Above: One of the top talents in the NEC, freshman point guard Jasmine Nwajei is second on the team at 12.7 points per game while dishing out a team-high 3.6 assists per game. (Photo by Dave Saffran)

Game 15: Sacred Heart (6-8, 0-3 NEC) at Wagner (2-12, 1-2 NEC)
Monday,  Jan. 13- 7:00 pm
Spiro Sports Center– Staten Island, NY

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Staten Island, NY – The Wagner women's basketball team is looking to even its Northeast Conference (NEC) to 2-2 in a 7:00 pm tip-off tonight at the Spiro Sports Center vs. the talented Pioneers of Sacred Heart, who were picked third in the NEC Preseason Poll and and enter tonight's contest tied for first place in the league with a perfect 3-0 mark.
 
After posting an impressive 71-65 comeback victory over LIU Brooklyn in its NEC opener on January 4, the Seahawks have come out on the short end of an 80-63 home decision vs. Bryant on January 6, followed by a hard-fought 80-71 loss to Central Connecticut on January 11.
 
The Seahawks enter tonight's fray with a 2-12 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the NEC while Sacred Heart is 6-8 overall on the season.
 
Sophomore guard Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights) poured in a career-high 30 points vs. CCSU, which came on the heels of a previous career-high 29-point outing vs. Bryant on January 6, but the Blue Devils were able to hold off Wagner in posting an 80-71 Northeast Conference (NEC) win at the Spiro Sports Center.
 
Freshman point guard Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum) added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists while redshirt sophomore center Ugo Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South) added 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field. Central Connecticut was paced by versatile guard Jessica Babe who had 19 points, seven rebounds and six boards, while Kaley Watras and Lauren Arbogast added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Peck's 30-point outburst marked the first time a Seahawk has hit for 30 or more points in a game since Kelly Clark tossed in 30 vs. NJIT on December 7, 2010. It also marked the eighth time this season, and 11th time in her career, that Peck has hit for 20 or more points in a game.  The sophomore had three outings of 20 or more points last season en route to earning NEC All-Rookie Team honors while averaging 10.1 points per game for the Seahawks.

The 5-6 lefthander has now hit for 20 or more points in three consecutive games for the first time in her career. She tallied 20 points in helping lead Wagner past LIU Brooklyn 71-65 in the NEC opener on January 4 before totaling a then career-high 29 vs. Bryant on January 6, which was followed by Saturday's 30-point outing vs. CCSU.
 
Peck is now the third-leading scorer in the NEC at 18.6 points per game while Nwajei is up to 12.7 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per outing. Freshman guard Lyndsay Rowe (South River, NJ/St. John Vianney) has been consistent all season. The 5-8 lefty is third on the team in scoring at 7.9 per game, is shooting 70 percent from the line, 33 percent from three-point range, averages a team-high 35 minutes per game and is the lone Seahawk to have started all 14 games.
 
The 6-3 Nwaigwe, who entered the Jan. 11 CCSU game ranked No. 15 nationally and No. 1 in the NEC with 3.15 blocks per game, has averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in Wagner's last three games and has hit 12-of-13 shots from the floor in these three contests, a blistering 92.3 percent average. For the season, she is averaging 6.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Sacred Heart is led in scoring by dynamic 5-9 junior forward Gabrielle Washington, who is fourth in the NEC, right behind Peck, at 18.3 points per game. Erika Norman, a 5-7 senior guard, checks in at 11.0 points per game followed by 5-6 junior guard Katie Shephard who is scoring at an 8.4 points per game clip. Freshman point guard Adaysha Williams is at 7.6 per game while dishing out a team-best 3.1 assists per game.
 
Tonight marks the 28th all-time meeting between the schools and Sacred Heart holds a 19-8 lead. Last season, the Pioneers won the lone meeting,, earning a 76-46 win on February 4, 2013 SHU has won the last two meetings against Wagner with the last Seahawk win coming by a 66-65 count on January 22, 2011 at the Spiro Center.
 
NOTES

Peck in Last Two Games In her last two games, a 29-point outing vs. Bryant (Jan. 6), followed by a 30-point effort vs. Centrall Connecticut, Jordyn Peck has hit 21-of-47(.447) from the floor, 7-of-20 (.350) from three-point range, averaging 4.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds while playing 79 out of a possible 80 minutes.   Date       Opponent             Min         FG-FGA   3FG-3FGA     FT-FTA    Reb       A          T          Points 1/6          Bryant                  40           10-22       2-9                  7-7          5          6          1            29 1/11       Central Conn.        38           11-25       5-11                 3-3          5          2          0            30                                            39.0        21-47       7-20                10-10     5.0        4.0      0.5           29.5   Peck's Eight 20-Point Plus Games Nov. 10                 at Monmouth                   21 Nov. 20                 at Iona                             24 Nov. 26                 Vermont                          27 Dec. 12                at Rutgers                       24 Dec. 21                vs. Eastern Michigan       20 Jan. 4                   LIU Brooklyn                    20 Jan. 6                   Bryant                             29 Jan. 11                 Central Connecticut         30   Peck In Three NEC Games While playing 118 out of a possible 120 minutes In Wagner's three NEC games – vs. LIU Brooklyn (1/4), Bryant (1/6) and CCSU (1/11), Jordyn Peck is averaging 26.3 points on 41.9 percent shooting (26-of-62), 39.3 (11-of-28) percent from beyond the arc, and 4.7 rebounds while dishing out 8 assists and committing just 3 turnovers. Peck Now Third in NEC Scoring Following her career-high 30-point performance vs. CCSU, Jordyn Peck has moved into third place on the NEC scoring list at 18.6 points per game. NEC Scoring Leaders (Through Games of Jan. 11, 2014)       Rank Name                           School                  Average   Total Points         1.      Ali Williams                   Saint Francis U      22.6           317 (14 games)         2.      Cleandra Roberts         LIU Brooklyn          18.8           263 (14 games)         3.      Jordyn Peck              Wagner                18.6           261 (14 games)         4.      Gabrielle Washington   Sacred Heart        18.3           256 (14 games)         5.      Sydney Henderson      Mount St. Mary's   18.2           273 (15 games) Peck Has Made 20 Straight Free Throws Jordyn Peck will enter Monday night's game vs. Sacred Heart having converted 20 consecutive free throws. Her last miss came back on Dec. 21 vs. Eastern Michigan in the opening game of the Seawolves Holiday Classic at Stony Brook University. After making her first four free throws of that game, she missed the second of a two-shot foul with 2:21 left in the first half. After making her last four free throws of the EMU game to finish 7-of-8 from the line that afternoon, she did not attempt any free throws in Wagner's next two games – at Stony Brook (12/22) and at NJIT (12/30). Since NEC play began on Jan. 4 vs. LIU Brooklyn, Peck has gone a perfect 16-of-16 from the foul line. Her 29 straight made free throws has upped her season average to 83.6 percent.   Excluding 11-of-17 Night vs. Vermont, Peck 50-of-56 From FT Line on Season By her lofty standards, Jordyn Peck has had one sub-par shooting night from the free throw line this season, an 11-of-17 (.647) effort vs. Vermont (11/26) in a then career-high 27-point outing. Excluding this contest, Peck has converted 50-of-56 free throws on the year, an 89.3 percent clip, and enters Monday night's tilt vs. Sacred Heart having made 20 straight from the charity stripe, including a perfect 16-of-16 in Wagner's three NEC games.   Nwaigwe Finding Consistency Redshirt sophomore center Ugo Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South) is starting to together consistent performances while providing Wagner with a true post presence on both ends of the floor. The 6-3 Nwaigwe, who entered the Jan. 11 CCSU game ranked No. 15 nationally and No. 1 in the NEC with 3.15 blocks per game, has averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in Wagner's last three games and has hit 12-of-13 shots from the floor in these three contests, a blistering 92.3 percent average. For the season, she is averaging 6.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.   Nwaigwe's Last Three Games Date       Opponent             Min        FG-FGA   Reb      BL         Points 1/4          LIU Brooklyn         21          3-4            7           4             7 1/6          Bryant                  27          4-4            6           6             9 1/11       Central Conn.        16          5-5            4           1            10                                            21.3     12-13         5.7        3.6         9.3