Redshirt freshman guard Morgan Lenahan scored 15 points, fifth-year senior forward Sierra Clark finished with 14 points, while redshirt freshman small forward Taylah Simmons added 13 points, along with a career-high 13 rebounds, in leading the Wagner women's basketball team to a 60-43 victory over Longwood this afternoon at the Spiro Sports Center. Lenahan's 15-point outing is one shy of her career high and featured four made three-pointers, which ties her career best. Lenahan was particularly effective in the first half when the 5-11 South Jersey native knocked down a trio from beyond the arc in helping the Seahawks build a 28-21 halftime lead. Wagner opened the second half on a 21-9 run in building its biggest lead of the game, a 49-31 bulge with 6:11 left in the third quarter, and never looked back. The first half saw both teams enjoy 10-0 runs. After the Seahawks built a 13-6 lead following the first quarter, the Lancers answered with their 10-0 run in taking a 16-13 advantage with 4:36 remaining in the opening half. Following a Wagner timeout, the Seahawks engineered a 10-0 run of their own over the next 3:07, featuring four points from Clark, a three-pointer by Lenahan, and capping with a Simmons layup at the 1:39 mark. This 10-0 spurt put Wagner on top 23-16. The teams then tallied five points apiece over the final 1:39 of the half as the Seahawks took a 28-21 lead into the intermission. Lenahan paced the Seahawks in the opening stanza with nine points, which came on 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Clark added six first-half points while carter and Dailey added five points apiece over the game's initial 20 minutes. For the game, Micaela Ellis led the Lancers with eight points, while Mallory Odell, Kate Spradlin and Stephanie Guihon added six points apiece. 

First Career Double-Double Makes Simmons an #NECPrimerPerformer
Redshirt freshman guard/forward Taylah Simmons tossed in 13 points and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds in helping power the Wagner to a 60-43 victory over Big South conference member Longwood on Sunday. The 6-0 Simmons recorded five points on 2-of-2 shooting and eight rebounds in helping the Seahawks to a 28-21 halftime lead. In the second half, the Australian native was 4-of-5 from the field en route to finishing 6-of-7 from the floor overall. Eleven of her 13 rebounds came on the defensive end, leading to several outlets passes that allowed Wagner to gain a 9-2 edge in fastbreak points.

Wagner Head Coach Heather Jacobs

Second-year head Heather Jacobs, who has built a pair of championship programs during her nine-year coaching career, widely regarded as a rising star in the coaching profession, the second-year Seahawk head coach enters her second season on Grymes Hill after serving six seasons as head coach at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, where she led the Panthers to unprecedented success. 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 ranked 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. 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 following a school-record best finish of 20-6 and a regular season conference title. 
 

*Sarah Creanor will be a mid-year transfer who will join the Seahawk program for the spring semester and be eligible to compete in practice

*Skilled and versatile prospect

*Regarded as a knock-down shooter with a quick release and tremendous range

*Will become the fourth international student-athlete on the Seahawk roster

Coach Jacobs on Sarah Creanor:
"Sarah has consistent deep range with a tremendous basketball IQ. We are excited to welcome all of our new players and have high expectations for early contributions."

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Enas Nigatu
6-3     Forward/Center
Washington-Lee HS / Arlington, VA
*Enas Nigatu is a low post force on both ends of the floor

*As a junior, averaged 8.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game

*Earned All-NOVA Team (Honorable Mention), Second-Team All-Conference, and First-Team All-Arlington County honors

*Team's top rebounder who also scored in double figures six times

*Member of the Elevate Elite U17, U16 and U15 National Showcase Teams, as well as on the U.S. Junior National/NIKE D.C. Championship Team

*Member of the Generals' volleyball team

*Moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia at age 11.

Coach Jacobs on Enas Nigatu:
"Enas has great versatility on offense. In addition to scoring on the block, she can step outside and knock down shots. We will look for her to contribute immediately."
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Raven Pitt
5-7     Guard
Queens, NY / St. Joseph
*As a junior, Raven Pitt was a major scoring lead guard and undisputed team leader for a St. Joseph's team that won the Brooklyn-Queens "B" Championship in the program's inaugural season

*Averaged 15.2 points and 5.1 assists per game as a junior for the Lady Cougars

*Transferred to St. Joseph's from Valley Stream High School on Long Island prior to her junior season

Coach Jacobs on Raven Pitt:
"Raven has a great motor and high energy. We expect her to provide us with more depth and for her to be a lock-down defender. Her best basketball is ahead of her."

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Amanda Pollard
5-9     Guard
Champlin, MN / Champlin Park High School
*Amanda Pollard is a versatile combo guard with excellent size and court awareness

*Helped lead the Rebels to a 21-7 record as a junior in 2016-17

*Averaged 8.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game

*Also competed on a well-regarded Minnesota Metro Stars AAU Team

*Has the ability to rebound, push the ball and find open teammates

*Possesses solid shooting range

Coach Jacobs on Amanda Pollard:
"Amanda is a dynamic guard that can do multiple things. She will play different positions for us and she has the ability to make others around her better. "

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