Staten Island, NY - The Wagner women's basketball team plays host to the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers on Monday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m. for Operation Gratitude Night at the Spiro Sports Center.

Operation Gratitude
Each year, Operation Gratitude sends more than 200,000 care packages, filled with food, entertainment, hygiene, and handmade items, plus personal letters of appreciation. The recipients include Veterans, First Responders, New Recruits, Wounded Heroes, their Care Givers, and to individually named U.S. service members deployed overseas and their families waiting at home. The organization's mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of the Military and First Responder communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for civilians anywhere in America to express their appreciation to all who serve our nation. During tonight's game, the Wagner men's water polo team will be taking donations and promoting the effort. Additionally, the Seahawk men's and women's golf teams have been busy soliciting donations externally across Staten Island.

Each fan who brings 3 items for Operation Gratitude will receive free admission to tonight's game. Fans are asked to place the items in the donation box in the Spiro Sports Center lobby.
 
Items Needed for the Troops Include:
Knit or Crocheted Scarves and Hats 
Cool-Ties/Bandana Coolers/Neck Gators (Make Cool Ties)
Paracord Survival Bracelets (NEW STYLE!  Bracelets)
Beanie Babies, Webkinz, Amigurumi, or other Small Plush Toys (6 inches or smaller)-
Hand Sanitizer (1 to 3 ounce size)
Socks (preferably black, brown, green, tan; not white)
DVDs and CDs, Video Games, iPods, Computer Flash Drives,
Lip Balm (with extra seal)
Roll-on Deodorant
Hand and Foot Warmers
Individually-packaged Razors
Pens and Pocket-sized Notebooks or Spiral Pads
Shaving Cream (gel or cream based only)
Moist Towelettes (individual packets)
Dental Products (toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, mouthwash – all travel-sized)
Travel-sized Board Games
Handheld Electronic Games
Mini Battery-Operated Fans
Travel-sized Containers of Foot Powder
Screen-Printed T-Shirts, Baseball Style Caps, Gloves
Holiday and Celebratory Occasion Greeting Cards (unused)
Unsealed Personal Cards and Letters  (Learn how to write a letter of gratitude)
Used Cell Phones, Video Games and Gaming Systems, iPods, PDAs, Inkjet Cartridges for recycling
Yarn (for our knitters to make scarves)
Gift Cards to chain stores such as supermarkets, drugstores, Walmart, Target, or VISA, MasterCard, American Express
 
Notes: All donated items must have a shelf-life/expiration date of at least 6 months from the date of our receipt. Thank you for your understanding of this important requirement.

First Meeting of Season Between Wagner and St. Francis Brooklyn
This will be the first meeting of the season between the Seahawks and the Terriers as the teams will face one another again in Brooklyn on February 18. Wagner won both games last season, a 70-53 home win and an 82-78 overtime victory in Brooklyn. In this game, junior guard Jasmine Nwajei poured in 52 points.

The Series
Tonight's game marks the 77th all-time meeting between the schools and the Seahawks hold a 56-20 lead in the all-time series. Over the last three seasons, the Seahawks have won 5-of-6 against the Terriers, with the lone Terrier victory coming two seasons ago in Brooklyn Heights. The last time the Terriers won in Wagner was four years ago, where they defeated the Green and White 72-66 on January 12, 2013.

Last Six Meetings
February 1, 2016 – vs. Wagner – Win 82-78 (OT)
January 26, 2016 – @ Wagner – Win 70-53
February 16, 2015 – vs. Wagner – Loss 67-55
February 7, 2015 – @ Wagner – Win 63-60
February 15, 2014– @ Wagner – Win 62-53
February 27, 2014 – vs. Wagner – Win 73-62

