New Britain, CT - Junior guard Jasmine Nwajei (Rockaway Park, NY/Murry Bergtraum), the nation's leading scorer, tossed in 40 points, including a game-winning layup with 1.7 seconds left, carrying the Wagner women's basketball team to a thrilling 64-63 come-from-behind victory over Central Connecticut this afternoon.The Blue Devils had a last chance opportunity to win the game, but sophomore Emma Stroyan's three-pointer at the buzzer caromed off the back iron.
With the win, the Seahawks improve to 5-21 overall and 3-12 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Blue Devils fall to 10-16 overall, 7-8 in league play.
The Seahawks trailed 60-52 with 5:35 left to play when they went on a 9-0 run, to take a 61-60 lead, as part of a game-ending 12-3 run over the final 5:12.
Freshman guard Julia McClure (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) began the late Seahawk charge with a three-pointer at the 5:12 mark to make it a 60-55 game off a Nwajei assist. With 4:21 to go Nwajei made 1-of-2 from the free throw line to make it 60-57 and then came up with a steal which led to senior guard Jazmine Hamlet (New York, NY/Francis Lewis) hitting a pair of clutch free throws with 3:03 remaining to draw Wagner within 60-58.
Nwajei, who is up to 28.7 ppg. (34.1 ppg. in NEC games), then rebounded a missed jumper by CCSU's Aleah Epps. The Seahawks then worked the ball back into Nwajei's hands and the junior followed with a layup, and was fouled in the act of shooting at 2:01, and her made free throw completed the three-point play which capped the 9-0 run and gave Wagner the lead.
Following a CCSU turnover, Wagner came up empty on its next possession, as the Seahawks misfired on three chances to extend the lead. On Central's ensuing possession, Camden Musgrave drained a three-pointer with 55 seconds left to put the Blue Devils back on top, 63-61.
After Nwajei went 1-of-2 from the line at the 43-second mark, CCSU called timeout with 42 seconds left, clinging to a 63-62 lead. With the shot clock winding down, Tehahne Malone missed a jumper and McClure riped down the rebound with 18 ticks left.
After working the clock down to six seconds, the Seahawks called a timeout, trailing 63-62. Following the timeout, Nwajei raced through the lane, hitting a layup with 1.7 seconds left, to put Wagner on top 64-63 and when Stroyan's three-pointer bounded away, the Green & White had themselves a gritty road victory.
Wagner held CCSU to just 1-of-7 shooting from the field during the decisive while Nwajei was scoring seven of the Seahawks' final nine points of the game.
Nwajei, who has a pair of 50-point games this season, including an NEC and school-record 53-point outing vs. Sacred Heart (1/24), has now hit for 40 or more points five times, and the 30-point plateau 13 times (23 for her career).
In addition to supplying 40 points, Nwajei added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Junior forward Jackie Dluhi (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) added seven points to the Seahawk victory while Hamlet and sophomore forward Sofia Roma (Richmond Hill, NY/Nazareth Regional) chipped in with six apiece. The 6-2 Roma, who entered the game ranked No. 1 in the conference in rebounding at 12.3 per game (NEC games only), pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Malone led the way for the Blue Devils with 11 points and 15 rebound and was joined in double figures by Musgrave and Kayla Miller who had 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
Wagner trailed 30-28 at the half after shooting 10-of-29 from the floor and 2-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Central outrebounded the Seahawks 51-40 in the game and held Wagner to 33.8 percent shooting (22-of-65). The Blue Devils shot 35.9 percent (23-of-64) but hit just 5-of-24 from three-point range.
The Seahawks are next in action on Monday, February 22 when they travel to Fairleigh Dickinson for a 7:00 p.m. meeting with the Knights.
NOTE: Nwajei's school-record point total is now up to 1,982, just 20 shy of reaching the 2,000-point - as a junior!
Jasmine Nwajei's Top 5 Career Scoring Games 53 NWAJEI, Jasmine vs Sacred Heart (01/24/16)[NEC and School Record]
52 NWAJEI, Jasmine at SFBKW (02/01/16)
45 NWAJEI, Jasmine vs STONY BROOK (12/18/15)
42 NWAJEI, Jasmine at Saint Francis U (01/02/16)
40 NWAJEI, Jasmine at Central Connecticut (02/20/16)
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