Pictured Above: Freshman Guard Kellie Crouch (photo by Dave Saffran)
Jamaica, NY – Following a week off due to final exams, the Wagner women's basketball team will travel to St. John's of the Big East Conference on Saturday at Carnesseca Arena in a 2:00 p.m. tip that will be seen live on ESPN3.
About the Seahawks
Wagner (1-8) is under the direction of first-year head coach
Heather Jacobs, who arrived on Grymes Hill in April after building championship programs at Division III Franklin Pierce College, and most recently, Division II Adelphi College. The Seahawks are led in scoring by junior guard
Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ / Vineland) who averages 11.8 points per game in rebounding by a pair of guards in sophomore
Julia McClure (Secaucus, NJ / Secaucus) and
Corinn Baggs (Staten Island, NY / Staten Island Academy), who average 6.9 and 5.4 caroms per game, respectively. Freshman guard
Kellie Crouch (North Brunswick, NJ / St. John Vianney) averages 8.6 points per game, while McClure checks in at 8.3 per outing following a career-high 16-point effort vs. Albany last time out on December 10.
About the Red Storm
Led by fifth-year head coach Joe Tartamella, St. John's is 6-3 on the season and winners of four straight, most recently, a 59-45 win at Fordham on December 13. Senior 6-1 forward Jade Walker leads a balanced St. John's unit and is the team leader in both scoring (11.2) and rebounding (5.2). Sophomore 5-10 wing Akina Wellere is right behind Walker at 11.1 ppg., while averaging 3.9 boards. Alaliyah Lewis, a 5-5 senior guard, checks in at 9.6 ppg. and a team-best 5.1 assists per outing. Against Fordham, the Red Storm broke open a tie game with a game-ending 16-2 run in pulling away for the win. Walker
led all players with 18 points and eight rebounds. Alisha Kebbe chipped in a season-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor to go along with seven rebounds, two steals and a block. Lewis added
nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. For the game, St. John's shot 43.1 percent from the floor, converting on 25-of-58 tries. Defensively, the Red Storm held Fordham to just 32.7 percent from the field and caused 18 turnovers. St. John's limited the Rams' leading scorer and rebounder, G'mrice Davis, to just six rebounds and four points. Davis entered the game averaging more than 12 points and 12 rebounds per contest.
Last Time Out
Wagner received career-high scoring games from three different players and totaled a season-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to offset the 20-point, 14-rebound outing by Albany's Jessica Fequiere as the America East preseason favorites came away with a 75-50 victory. Sophomore guard
Julia McClure (Secaucus, NJ / Secaucus) tossed in a career-high 16 points to lead the Seahawks, while freshmen guards
Kellie Crouch (North Brunswick, NJ / St. John Vianney) and
Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, NC / Charlotte Christian) added a career-high 12 points apiece.
Wagner vs. the Big East
The Seahawks have played just three teams who are current members of the Big East Conference and the Green & White are 3-22 combined in those matchups. Wagner has faced St. John's 14 times and the Red Storm are 13-1 in these matchups. The Seahawks are 2-7 all-time vs. Seton Hall and 0-2 against Providence.
Providence...... 0-2
St. John's.........1-13
Seton Hall........ 2-7
3-22
Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics
Women's Basketball:
Head Coach
Heather Jacobs:
Wagner Gameday:
