Box Score (PDF) I Box Score (HTML)

Staten Island, NY – Junior guard Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum) poured in a school and Northeast Conference (NEC) record 53 points but Sacred Heart was able to overcome an eight-point second-half Wagner lead in recording a 77-73 win over the Seahawks in women's basketball action at the Spiro Sports Center.
 
With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 2-16 on the season, 0-7 in the NEC while the second-place Pioneers improve to 8-10 overall, 6-1 in league play.
 
Kelsey Castro paced four double-digit scorers for Sacred Heart with 24 points. Hannah Kimmel added 15 for the Pioneers while Erin Storck and Lerae Ettienne added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Nwajei scored 29 of her 53 points in a first half that saw the Seahawks take a 27-18 lead midway through the second quarter en route to a 38-35 lead at halftime. After a Nwajei layup gave the Seahawks a 42-34 lead with 7:02 left in the third quarter, the Pioneers went on a 14-3 run, capped by a pair of Castro free throws, to take a 48-45 lead with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Trailing 54-49 entering the fourth quarter, Wagner outscored SHU 14-9 to begin the final stanza and when Nwajei drained a long three-pointer with 5:10 left to play, the game was tied at 63-63. Castro then answered with a three of her own to make it a 66-63 game. Castro's three-pointer gave Sacred Heart the lead for good and triggered a 6-1 SHU burst that gave the Pioneers a 69-64 lead with less than three minutes to go, and SHU was able to hold on from there.
 
For Nwajei, who entered the game ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring, today's game marked the 17^th time in her career that she has topped the 30-point mark and seventh time this season.  It was also the third time this season, and fourth time in her career, that she has scored 40 or more points in a game.
 
Nwajei shot an efficient 18-of-34 from the field, 5-of-14 from three-point range while adding six rebounds, five steals and three assists.
 
The 53-point game eclipses Nwajei's own previous career and school-record 45 points that she tallied earlier this season against Stony Brook on December 18, 2015. The previous NEC single-game scoring mark was held by Kim Rhock of Mount St. Mary's who tossed in 50 vs. Monmouth on February 9, 1990.

Following today's outburst, which is the top individual scoriung game in the nation this season, Nwajei ups her season average to 26.4 pg. and her NEC-leading average to 34.3 ppg.
 
Sophomore forward Sofia Roma (Richmond Hill, NY/Nazareth Regional) was again a force in the low block in recording her third double-double of the season, and for her career, with a 10-point, 15-rebound outing.
 
Wagner shot a season-best 50 percent from the floor (26-of-52) but the Seahawks were just 14-of-26 (53.8 percent) from the free throw line. While holding SHU to 44 percent shooting, Wagner owned a 35-29 edge in the rebounding department which lead to a 36-28 advantage in points in the paint.
 
The Seahawks are next in action on Tuesday, January 26 when they host St. Francis Brooklyn in a game that was pushed ahead from Monday due to the blizzard.
 

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.