BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY – Wagner cut a 19-point second half deficit to four on three occasions but was unable to get any closer in losing 61-55 to Saint Francis (PA) in Northeast Conference (NEC) action at the Spiro Sports Center. 

The Seahawks are now 6-16 and 2-10 in the NEC while the Red Flash is 9-13 and 7-4 in the NEC.

Trailing by three at intermission, Wagner used a 5-2 run to start the second and tied the game up at 30-30 with 16:49 to play. Junior Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) was then whistled for two quick fouls and was sent to the bench with 17:28 remaining. While she was on the bench, SFPA extended its lead out to 14, using 14-straight points to go up 44-30 with 11:20 to go. Reed momentarily quelled the run with a fast break layup before the Red Flash extended the lead out to 19 at 53-34 with 5:54 to go. All told, SFPA mounted a game-changing 23-4 run over 12:46.

The Seahawks then awoke from their second-half funk as sophomore Stephanie McBride (Mechanicville, NY / Catholic Central) jump started a 16-1 run spurt with a three pointer. Whitney Robinson split a pair from the line to push the lead to 17 before the Green & White ripped off 13-straight points – highlighted by two Casey Stokes (Sr., Hummelstown, PA / Lower Dauphin) three pointers – and cut the margin to four at 54-50 with 1:16 remaining. Britney Hodges responded with a pair from the line to extend the lead to six before Reed countered with a layup. Wagner would again get it to four on McBride's third three pointer of the night with just six seconds remaining before Hodges hit two more from the line to give SFPA the 61-55 victory.

For the game, Wagner shot 36.1 percent (22-61), including 26.1 percent from beyond the arc (6-23) and 33.3 percent (5-15) from the charity stripe. SFPA was not much better, hitting on 39.6 percent (21-53), including 28.6 percent (4-14) from long range, but was good on 71.4 percent (15-21) from the charity stripe.

The Green & White defense forced 24 turnovers that led to a 24-14 advantage in points off turnovers while the bench outscored SFPA's reserves 32-5.

McBride scored a career-high 19 points, on 8-18 shooting, with two steals in 28 minutes to lead the way for Wagner while Reed added 12 points with nine assists, five rebounds and three steals. Freshman Kelly Clark (Neptune, NJ / St. Rose) also had an impressive game with seven points and a team-best seven rebounds in 25 minutes

Samantha Leach led the Red Flash with 17 points and was 6-8 from the floor while Britney Hodges scored 15 with five assists and three steals. Allison Daly rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points. Quinessa Johnson pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to round out the top performers for SFPA.

SFPA led 28-25 at intermission as the first half was largely a defensive affair with the teams combining for 28 turnovers.

NOTES – Junior Naomi Augustin (Valley Stream, NY / Valley Stream) saw action for the first time since late November … She had missed the previous 16 games … The 1988-1989 NEC Champion women's basketball team was honored at halftime … Wagner held SFPA without a field goal in the final 8:15 of the first half and the last 5:54 of the second ... The Seahawks host Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday at 7:00 pm … The Knights won the last meeting 68-66 in double overtime back on January 5.