Box Score HIGHLIGHTS /

NEC COMMISSIONER NOREEN MORRIS HALFTIME INTERVIEW - Conducted by Seahawk play-by-play man Mike Ventola

Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College women's basketball team took an early five-point lead but the Hawks went on a 14-7 burst over the final 3:45 of the opening stanza to take a 44-35 halftime lead and then staved off a second-half Seahawk rally en route to a 81-64 Northeast Conference (NEC)  win.
 
Wagner opened the second half on an 18-7 run to draw within two points at 53-51 with 10:53 remaining in the game on the strength of a 9-0 run capped by a layup by senior guard Veronick Fournier (Gatineau, Quebec/ Montmorency). The  Hawks, however, responded with an 8-0 run and the the Seahawks would get no closer than six the rest of the way.
 
With the win, the Monmouth improves to 4-9 (1-1 NEC), while the Seahawks fall to 1-12 (0-2 NEC).
 
Chevannah Paalvast tossed in 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Monmouth while Abigail Martin recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Shira Shecht contributed 12 points, Betsy Gadziala pulled down 13 rebounds while Gabby Singer Carly Thibault added 10 and nine points, respectively.
 
Senior forward Marie-Laurence Archambault(Montreal, Canada/ Montmorency) paced a balanced  Seahawk offensive effort with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting as she steadily climbs toward the 1,000-point mark for her career. The 6-0 Archambault, who added four assists, three rebounds and one steal on the night, has now scored 923 points in her Seahawk career, moving her to within 77 points of becoming the 23^rd player in Wagner women's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
 
All eight available Wagner players scored, six of whom tallied seven or more points. The widest statistical margin in the game was the 59-27 advantage the Hawks held in the rebounding department, including a 27-8 edge on the offensive glass.
 
Laura Amorosa (Kirkland, Quebec/ Phillips Academy) continued her consistent level of play by matching her career high with 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, to go along with three steals and two assists. Over her last four games, the 5-11 junior forward is averaging 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. Amorosa had a seven-point, seven-rebound outing vs. UMBC (12/28). The following day vs. Fairfield (12/29), she turned in a nine-point, five-rebound outing in en route to being named to All-Tournament team at the St. Joseph's Hawks Classic in Philadelphia.
 
Freshman guard Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights, OH/ Shaker Heights) continued to prove that she is one of the NEC's top rookie talents as she followed up a career-high 19-point game vs. Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday with a nine-point, three-rebound, two-assist effort tonight. Fournier was active with eight points, eight rebounds and three steals while sophomore forward Stephanie Blais (Sherbrooke, Quebec/ Montmorency) and sophomore guard Jacqui Thompson (Southampton, PA/ St. Basil Academy) added seven points apiece.
 
Also finding the scoring column for the Seahawks was redshirt freshman Ebony Jennings (Monroe Township, NJ/ Monroe), a 5-11 power forward who notched a career high four points and pulled down five rebounds in a spirited 18-minute stint. On the heels of her career-high seven-rebound game on Saturday vs. FDU (1/5), Jennings is averaging six rebounds per game in her last two outings. Freshman Tessa Wade (Penn Valley, PA/ Lower Merion) also made her presence felt with three points, a career-high three rebounds and one assist.
 
The first half was a see-saw affair that featured saw seven lead changes. Wagner took a 24-20 lead on an Amorosa three-pointer at the 7:24 before Monmouth countered with consecutive three-pointers by Singer and Shecht gave the Hawks a 26-24 lead, a lead they would maintain the rest of the way.
 
For the game, the Monmouth outshot Wagner, 43.9 percent (29-66) to 37.9 percent (22-58) from the field. Monmouth held the edge in second-chance points, 18-4.
 
The Seahawks continue NEC play on Saturday when Wagner hosts St. Francis Brooklyn in a 1:00 pm tip in the first game of a doubleheader as the Wagner men host the Terriers at 4:00 pm.
 
NOTES – Saturday is Hall of Fame Day on Grymes Hill as all members of the Wagner College Hall of Fame are invited back to campus to take in the two games, followed by a reception that will be held in the Hall of Fame Room overlooking the court. For further information on Hall of Fame Day, contact John Beisser in the Sports Information Office at 718-390-3227.