WAGNER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW
The Seahawks' 2016-17 roster is comprised of 13 student-athletes, including five returnees and eight newcomers, six of whom are freshmen.
 
About Heather Jacobs
Jacobs, who has built a pair of championship programs during her nine-year coaching career, was introduced as the ninth head coach in Wagner College Women's Basketball history on April 20, 2016. Widely regarded as a rising star in the coaching profession, Jacobs has served the last six seasons as head coach at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, where she led the Panthers to unprecedented success during her tenure. The high water mark for Jacobs at Adelphi came in 2014-15 when she led her team to a 28-4 record and an 18-2 mark in the NE-10 Conference, claiming the program's first-ever league championship and hosting the NCAA Division II East Regional. Adelphi was rated as high as No. 3 in the nation and tied a program record for most wins in a season, and Jacobs earned ECAC Division II and All-Met Coach of the Year honors by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA). Jacobs came to Adelphi, where she also served as assistant athletic director, following a three-year stint as the head coach/senior women's administrator at Daniel Webster College, a Division III institution in Nashua, NH. In 2009-10, she was named the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Coach of the Year after with a school record best finish of 20-6 and a regular season conference title.
 
 JACOBS ON...
 
...What Attracted her to the Wagner head coaching position: "The academics, people and campus are just a few things at Wagner that are so positive. The minute I stepped on campus, that feeling was there. The people at Wagner want to win, and our goal is nothing short of, eventually, winning a Northeast Conference championship."
 
…The 2016-17 Team: "We're a very young team and one that's growing and learning every day.  Our returning players are doing a nice job of bringing the newcomers along."
 
…The Program's Long-Term Goals: "I'm really excited about the opportunity to take this program to the next level. The expectations for success have already begun. Basketball is a tool, a vehicle to help these young women grow as people and to further develop their character. You can expect Wagner women's basketball to be selfless and to employ teamwork on every possession."
 
…Coaching Philosophy:  "I believe that all the little things matter and the overall well-being of our student athletes is a priority.  When we get better every day and focus on the process we trust that good things will follow. Our main goal will be to live by, and embody, championship standards. Every member of our program will operate with integrity and discipline both on and off the court.  Be assured that my staff and I, we will grind, we will work, we will do whatever necessary to elevate this program. All the while never compromising our core values and our integrity. Our athletes and our staff will have a growth mindset - a commitment to leaving the program as better people and better players than when they first entered."
 
The Veterans
Senior forward Jackie Dluhi (Middletown, NJ / Middletown South), a starter in 28 games last season, is the most experienced returner. Last season, the 5-11 Dluhi's top game came in a December 2 win over NJIT when she set career-highs in points (17), and field goals made (6) while tying her career high with 10 field goal attempts in 35 minutes of action.
 
Also back for the Seahawks will be junior guard Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ / Vineland), an explosive, athletic 5-8 shooting guard who goes by the nickname "Pogo," a moniker that helps describe her leaping ability. In 2015-16, Russell came off the bench to average 5.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 15.6 minutes of playing time per game. Her season was highlighted by a career -high 20-point effort vs. Bryant (1/9), which came on 7-of-12 shooting.
 
Joining Dluhi in the Wagner frontcourt will be 6-1 senior forward Taylor Butigian (Rockaway Park, NY / Christ the King). As a junior last season, Butigian saw action in 22 games with one start, with a season-high 12-point outing at Delaware State (12/13). She also delivered an 11-point game vs. NJIT (12/2) on 4-of-9 shooting, which included 3-of-7 marksmanship from three-point range.
 
Wagner also returns sophomore guard Julia McClure (Secaucus, NJ / Secaucus), who action in 20 games with two starts a year ago. The 5-8 McClure tossed in a career-high 15 points at St. Francis Brooklyn (2/1) when she registered career highs in field goals made (5), attempted (7), three-pointers made (4) and three-pointers attempted (6).
 
Rounding out the program's returning players will be 6-1 junior forward Samantha Sullivan(Manasquan, NJ / Manasquan), who has seen action in 50 games during her two-year Seahawk career.
 
The Newcomers
Big things are expected from junior 5-7 junior guard Africa Williams (Brooklyn, NY / Banneker), a prolific scorer with excellent range who has a knack for scoring points in bunches. Williams arrives on Grymes Hill after starring at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY where she averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game last season in leading the Hawks  to a third-place showing in the NJCAA National Women's Basketball Tournament. In high school, she led the PSAL in scoring as a senior at Banneker where she averaged 29.2 points, 6.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
 
The 2016-17 Seahawks will feature six freshmen, headed by the versatile 5-9 Kerstie Phills(Charlotte, NC / Charlotte Christian). A standout performer throughout her high school career, as a senior, she averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.9 assists per game for the Knights. Her top statistical performance came when she poured in 30 points vs. Ravenscroft High School in the NCISAA 3A girls' semifinals and finished her career with 1,491 career points. She is the daughter of Kendall and the late Bobby Phills, who played for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers. Her Older brother Trey is a sophomore guard on the Yale University men's basketball team.
 
