Pictured Above: Junior forward Taylor Butigian (photo by Dave Saffran)

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Dover, DE – Mikah Aldridge scored 17 points to lead four Delaware State (DSU) double-digit scorers as the Lady Hornets earned a 66-44 victory over cold-shooting Wagner in women's basketball action this afternoon.
 
After leading 18-14 at the end of the first quarter, DSU opened the second quarter on a 8-0 run in opening a 26-14 lead. The Lady Hornets went on to outscore the Seahawks 25-9 in the stanza en route to opening a 43-23 halftime lead.

Junior guard Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum) scored 10 of her 12 points in the opening half. For the afternoon, Nwajei added eight rebounds and a team-high six assists but was just 4-of-20 shooting on the day as Wagner shot a season-low 28.6% from the floor (18-of-63).
 
Junior forward Taylor Butigian (Rockaway Park, NY/Christ the King) came off the bench with nine first-half points on three long-range jumpers, and added another in the second half to match Nwajei for team-high scoring honors with 12. The four made three-pointers by Butigian are a career high.
 
Sophomore forward Sofia Roma (Richmond Hill, NY/Nazareth Regional), fresh off an 11-point, 18-rebound effort in Wednesday's 69-48 win over Lafayette, followed that performance with an eight-point, 15-rebond affair today. After being held scoreless in the opening half, while grabbing four rebounds, the 6-2 Roma tallied all eight of her points in the second half while pulling down 11 rebounds.
 
After opening a game-high 23-point lead at 54-31 following a pair of Bobbi Floyd free throws with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter, the Seahawks put together a 13-5 run to make it a 15-point game at 59-44 following a layup by sophomore guard Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) with 4:42 to play. But this is as a close as Wagner would get as DSU scored the final seven points of the game in fashioning the final score at 66-44.
 
The Seahawks won the rebounding battle, 48-42, while DSU, which shot 39.7% for the game, held the upper hand in points in the paint (32-20), points off turnovers (23-6) and second-chance points (10-4).
 
In addition to Aldridge's 17 points, DSU's other double-digit scorers were NaJal Pollard, who had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, along with Amber Bogard and Floyd, who added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
 
The Seahawks remain shorthanded as  they were again without the services of three injured players in senior guard Jordyn Peck (Shaker Heights, OH/Shaker Heights), the team's second-leading scorer (8.8), fifth-year senior guard Alexis Smith (Medford, NY/St. John the Baptist/Illinois), the third-leading scorer at 7.2 pgg, along with reserve freshman guard Julia McClure (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus).
 
With the victory, the Lady Hornets improved to 2-7 on the year while the Seahawks fall to 2-6.
 
Today's game marked just the second time that the Seahawks have met a MEAC opponent. Entering the game 0-1 vs. the conference, with a loss to UMES, Wagner is now 0-2 vs. the MEAC.
 
The Seahawks are next in action on Friday, December 18 when they return to the Spiro Center, where they've won their last two games, to host the Stony Brook University Seawolves in a 7:00 p.m. tip.
 
Follow Wagner Athletics on Facebook (facebook.com/WagnerAthletics), Twitter (@wagnerathletics), Instagram (@wagnerathletics) and YouTube (@WagnerSeahawks) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department. Follow the women's basketball team on Twitter @WagSwagg_WBB for news and updates on the women's basketball program and @CERMIGNANO for news on the fourth-year coach.