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Loretto, PA – Junior guard Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum) poured in 42 points, which was the second-highest output of her career the third-highest scoring game in school history, but Saint Francis U was able to break open a close game down the stretch in posting a 93-78 win in the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams this afternoon at DeGol Arena.
 
This was a nip-and-tuck affair most of the way as Wagner (2-10, 0-1 NEC) trailed by just two points at the half, 47-45, and after three quarters of play, at 65-63, before the Red Flash (3-9, 1-0 NEC) outscored the Seahawks 28-15 in the fourth quarter in posting the 15-point win. For the game, there were eight ties and nine lead changes.
 
Leading by that 65-63 count entering the final quarter, SFU opened the fourth with a 9-0 run, fueled by five of a team-high 35 points from Jessica Kovatch, in taking a 72-63 lead, as the freshman guard capped the run  with a three-pointer at the 8:05 mark. Junior guard Lyndsay Rowe (South River, NJ/St. John Vianney) countered with an old-fashioned three-point with 7:44 left to make it a two-possession game at 72-66.
 
The 5-9 Kovatch then broke loose again, scoring all eight Red Flash points during an 8-0 run, as SFU pushed the lead to 14 at 80-66 with 4:50 left en route to the win. In posting her fourth 30-point plus game of the season, Kovatch was 13-of-23 from the field and is now averaging an NEC-leading 23.6 ppg.
 
Katie Reese and Maya Wynn added 16 and 12 points, respectively, for the Red Flash who out-shot Wagner 40.7 percent to 36.5 percent.
 
Nwajei, who totaled a school-record 45 points vs. Stony Brook (12/18) which bettered the Seahawk all-time single-game scoring mark of 43 set by Stephanie Samuels vs. Fairleigh Dickinson in 1985, is second in the conference scoring race at 23.2 ppg.
 
The lightning-quick Nwajei shot 15-of-38 from the floor, including a 5-of-15 effort from three-point range.  One of the "NCAA.com Starting Five"" Players of the Week and a two-time NEC Player of the Week this season, added three rebounds and three steals. Today's outburst marked the fourth time this season, and 14^th time in her career, the she has hit for 30 or more points in a game.
 
The 78 points recorded by Wagner is a season high as the Seahawks placed three players in double figures. In addition to Nwajei's 42, sophomore guard Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) tallied a career-high 15 points with 13 of those coming in the first half. Rowe also provided a spark offensively, tossing in a season-high 13 on 5-of-9 shooting, to go with four assists and four rebounds.
 
Sophomore forward Sofia Roma (Richmond Hill, NY/Nazareth Regional) was a huge force on the boards this afternoon, corralling 16 rebounds in addition to totaling eight points. For the 6-2 Roma, the 16-rebound affair is two shy of her career-high 18 caroms, which she grabbed in last season's NEC opener vs. SFU (1/3/15) and equaled in the 69-48 victory over Lafayette back on December 9.
 
In addition to the five boards grabbed by Nwajei and Rowe, senior guard Jazmine Hamlet (New York, NY/Francis Lewis) matched her season high by tracking down seven rebounds as Wagner held a 51-47 edge on the glass.
 
The Seahawks also led in points in the paint (38-32) and fast-break points (10-8), while the Red Flash held the upper hand in points off turnovers (27-12), second-chance points (19-15) and bench scoring (22-15).
 
Despite having just four players hit the scoring column, the 78 points scored by Wagner are a season high. The Seahawks also recorded season highs in field goals made (27), free throws made (18), and free throws attempted (29). In addition, the 51 rebounds are the second-highest registered by the Green & White this season, one shy of the 52 they pulled down vs. Lafayette (12/9).
 
Wagner concludes its two-game Western Pennsylvania road swing at Robert Morris on Monday, January 4. Tip-off between the Seahawks and Colonials from the Charles Sewall Center is set for 7:00 p.m. Each and every NEC game will be carried live, free of charge, on necfrontrow.com.
 
Nwajei Moves into Sixth Place on All-Time Scoring List
With her 42 points today, jasmine Nwajei moved into sixth place on the Seahawk all-time scoring list with 1,513 points, passing Hall of Fame member Susan Moffat (1,481 points - 1994-98). Next on the list is another Hall of Famer, Amanda Young (1995-99), who amassed 1,550 points in her career.










Nwajei Has Recorded Eight the Top Nine Scoring Games in School History


 















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