Above: Senior co-captain Laura Amorosa (Kirkland, Quebec/Phillips Academy-MA) in action at Rutgers (Dec. 12).
Photo by Dave Saffran

Game 11: Wagner (1-9) at NJIT (3-12)
Monday, December 30, 7:00 pm
Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center

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Game Notes

Newark, NJ –The Wagner women's basketball team will play its final non-conference contest of the 2013-2014 season when the Seahawks meet the NJIT Highlanders on Monday, Dec. 30 in a 7:00 pm tip-off at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The meeting with NJIT will be Wagner's first game in eight days as the 1-9 Seahawks are coming off a 70-51 loss at Stony Brook on Dec. 22 in the final game of the two-day Seawolves Holiday Classic hosted by Stony Brook. The Seahawks lost to Eastern Michigan 69-56 in the first round of the Holiday Classic on Dec. 21.

NJIT, which brings a 3-12 mark into Monday's action, is coming off a tough 77-72 home loss to Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday.  It was the second straight loss and sixth in seven games for the Highlanders.

In 2013-2014, NJIT is competing as an independent after being a member of the now defunct Great West Conference from 2008-2013. To date, Wagner and NJIT have played three common opponents with each school coming away with losses to Stony Brook, Seton Hall and VCU. On Nov. 23, Wagner dropped an 86-61 decision at Seton Hall, lost a home game to VCU on Dec. 1, in addition to the 70-51 loss at Stony Brook on Dec. 22.

The Highlanders, meanwhile, lost to Stony Brook by a 50-44 count on Nov. 8, and were outscored at Seton Hall 74-48 on Dec. 21, in addition to the 77-72 home loss to VCU on Dec. 28. Against these three common opponents, Wagner's average margin of defeat was 23 (81-58), while NJIT's average margin of defeat vs. these three foes was 12 (67-55).

In addition to these three common opponents, NJIT has faced a future Seahawk opponent in FDU, as the Highlanders earned an 84-71 home win over the Knights on Dec. 21. Wagner will face FDU, a Northeast Conference (NEC) rival on two occasions, traveling to Hackensack, NJ on Feb. 8 for a 1:00 pm tilt, before hosting the Knights in a Feb. 17 contest that will tip at 7:00 pm.

Wagner has faced the 38th-toughest schedule in the nation with an 11-person roster consisting of one senior, one junior, two true sophomores, one redshirt-sophomore, one redshirt-freshman and five true freshmen. The Seahawks have faced No. 6 Kentucky of the SEC, Rutgers from the American Athletic Conference, Seton Hall from the Big East, VCU from the Atlantic 10, Eastern Michigan from the Mid-American Conference and ACC member Pittsburgh.

The Green & White are led by its dynamic backcourt duo of high-scoring sophomore Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights) and playmaking freshman Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum). In last weekend's Seawolves Classic, Peck tossed in 20 points vs. Eastern Michigan (12/21) followed by a 10-point output vs. Stony Brook (12/22). The crafty, 5-6 lefthander has enters the NJIT game averaging a team-high 17.7 points per game, which ranks No. 4 in the NEC. Her 26 three-point field goals rank third in the NEC and 28th in the nation. Peck has scored 20 or more points in five of Wagner's 10 games this season and has hit for double figures in eight. She also shoots 79 percent from the free throw line (45-67), which is eighth in the NEC.

The 5-8 Nwajei averages 12.2 points per game and is handing out a team-high 3.2 assists per outing (8th in the NEC). Nwajei is also T-6th in the NEC at 1.7 steals per game.In last weekend's Seawolves Classic, Nwajei averaged 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. She recorded her first double-double vs. Eastern Michigan with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Prior to her hustling 11-rebound effort vs. the Eagles, Nwajei's previous high came in the Seahawks' 70-57 win at Monmouth (11/14) when she corralled six boards. Nwajei then tallied a team-high 11 points the following afternoon vs. Stony Brook, while adding three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block.

The Seahawks' top rebounder is 6-3 redshirt sophomore center Ugo Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/ Valley Stream South) who averages 6.9 boards per game (T-7th in the NEC). Naigwe also leads the Seahawks with 29 blocked shots, a 2.9 average which is No. 1 in the NEC and 17th in the nation.

Wagner has received significant contributions of late from 5-7 redshirt freshman guard Jazmine Hamlet (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis) who has been inserted into the starting lineup the last two games after coming off the bench in seven games to start the season. Against Stony Brook last time out, Hamlet registered career highs with 10 points,  six assists and four steals, while logging a career-high 31 minutes of playing time. Against the Seawolves, the hard-nosed Queens, NY native also set career marks in field goals made (4) and attempted (8). Included in those four made field goals were the first two three-pointers of her career, as she was 2-of-2 from beyond the mark.

For NJIT, graduate student Shakia Robinson is the Highlanders lone player averaging double-figures with 11.0 ppg.  The 6-1 forward is coming off her most productive game as a Highlander, notching a season-high in both points (25) and rebounds (15) against VCU. Robinson has hit for double-figure eight times this season with a pair of 20-point performances.  She is shooting a robust 63 percent from the floor (72-112) and ranks second on the team in rebounds at 5.5 rpg.

Senior forward Uju Nwankwo is the Highlanders' top rebounder at averaging 9.1 rpg and is the team's second-leading scorer at 9.3 ppg.  The 6-0 Nwankwo is also the team leader with 24 blocks. She has scored in double-figures seven times with a season-high 17 points in the Highlanders 'win over Fairleigh Dickinson and has notched four double-doubles on the season. Junior point guard Alyssa Albanese  tops the team in assists (63) and steals (22). The 5-3 Albanese also checks in at 6.9 ppg. while 5-11 junior guard Martina Matejcikova is third on the team in scoring at 7.6 ppg.

Northeast Conference play begins for Wagner on Saturday, Jan. 4 when the Seahawks host LIU Brooklyn in a 3:00 pm contest at the Spiro Sports Center. The Seahawk-Blackbird matchup will be the second game of a doubleheader as the Wagner men's team plays host to North Carolina Central at 1:00 pm.