BOX SCORE
Fairfield, CT - Despite a career-high 20 points for junior Sha'Ron Harrison (Paterson, NJ / John F. Kennedy) the Wagner Seahawks fell to Sacred Heart by a 69-54 count in Northeast Conference (NEC) action at the Pitt Center.
The Pioneers extended their winning streak against NEC opponents to 24 games while improving to 10-4 and 3-0 in the NEC as the Seahawks fall to 4-10 and 1-2 in the NEC.
Harrison was 9-of-18 from the floor and scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, including eight-straight at one point, while collecting her fourth double-double and second in a row with a game-high 12 caroms. Wagner shot 37.9 percent (22-54) from the floor, but was unable to overcome an icy 28.6 percent shooting performance in the first half.
Sacred Heart shot 40.3 percent (25-62) from the floor, but was 50.0 percent (15-30) in the opening stanza in racing out to a 36-20 halftime lead.
The Pioneers opened the second half with a 17-6 run over the first 6:32 in taking their largest lead of the game at 53-26 with 13:28 to play. The Seahawks cut the lead to 11 at 59-48 with 5:52 to go thanks to a 16-2 run over 3:59. Harrison (10 points) and junior
Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY / Notre Dame Academy) (6 points) combined to notch all 16 points during the Wagner spurt. The Green & White could get no closer though as Sacred Heart answered with five-straight points en route to a 69-54 victory.
Callan Taylor paced the Pioneers with 18 points and 11 rebounds while Kiley Evans (14 points) and Lindsey Gibson (10 points) each notched double-figures.
The Seahawks dominated the glass by a 43-34 count, including 19-16 on the offensive end, to claim the battle of the boards for the seventh time this year after doing so just four times a year ago.
Wagner opened up the game strong, hitting three of their first four shots, and were up 8-4 with 16:57 to go in the first following a jumper from Harrison. Sacred Heart then showed the Green & White why they are the defending NEC Champions, busting off a game-changing 20-2 run over the next 10:42, including 15-straight points while taking a 24-10 lead with 6:16 to go. During the run, the Seahawk shooters went ice cold, connecting on just 1-of-14 before Harrison ended the drought with a lay-up at the 5:05 mark. The Pioneers would push their lead out to 36-20 at intermission.
Sacred Heart went 10-of-13 from the floor to close out the half, while forcing 16 turnovers that led to a 15-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Wagner returns to action at Quinnipiac on Saturday, January 9 at TD Banknorth Sports Center. Tip time is slated for 12:00 pm.
