Box Score (XML)

Box Score (HTML)

Fairfield, CT – Gabrielle Washington scored a game-high 21 points to lead three players in double figures as Sacred Heart posted a 63-46 Northeast Conference (NEC) victory over Wagner this afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center, despite an 11-point, 14-rebound, four-block effort by redshirt sophomore center Ugo Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South).
 
The 6-3 Nwaigwe entered the game ranked No. 1 in the NEC, and ninth nationally, in blocked shots per game (3.06). With four blocks today, she moves into a tie for third all-time at Wagner in single-season blocks with 56, and now has 72 for her career, placing her seventh in Seahawk history. The double-double was Nwaigwe's second in the last three games as she had a 12-point, 12-rebound game at Mount St. Mary's on January 18 and the 14 rebounds are a career high.
 
With the loss, Wagner fell to 2-5 in the NEC and 3-15 overall while the Pioneers, who were picked second in the NEC Preseason Poll, improved to 5-2 in league and now sport an 8-10 mark on the season.
 
The Sacred Heart victory avenged a 79-70 January 13 loss to the Seahawks at the Spiro Center. The Pioneers entered the first matchup with a 3-0 NEC record but the Seahawks prevailed in a game that featured a career-high 28-point performance by freshman phenom Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum), the three-time and reigning NEC Rookie of the Week.
 
The Pioneers kept Nwajei, and sophomore Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights), in check as the high-scoring duo was held to 11 and eight points, respectively. Heading into today's action, Peck was second in NEC play in scoring at 24.3 points, while Nwajei was at 22.8 per game. Against the Pioneers, the Seahawks' high-scoring tandem was held to a combined 7-of-36 shooting as Nwajei was 5-of-21 from the field while Peck was 2-of-15.

In addition the the 11-point outing turned in by Nwajei and Nwaigwe, freshman guard Lyndsay Rowe (South River, NJ/St. John Vianney) hit for 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting, while adding three assists, two rebounds and one steal.
 
Wagner was cold from the field at the outset as Sacred Heart raced out to a 16-6 lead eight minutes into the game following an Enjoli Bland layup as the Seahawks connected on just one of their first 11 field goal attempts. The Seahawks down just 16-9 following a three-point jumper by freshman guard Lyndsay Rowe (South River, NJ/St. John Vianney) from the left baseline.
 
The Pioneers then went on an 8-0 tear, keyed by a pair of Washington three-pointers, the latter with 9:45 left in the half as SHU took its biggest lead at 24-9. The Seahawks then embarked on an 11-4 run to close the gap to 28-20 with 2:30 left in the half as Nwajei capped the burst with a layup. The Pioneers then outscored Wagner 5-3 the rest of the way in taking a 33-23 lead at intermission.
 
Wagner shot 8-of-29 (28%) from the field in the opening stanza while Sacred Heart was 13-of-32 (41%). Washington led all scorers with 14 points in the first half while Nwaigwe has seven points to lead the Seahawks.

Both teams started off slow in the second half, with each squad misfiring on eight of their first nine attempts following the break as SHU led 36-25 at the media timeout which came at 15:24. Wagner hung tough for the next several minutes and when freshman forward Taylor Butigian (Rockaway Park, NY/Christ the King) knocked down a 10-foot jumper with 12:52 left, two of her six points on the afternoon, as the Seahawks trailed by just a 38-29 count. This would be the last time Wagner was within single-digits, however, as a Hannah Kimmel jumper at 10:50 ignited an 11-2 burst, capped by a Washington free throw with 6:54 left that ballooned the Pioneers' lead to 48-31.
 
Sacred Heart held a commanding 50-33 edge in the rebounding department, while out-shooting Wagner 40% to 29%. The Pioneers held a slight 28-26 advantage in points in the paint while Wagner led in points off turnovers by a 14-11 margin.
 
Wagner recorded season lows in points scored (46), field goals made (16) field goal percentage (.291), and tied for a season low with two three-point field goals made. On the plus side, the 63 points allowed by Wagner vs. Sacred Heart marked the third-lowest output of the season vs. the Seahawks and were the lowest allowed NEC games this season by the Green & White.
 
The Seahawks swing right back into NEC action on Monday when Wagner makes the short trek across the Verrazano Bridge for a 7:00 pm matchup with St. Francis Brooklyn in a game that will cap a four-game road stretch. The Terriers enter Monday's matchup with an overall record of 13-5 and an NEC mark of 4-3 following this afternoon's 71-66 overtime loss at Central Connecticut.