Corinn Baggs (Staten Island,l NY / Staten Island Academy) is a familiar face to followers of the local high school basketball scene here on Staten Island. A Multi-faceted guard, Baggs was a two-time Jaques Award recipient (2015 & 2016) which  is given annually to the top player on Staten Island. She was also a three-time Staten Island Advance All-Star who led SIA to its first-ever NYS Federation Class B championship and to consecutive State Federation appearances. For her career, the 5-10 Baggs tossed in 1,406 points and had six games of 20-plus points as a senior in 2015-16, en route to averaging 16.4 points per game as a senior.
 
At 6-3, Maria Besselink (Helsinki, Finland / Brando Gymnasium) is an international player who brings great size to the Seahawk program. A step-out three, her versatility allows her to function well on the interior as well as be a force on the perimeter. She earned a spot on the U-16 European National Team and averaged 15.4 points  and 13.1 rebounds in 2012-2013 as a member of the Wartti Basket Club Team in the Women's U-16 European League. Fluent in three languages, Swedish, Finnish, and English, her father, Gerry was a standout player at UConn who served as legendary head coach Jim Calhoun's first captain in 1986-87. Her mother, Nina, starred at St. Mary's College (CA) while her Aunt Mary-Jane was a Hall of Fame player at the University of Hartford.
 
Sydney Sabino (Rumson, NJ / Rumson-Fairhaven) played at one of the state of New Jersey's perennial powers at Rumson-Fair Haven's High School. A pure shooter, she knocked down 44 three-pointers as a senior as part of a deep Bulldogs' backcourt rotation last season. The 5-9 Sabino tossed in a career-high 18 points vs. Red Bank Catholic after previously matching her career high with 15 against Raritan.  Sabino's older sister, Sam, also a standout at Rumson-Fair Haven, is now a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire and her mother, Tracey, was a four-year letterwinner at Monmouth University. On top of that, Sabino's grandfather, Mickey Radigan, played basketball at Wagner from 1962-1964.
 
Kellie Crouch is a true point guard who hails from talent and tradition-rich program at St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel, NJ . As a junior, the 5-6 Crouch averaged 6.6 points per game in helping guide the Lancers to a sparkling 26-4 record and the Non-Public A State Championship without a single senior on the roster. She scored 13 points vs. perennial prep power Christ the King High School of New York City and delivered a 12-point performance vs. Freehold Township and 11-point outings vs. Dunmore (PA) and Raritan. As senior Crouch saw action in just five games as a senior due to injury.

Morgan Lenahan starred at South Jersey's Haddon Township High School where she scored more than 1,000 career points in just three years before transferring to prep powerhouse Neumann and Goretti High School in Philadelphia, PA for her senior year. As s senior, she helped  the Saints achieve a 29-1 record and win their second consecutive PIAA Class 2A Girls' Championship and was one of four players on her team to to sign with Division I schools. Her late father, Tim, was a legendary boys' basketball coach at St. Rose of Lima in Haddon Heights who helped develop and send more than 60 of his players to Division I or Division II college.
 
Sofia Roman, was set to compete for the Seahawks this season as a graduate student after transferring from Dartmouth, suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason. Following a two-year career at Dartmouth College, Roman earned a spot on the 2015 Philippine (PH) Women's National team. The 5-7 guard was a core team member of the PH National Team that leveled up from Level 2 to Level 1 in 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in hopes of earning spot in the 2020 Olympics.
 
The Coaching Staff
 
Assistant Coach Jennifer Leedham
Leedham amassed a .588 winning percentage in the last four seasons as head coach of Franklin Pierce College. She led the Rindge, New Hampshire-based Division II program to two NCAA Championship appearances (2013 & 2015) while reaching the Northeast-10 Conference Championship in each of her four seasons. During her four years at the helm of the Franklin Pierce program, Leedham mentored one All-Region selection, six All-Northeast-10 selections, and one All-Rookie Team choice. She also coached Tiffany Johnson, who claimed the 2012-13 Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year award. Before taking over at Franklin Pierce in 2012,  Leedham served three seasons as an assistant with the Ravens, assisting in all aspects of the program.
 
"Jen and I have known each other for many years and I have great respect for her as a coach," said Jacobs. "She brings tremendous experience and understands what it takes to win and I know that her presence will have an immediate impact in all facets of our program."
 
