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New Britain, CT –The backcourt combination of sophomore Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights. OH/Shaker Heights) and freshman Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum) toossed in 25 points each to lead the Wagner women's basketball team to a 75-63 come-from-behind victory at Central Connecticut, a win that qualifies the Seahawks for next month's Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament.

Guided by second-year head coach Lisa Cermignano, the Green & White earns their first NEC Tournament berth since the 2009-2010 season and improve to 8-8 in the conference and 9-18 overall. The Blue Devils, who are now eliminated from the NEC Tourney, fall to 4-12 in league and 10-16 overall.

Senior forward Laura Amorosa (Kirkland, Quebec/Phillips Academy) and freshman forward Taylor Butigian (Rockaway Park, NY/Christ the King) each made important contributions, tallying seven points apiece.

The Blue Devils took a 30-29 halftime lead, largely on the strength of 14 offensive rebounds that led to 10 second-chance points. In the second half, CCSU opened a 45-35 cushion but it was erased by a 16-5 Seahawk run over a three and a half minute stretch from the 12:14 to 8:44 mark, that gave the Seahawks a 51-50 lead.

A Tejahne Malone free throw with 10:18 left gave the Blue Devils a 50-41 lead before Wagner capped the 16-5 spree with a 10-0 run. Trailing 50-45, consecutive three-pointers by Nwajei and Peck, the latter at 8:44, put Wagner on top 51-50. The Seahawks were then forced to dig out this gritty win with the nation's No. 2 shot-blocker on the bench for the final 8:30 of the game as redshirt-sophomore center Ugo Nwaigwe (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South) exited the game after two technical fouls.
 
After Peck hit two free throws, CCSU's Jessica Babe sank three consecutive foul shots to knot the game at 53-53. Wagner took the lead for good on its next possession as Nwajei broke down the Blue Devil defense with one of her patented drives through the lane before dishing to fellow freshman Butugian for a lay-in that made it 55-52 at the 6:26 mark.
 
Following a media timeout at 6:09, Butigian again came up big, sinking a pair of free throws to up the Seahawk lead to 57-53. After a Babe layup at 2:43 made it a 65-61 game, the Seahawks closed the game on a 12-2 run in fashioning the 75-63 win.
 
A choppy, whistle-laden affair, this game featured a staggering combined 54 fouls with CCSU whistled for 31 fouls while the Seahawks committed 23. Wagner could have had this game in hand much earlier if not for its cold free throw shooting. For the night, the Seahawks connected on just 25-of-44 free throws, 57 percent. The Blue Devils were not much better, connecting on 65.4% (17-of-26).
 
After shooting 9-of-28 (32 percent) in the opening half, Wagner heated up to the tune of 50 percent in the second half, knocking down 13-of-26 from the floor. The Seahawks' trademark, suffocating defense, limited CCSU to 28 percent shooting as the Blue Devils sank just 22 of 80 field goal attempts.
 
The Seahawks return home to host Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, March 1 at 1:00 pm  on Senior Day. Prior to the game, the Wagner program will honors its three seniors – Amorosa, Stephanie Blais (Sherbrooke, Quebec/Montmorency) and manager and former player, Melanie Williamson.
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