seahawks have won three-straight when trailing at intermission … Reed is now leading the team in scoring (16.5 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg), assists (4.0 apg), steals (3.0 spg) and in shooting (60.9 percent) through two games.