Assistant Coach Kaitlyn Schmid
Schmid joined the Wagner women's basketball program after serving as an assistant coach after beginning her career as a graduate assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2015-16. A native of Howell, NJ, Schmid worked primarily with the Lady Eagles' guards last season, in addition to assisting in the areas of video coordination, scouting upcoming opponents, on-campus recruiting, social media enhancement, scheduling and team logistics, as well community, campus and team activities. Prior to arriving at Southern Miss, Schmid was a standout point guard at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia where she was a four-year letterwinner for the Devils. As a senior, she set an NCAA Division II single-season record with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.25, which came on 136 assists and just 28 turnovers, a ratio that was the highest among all three NCAA divisions and broke the previous NCAA Division II mark of 4.09.

 "It was evident early in our search process that Kaitlyn is a passionate and driven person," said Jacobs. "We are looking forward to sharing in her energy and zeal for both growth and the game of basketball."

Video Director Richard Cassella
Richard Cassella enters his first season as video director for the Wagner women's basketball program after serving in a similar capacity under Heather Jacobs at Adelphi for the past three seasons. His responsibilities include the strategic development and implementation of the Seahawks' offensive approach and customizing an instant-replay system in practices to provide immediate feedback. Cassella also provides practice and game-film breakdowns to enhance team development and educational technology professional development to the coaching staff while also contributing to the preparation and analysis of practices and games.
 
"I'm excited that to have Richard partnering with me in helping to build the Wagner women's basketball program," said Jacobs. "He played a vital role in the success we had at Adelphi and I'm confident that he will be a major asset within our program here at Wagner. Richard has a special skill set when it comes to video and technology, and I believe he is the best in the business."
 
Graduate Assistant Nijeria Carter
Njeria Carter joined the Seahawk women's basketball program as a graduate assistant in August, 2016. A 2015 graduate of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management, Carter held several positions with the Eagles' women's basketball program as an undergraduate. During the 2015-16 season, she served in the dual role of assistant equipment manager and coaching intern and also Carter also brings one year of experience as head manager for the Eagles.
 
"We are thrilled to have Nijeria joining us this year," said Jacobs. "Her experience and enthusiasm make her the perfect fit."
 
The Schedule
The Seahawks will have a 29-game slate in 2016-17, one that features 11 non-conference games, followed by 18 Northeast (NEC) Conference contests.
Following the season opener vs. NJIT, Wagner embarks on a stretch of three straight home games at the Spiro Sports Center, beginning with the 2016-17 home opener vs. the College of Staten Island (11/15), followed by matchups vs. Towson (11/17), and Delaware State (11/20).
 
After  a road contest at New Hampshire (11/26), the Seahawks return home for games against Yale (11/30) and the University of Pennsylvania (12/3). Wagner will then travel to Army (12/5) before hosting Albany (12/10). The Green & White then conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule with games at St. John's (12/17) and Princeton (12/21).
 
Wagner will embark on its 18-game NEC schedule, beginning with road contests at Central Connecticut (12/29) and Mount St. Mary's (12/31) before kicking off a three-game home stretch vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (1/7), Sacred Heart (1/9) and Robert Morris (1/14). Games at Bryant (1/16), Sacred Heart (1/21) and LIU Brooklyn (1/23) are followed by home dates vs. Saint Francis U (1/28), and St. Francis Brooklyn (1/30).
 
The Seahawks then begin the month of February at Fairleigh Dickinson (2/4) and at home vs. Central Connecticut (2/6) before they hit the road for contests at Robert Morris (2/11), Saint Francis U (2/13) and St. Francis Brooklyn (2/18).  The Green & White close out the regular season with home games vs. Mount St. Mary's (2/20), Bryant (2/25) and LIU Brooklyn (2/27).
 
The 2016 NEC Tournament will again feature the top eight teams playing on the home court of the higher seeds. The quarterfinal round will be contested on Sunday, March 5 with the semifinals tabbed for Wednesday, March 8 and the championship game on Sunday, March 12. 
 
NEC Preseason Poll
In the league's 2016-17 preseason poll, Sacred Heart received six first-place votes in being named the preseason favorite, followed by Robert Morris, who received three first-place votes. Saint Francis U, with one first-place vote, was picked third, followed by Bryant, LIU Brooklyn, St. Francis Brooklyn, Central Connecticut, Mount St. Mary's, Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner. Sacred Heart redshirt senior forward Hannah Kimmel was selected as the 2016 NEC Preseason Player of the Year.

2016-17 Preseason All-NEC Team
Ivory Bailey, BRY, G, 5-7, Jr, Wyomissing, PA/Wilson
Shanovia Dove, LIU, G, 5-8, Sr, Palm Beach, FL/Palm Beach Lakes
Hannah Kimmel, SHU, F, 6-0, R-Sr., Harpursville, NY/Harpursville
Jessica Kovatch, SFU, G, 5-9, So, Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg
Anna Niki Stamolamprou, RMU, G, 5-9, Sr., Thessaloniki, Greece/Aristotelio College
 
About the Northeast Conference
Now in its 36th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30).  Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports. 

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