About the Seahawks
Wagner (1-19, 0-9 NEC) 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 Daniel Webster College, and most recently, Division II Adelphi College. The Seahawks are led by 5-9 freshman forward Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, NC / Charlotte), who has earned a program-record four consecutive NEC Rookie of the Week awards this season. Phills leads the way with an NEC scoring average of 15.4, tops among all freshmen in the league, on 49 percent shooting, to go with her team-leading 6.4 rebounds in conference games The versatile Phills has now eclipsed the 20-point mark three times this season, and has hit for double figures in 10 consecutive games and 13 of her last 14 overall. Overall, Phills leads the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg. Slashing junior guard Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ / Vineland) checks in at 11.0 ppg. (10.0 ppg. in NEC play), and has hit for double digits in 11 games this season. Deep-shooting 5-6 freshman guard Kellie Crouch (North Brunswick, NJ / St. John Vianney) is hitting for 7.8 ppg. (8.1 ppg. in NEC), thanks in large part to her 36.0 percent three-point shooting (41-of-114) while sophomore guard Julia McClure checks in at 7.6 ppg. McClure (Secaucus, NJ / Secaucus) is also the team's leading rebounder (7.6 rpg.) and has four double-doubles to her credit. Freshman guard Corinn Baggs (Staten Island, NY / Staten Island Academy) averages 5.4 ppg., and 4.8 rpg. and recently followed a career-high 14-point outing OT loss at Sacred Heart (1/21) with a 13-point effort at LIU Brooklyn (1/23). Up front, 6 -1 senior forward Taylor Butigian (Rockaway Park, NY / Christ the King) contributes 3.3 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. Senior forward Jackie Dluhi (Middletown, NJ / Middletown South), who has played in more than 100 games in her career, is fourth on the team in rebounding (4.2 rpg.).

About the Terriers
St. Francis Brooklyn is currently tied for fifth in the NEC with the Bryant Bulldogs, who lost to the Terriers in Brooklyn earlier this season. Both teams are two games out of fourth place, where the Robert Morris Colonials stand alone at (6-3). Most recently, on Saturday, despite leading for nearly the entire game, and a career-best showing from Lorraine Hickman, the SFBK fell to the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, 59-58, on their home floor. Brianna Thomas hit the game-winner for the Knights with two seconds to spare, and dropped the Terriers to (6-14, 4-5 NEC) while the Knights improved to (5-15, 3-6 NEC). St. Francis Brooklyn is led in scoring by 6-0 senior forward Olivia Levey, who checks in at 12.3 points per game while 5-10 sophomore forward Maria Palarino averages 10.9 ppg., while leading the team in rebounding at 6.6 caroms per game. The Terriers are guided by fifth-year head coach John Thurston.

Wagner Last Time Out
Freshman forward Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, NC / Charlotte Christian) scored 16 points and junior guard Tanasia Russell (Vineland, NJ / Vineland) recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but streaking Saint Francis U's full-court pressure defense forced 23 turnovers, as the Red Flash recorded a 67-46 on Saturday at the Spiro Sports Center. In front of a season-high 1,117 fans on hand for Alumni Day, along with a national audience watching on ESPN3, SFU won its seventh straight game to maintain a share of the Northeast Conference (NEC) lead at 8-1, while moving to 11-9 overall. With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 1-19 on the season, 0-9 in league play. Coming into the game as the NEC's top scoring unit at 79. 2 points per game, Wagner was able to hold the Red Flash 12 points below that season average on Saturday. SFU sophomore guard Jessica Kovatch, the league's top scorer at 22.4 ppg. entering the day, led the way with 16 points for the Red Flash, while Ace Harrison and Maya Wynn added 14 and 13 points, respectively. In addition to notching her first career double-double, the 5-9 Russell set a career high with those 10 rebounds, eclipsing her previous career best of nine. Baggs wound up with six points, while coming up with four steals and grabbing three rebounds. Helped by sophomore guard Julia McClure's (Secaucus, NJ / Secaucus) nine rebounds, the Seahawks held a 38-32 advantage on the boards, while points in the paint were dead even at 22 apiece. SFU outshot Wagner, 45.1 percent to 34.0 percent and held a 26-11 edge in points off turnovers.

Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics       
Women's Basketball:    
Head Coach Heather Jacobs: 
Wagner Gameday: