FINAL STATS

Newark, NJ – In a close, competitive game of runs that featured six lead changes and four ties, the Wagner College women's basketball team delivered a gallant effort before coming up on the short end of 68-65 decision at the Fleisher Center.
 
With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 1-2 on the season while the Highlanders improve to 2-1. 
 
The Seahawks received double-doubles from senior center Kelly Clark (Belmar, NJ/ St. Rose) and redshirt junior power forward Chanez Robinson (Newark, NJ/ Shabazz).Clark, who recorded her second consecutive double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds vs. Columbia on Nov. 16), scored a game-high 21 rebounds while pulling down 10 rebounds and adding ateam-high four blocked shots. Robinson, who played two seasons at Northeastern before sitting out last season as per NCAA transfer rules, notched career highs in points (14) and rebounds (10) in her third game as a Seahawk.
 
Junior forward Marie-Laurence Archambault (Montreal, Quebec/ Montmorency) had her most productive outing of the young season, knocking down 4-of-7 three-pointers en route to a 14-point outing. Hustling, play-making freshman guard Jacqui Thompson (Southampton, PA/ St. Basil Academy), dished out a career-high nine assists while adding two points and three rebounds.

NJIT sophomore forward Uju Nwankwo le the way for the Highlanders with a double-double of her own, 14 points and 13 rebounds, to go with five blocked shots and two steals. Rayven Johnson and Kimberly Dweck addedd 14 and 13 points, respectively for the victors.

In a mostly defensive-minded affair, the Highlanders held a slim 40 percent to 37.5 percent edge from the field. NJIT took just seven three-point shots and made five of them while the Seahawks were 6-of-21 from beyond the arc. Largely due to the hard work delivered by Clark and Robinson in the low post, Wagner held a 40-33 advantage in the rebounding department.

Wagner held a 36-35 halftime lead with Clark leading the way with 12.After falling behind 23-19 at the 9:04 markof the opening half, the Seahawks then embarked on an explosive 11-0 run over the next 2:06. Archambault helped fuel the run with a pair of three pointers, the latter the 6:59 mark of a steal by Robinson that gave the Seahawks their biggest lead of the game at 30-23. The Highlanders rebounded with a 12-6 run to close the half, capped by a jumper by Alyssa Albanese that just beat the first-half buzzer and gave NJIT the momentum heading into halftime.

Neither team led by more than four points through the first 7:08 of the second half, as Wagner held a 46-42 lead  on a three-pointer by freshman guard Shawn-Marie Heiliger (Charlotte, NC/ Charlotte Catholic) with 12:52 left. NJIT then surged into the lead to stay with an 11-0 run over the following 3:30, led by five points from Nicole Maticka, who was joined by Uju Nwankwo with traditional three-point buckets in the rally. Johnson made a free throw to cap the spurt at 9:22 to give the Highlanders a 53-46 lead. NJIT took a pair of eight-point leads after that and Dweck bucket put the Highlanders on top by a game-high nine at 60-51.

Wagner is next in action on Tuesday, November 22 at 6:00 pm when the Seahawks travel to Queens, Ny to face BIG EAST member St. John's of the BIG EAST. The Wagner-St. John's game can be seen live via broadband on ESPN3. 

NOTES - Clark and Robinson's double-double marked the first time a Seahawk tandem had double-doubles in the same game since Feb. 7, 2011 vs. FDU when Clark (19 points, 12 rebounds ) and Megan Mahoney (21 points, 11 rebounds) accomplished this feat. Thompson's nine assists are the most by a Seahawk since Feb. 7, 2009 when Andrea Reed handed out nine vs. Saint Francis (PA).