Pictured Above: Redshirt freshman Taylah Simmons (photo by Dave Saffran)
New Britain, CT – Following a 75-66 win at Bryant in Friday's Northeast Conference (NEC) opener, the Wagner women's basketball team looks for back-to-back victories when the Seahawks travel to the Nutmeg State to meet the Central Connecticut University Blue Devils in a 1:00 p.m. tip at Detrick Gymnasium.
Wagner vs. Central Connecticut:
Sunday's matchup marks the 40th all-time meeting between the Seahawks and Blue Devils with CCSU holding a 24-15 edge in the all-time series. In their most recent meeting, back on February 6, 2017, Central recorded an 83-71 win on Staten Island.
First NEC Opening Game Win In Six Years:
Friday afternoon's 75-66 victory at Bryant marks Wagner's first NEC-opening game win in six years, since December 3, 2011, when the Seahawks topped St. Francis Brooklyn by a 49-45 count on Staten Island.
Former DII All-American Getting It Done in D-I:
Fifth-year senior forward
Sierra Clark (Hughesville, MD / Archbishop Spalding), who was recruited to and played for
Heather Jacobs at Adelphi University where she went on to earn Division II All-American honors last season, is averaging 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Through 12 games, the 5-11 Clark has five double-doubles, five 20-point games, and 10 double-digit scoring efforts to her credit.
Last Time Out: Fifth-year senior forward
Sierra Clark tossed in 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead four players in double figures as the Wagner women's basketball team earned a 75-66 victory at Bryant in the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams at the Chace Center on Friday afternoon.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 3-9 overall, and most importantly, 1-0 in the NEC, while the Bulldogs fall to 1-11 on the season, 0-1 in league play. For Clark, aa 5-11 graduate student, who was recruited to and played for
Heather Jacobs at Adelphi University where she went on to earn Division II All-American honors last season, she now has six double-doubles on the season and 10 double-digit scoring efforts to her credit.
In helping the Green & White record a season-high 75 points, redshirt freshman guards
Morgan Lenahan and
Taylah Simmons tossed in 17 and 14 points, respectively, while freshman guard
Khaleah Dixon-Edwards added 12. For Lenahan, the 17-point outing was a career high as was Dixon-Edwards' 12, while Simmons' 14 point were one shy of her career best.
Khaleah Dixon-Edwards
In the 16th all-time meeting between the schools, Friday's win was just the second-ever for the Seahawks over the Bulldogs as Bryant holds a 14-2 lead in the series. Wagner took a 22-21 lead after one quarter as senior guard
Tanasia Russell narrowly beat the buzzer with a 10-foot pull-up jumper.
The Seahawks then outscored the Bulldogs 16-11 in the second period in building a 38-32 halftime lead. After Dixon-Edwards buried a three-pointer with 8:25 left in the third quarter to give the Seahawks a nine-point advantage at 44-35, before the Bulldogs outscored Wagner 15-10 to make it 54-50 game entering the fourth and final period.
Freshman guard
Alayshia Dailey sank two free throws to push Wagner ahead by an eight-point count at 62-54 with 7:57 to play, before the Bulldogs countered with a 6-0 burst, capped by a Hannah Scanlan layup at the 5:10 mark, to draw to within two at 62-60. A pair of Scanlan free throws make it a one-point game at 63-62 with 4:10 left. It was still anybody's game following another Scanlan layup at the 2:38 mark which made it a 67-65 game. After Simmons sank two free throws to make it 69-65 with 2:05 remaining, Clark turned in the play of the game.
Bryant guard Masey Zegarowski gained a step on her defender and dribble in for a layup attempt that would have made it a two-point game at the 1:47 mark. But the athletic, 5-11 Clark, swatted the shout away, before corralling the rebound and hitting a streaking Russell in stride for a fast-break layup that made it 71-65 with 1:41 left, and the Seahawks hung on from there.
For Clark, the block was her game-high third of the game, which went along with her two steals. Scanlan, a freshman forward, finished with a career and game-high 27 points on the afternoon, while Sydney Holloway and Zegarowski added 14 and 11 points, respectively. In registering the win, Wagner set season highs in points (75), field goals made (26), and field goals attempted (59).
Next Up:The Seahawks kick off the new year with a 1:00 p.m. tip vs. the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights on Saturday, January 6, followed by another home tilt vs. the Pioneers of Sacred Heart University on Monday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m. Both games can be seen live, free of charge, on necfrontrow.com.
Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics
Women's Basketball:
Head Coach
Heather Jacobs:
Wagner Gameday:
