Pictured Above: Members of the Wagner women's basketball team, shown in their pink warmup shirts in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Night (Credit: Wagner College Media Relations)
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Staten Island, NY – Trailing by nine, 72-63, early in the fourth quarter, the Wagner College women's basketball team outscored the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers, 23-13, over the final nine minutes, highlighted by what turned out to be the game-winning jumper in the paint by redshirt sophomore
Taylah Simmons as the Seahawks defeated their Brooklyn counterparts, 87-85, on Monday evening at the Spiro Sports Center.
With the victory, Wagner improves to 6-5 in Northeast Conference (NEC) action (8-14 overall) while St. Francis Brooklyn falls to 7-4 in league play and 13-10 overall. For the Seahawks, it is their best league mark through eleven NEC games since the 2003-04 season, as that squad finished with an 8-10 league record and an appearance in the NEC Tournament (against No. 3 seed, Monmouth).
Additionally, the win tonight, which extends Wagner's winning streak to three (first time since 2014-15 | Dec. 21 vs. Stony Brook, Dec. 30 vs. Columbia, January 3 at Saint Francis U) splits the season series between the teams (1-1), as Wagner finds itself just one game out of the top four in the playoff picture
Top-Five Schools In NEC Standing
| School |
NEC Record |
PCT |
Overall |
| 1. Robert Morris |
11-0 |
1.000 |
|
| 2. Sacred Heart |
8-3 |
.727 |
|
| Saint Francis U |
8-3 |
.727 |
|
| 4. St. Francis Brooklyn |
7-4 |
.636 |
13-10 |
| 5. WAGNER |
6-5 |
.545 |
8-14 |
Three Seahawks finished the game in double figures, led by Simmons, as the Melbourne, Australia native netted a career-high 30 points on 14-of-27 shooting from the field in 39 minutes of action. In the process, the second-year Seahawk notched her third straight double-double (sixth of the season, eighth of her career), as she grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Simmons also recorded a team-high in assists with five, while adding two steals and a block.
Redshirt junior guard
Janelle Mullen produced her first 20-point game as a Seahawk, as she matched her career-best (Dec. 4, 2016 @ Marist while playing at Saint Peter's University) by going 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-5 from long range in 32 minutes of play. For Mullen and Simmons, it marks the first time that a pair of Seahawk teammates have gone for at least 20 points in the same game since
Corinn Baggs (20 points) and former NEC Rookie of the Year,
Kerstie Phills, did so on the road at Saint Francis U (2/13/17).
Sophomore guard
Alayshia Dailey added ten points and four assists in 34 minutes of action. Other notable contributions from Wagner on the evening came from sophomore
Khaleah Edwards, who scored nine while senior guard
Nakylia Carter netted eight points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists while swiping three steals.
St. Francis Brooklyn had four players in double digits, led by Jade Johnson's 30 points as she scored 21 of her 30 from beyond the arc (7-of-15). Ally Lassen was the Terriers' second-leading scorer, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Maria Palarino and Dominique Ward finished with 16 points and 10 points, respectively. Amy O'Neill contributed nine points and a game-high 13 assists to go along with six rebounds and five steals in the setback.
Wagner opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer from Mullen to pull within six, 69-63, before Johnson answered right back with a three of her own. On the ensuing Seahawk possession, Simmons' layup was too strong off the backboard but she was able to corral the rebound and tip it home, which ignited a 10-1 run for Wagner, eventually tying the game at 73, thanks to another Simmons jumper. St. Francis Brooklyn went 0-2 during the two-minute Wagner run while the Seahawks went 4-of-5 from the floor with Simmons tallying seven of the ten points.
The visitors responded with a 10-4 run of their own in building an 83-77 lead with 4:33 remaining as the Terriers and Seahawks traded baskets over this two-minute stretch of time. With 3:26 now showing on the game clock, Dailey made one-of-two from the line, trimming the SFBK advantage to 83-78, before Wagner scored the next four points, via Simmons and Dailey, as the Green & White found themselves down one, 83-82, with 1:45 left to play.
Mullen was able to swipe the ball away from Johnson and was fouled in the process. The Ozone Park, NY native calmly sank both her free-throw attempts, as Wagner regained the lead for the first time since leading 45-44 with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The Green & White had a chance to increase its lead but Carter misfired on a layup opportunity that gave possession back to the Terriers who then called timeout with 23 seconds left in regulation. Following the break, Johnson was able to bank one home off the window, putting the visitors ahead, 85-84, forcing a Seahawk timeout.
As play resumed, Simmons was able to drive into the lane and crafted a well-executed spin move away from the defender for her 30th point of the contest, putting the Seahawks ahead, 86-85, with eight seconds left to play, as St. Francis Brooklyn called its final timeout.
Following the timeout, SFBK inbounded the ball in front of its bench and got it to Johnson, but her acrobatic attempt hit the front iron and was grabbed by Carter, who was fouled immediately. The senior guard sealed the victory for the Seahawks by making one-of-two from the line, securing her own rebound on the second shot which did not allow the Terriers to attempt a last-second heave.
Wagner jumped out to the early 7-2 lead before SFBK closed the game at 9-6. The Seahawks then took its largest lead of the game, going up 18-8 on the heels of a 9-2 run over a 2:04 span. The Terriers got within five, 18-13, but the Seahawks offense continued to fire on all cylinders as a
Joellen How three once again extended the lead to ten, 23-13, before SFBK ended the frame with a 9-0 run of its own to trail by one, 23-22.
Edwards hit a pair of trifectas early on in the second quarter as Wagner claimed a 29-24 advantage but the feisty Terriers wouldn't be stifled for long, outscoring the Green & White, 16-4, over the next four minutes, in taking a 40-33 lead at the midway point of the second quarter. The Seahawks closed out the period by outscoring SFBK, 12-8, but it was the Terriers that entered the break with a 48-45 lead at halftime.
For the half, Wagner shot 54.8 percent from the field while SFBK was held to just 38.7 percent shooting in the opening twenty minutes. The Seahawks held a 19-14 advantage on the boards while Mullen and Simmons combined to score 22 of the Seahawks 45 points in the first half.
St. Francis Brooklyn opened the third quarter on a 14-2 run over the first four minutes in taking its largest lead of the contest, 62-47, as the Terriers shot 75.0 percent from the floor (6-of-8) and limiting the Seahawks to just a 1-of-7 start in the third. Lassen scored six of the 14 Terrier points.
The relentless Seahawks outperformed the Terriers down the stretch of the third, cutting the 15 point lead to nine, 69-60, after outscoring SFBK, 13-7, over the final 4:48 of the period. Simmons (5), Carter (5) and Mullen (3) did the majority of the work in getting the team close.
For the game, Wagner shot 50.8 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from beyond-the-arc (10-of-18). St. Francis Brooklyn finished the contest shooting 41.3 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from three-point range. The Seahawks held a 42-34 advantage from inside the paint and a slim, 35-34, edge on the boards. The Wagner bench contributed to outscore the Terriers, 23-2, led by Mullen's 20-point outing.
Wagner closes its short, two-game homestand on Saturday, February 16, as the Seahawks welcome the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils. Tipoff is slated for 1:04 p.m. and will broadcasted on ESPN + ($).
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Wagner Athletics
Women's Basketball:
Head Coach
Heather Jacobs:
