Game 6: Iona (2-4) at Wagner (1-4)
Saturday, December, 1 - 4:00 pm
Spiro Sports Center - Staten Island, NY

Game Notes
Live Video (FREE)
Live Stats

There's No Place Like Home
The Seahawks return home to play their first game at Spiro Sports Center in 22 days when Iona comes to Grymes Hill for a Saturday matinee. It's only the second home contest of the year for Wagner after four straight on the road (two at neutral sites). The six-day break between games comes after a stretch of three games in the previous six days.

Sophomore Stephanie Blais is in the midst of a breakout second season on Grymes Hill, averaging 12.4 ppg through the Seahawks' first five games. Blais is also third in the NEC in blocks at 1.8 per game. Senior Veronick Fournier leads Wagner on the glass with 5.8 rpg. Sophomore Jacqui Thompson is third in the NEC with 5.0 apg.

Scouting The Gaels
Saturday is the sixth consecutive game away from New Rochelle for the Iona women's basketball team. After opening the season with a home win over Navy (Nov. 9), the Gaels made it back-to-back with a victory at Long Beach State (Nov. 11). Iona then flew back east, dropping decisions at North Carolina A&T (Nov. 14), No. 3 Duke (Nov. 18), No. 20/18 St. John's (Nov. 21), and Providence (Nov. 28). The Gaels enter play Saturday with a record of 2-4.

Stellar sophomore Damika Martinez has led the way for the Gaels so far this season. Martinez is averaging 16.8 ppg, which is best in the MAAC. She is also in the top-10 in the conference on the boards at 6.3 rpg. Freshman Joy Adams leads the team with 8.5 rpg, which is good for fourth in the MAAC. Sophomore Aleesha Powell leads the Gaels in assists at 3.2 per game.

All-Time vs. Iona
The Seahawks and Gaels will square off for the 15th time on Saturday in what is the schools' fi rst meeting since Dec. 17, 2006. On that day, Wagner fell on the road, 74-67.

On The Air
Saturday's game will be streamed on necfrontrow.com, with Tim LeCras on the call. There is no charge to watch the broadcast.

Coast Guard Day
The Wagner women's basketball team will grace the Spiro Sports Center Court for just the second time this season when the Seahawks hosts Iona in a 4:00 pm tilt on Coast Guard Day.
 
When the Seahawks take the court today, Seahawk head coach Lisa Cermignano will be sure to remind her club of the many special and important people in attendance. At today's Wagner-Iona game Coast Guard Families living on Staten Island will be guests of the Seahawk women's basketball family
 
After being hired in April, Wagner head coach Lisa Cermignano's first few months as a Staten Islander were quite hectic and fast-paced. Having fulfilled a career goal of becoming a Division I head women's basketball coach, Cermignano quickly hired a staff, began leading and developing the current players while, at the same time, scoured the nation in search of future Seahawks
 
Part of her initial thrust as Wagner's head coach was to connect with alumni, former student-athletes in particular. Through these and other conversations with Wagner administrators and coaches, she began to learn of the long history of the U.S. Coast Guard on the Island and of the many families that have been, and continue to be, stationed at Fort Wadsworth.
 
With the first game of her head coaching career slated to come against the U.S. Military Academy back on Nov. 9, Cermignano developed the idea to make the season opener “Coast Guard Night.”
 
As the days wore on, more details began to come into focus. Fort Wadsworth's Coast Guard Color Guard accepted an invitation to perform the colors prior to tip-off. Many Coast Guard families live at Fort Wadsworth during their deployment, many of whom have children.
 
“With so many families and children of parents who serve our country in the Coast Guard who are out doing things for us, to make our lives better, it just made sense to me,” Cermignano said. “We wanted to bring them in and make them a part of our women's basketball family and recognize them.”
 
One  of the former Wagner athletes who Cermignano grew to know, and who has served as a liaison between Wagner basketball and P.S. 53 is  Sharon Greely Coughlin, a teacher and former Seahawk softball standout.
 
As momentum began to build towards opening night vs. Army, all Coast Guard members on the Island were invited, along with their children, to attend, the game free of charge.
 
Then, on October 29, Hurricane Sandy hit. For many across the Northeast, including those living near the shores of Staten Island, it was the storm of the century.  
 
At the season opener vs. Army, the Fort Wadsworth Color Guard was not in attendance. In fact, none of the Coast Guard Families were able to make it, too busy assisting the many people on Staten Island directly impacted by the devastating storm.