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North Andover, MA - The Wagner College women's basketball team will wrap up the regular season at Merrimack on Thursday, tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

What's At Stake
With a win and a loss by LIU to Stonehill, the Seahawks will qualify for the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament. With a loss or a win by LIU, the Green & White will be eliminated from postseason contention on the final day of the regular season.

Wagner will look to return to the NEC Tournament for the sixth consecutive season and the third consecutive season under head coach Terrell Coburn.

The last time Wagner failed to make the NEC Tournament was during the 2017-18 under former head coach Heather Jacobs.

Last Time Out
Wagner dropped its seventh consecutive contest with a 59-51 loss to FDU on March 2. Trailing 51-34 with 8:53 in the fourth quarter, Wagner rallied to cut the FDU lead to three points with 2:00 minutes left, but it wasn't enough as the Knights closed the game on a 5-0 run to earn the victory.

Junior Semie Brar scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead the Wagner charge. Wagner's 14 steals was tied for the most in a single game through NEC play this season.

The Arrival Of Kiera Edmonds
Freshman Kiera Edmonds has scored in double figures in six out of the last eight games and has recorded double-digit rebounds in five out of the last six games.

Edmonds poured in a career-high 22 points at Central Connecticut State on February 22 to go along with 11 rebounds. Edmonds's nine field goals made were also a career-high.

Through conference play, the Brooklyn, NY native is averaging a team-high 9.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Edmonds grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds against Le Moyne on February 29, seven of which were offensive. Edmonds has four double-doubles this season, three of which came in February over the last six games.

Rakisha Ballinger Doing It All
Over the last 12 games, Rakisha Ballinger has scored eight  or more points nine times, Ballinger has scored in double figures seven times during that stretch.

During the 12=game stretch, Ballinger has accumulated 29 steals and has recorded three or more steals on four separate occasions. The Hyattsville, MD native ranks third on the Seahawks with 8.5 points per game and first on the Seahawks with 2.5 steals per game. 

Defensive DNA
The Green & White have recorded double-digit steals in 13 games this season. Wagner has had multiple players record multiple steals in 18 out of 27 games this season and in 11 out of 15 NEC contests. Wagner ranks 53rd in the nation and first in the NEC with 9.6 steals per contest.

The Seahawks also rank 42nd in the nation and first in the NEC with 19.04 turnovers forced per game.

Ballinger ranks 37th in the nation with 2.50 steals per game 

Fabozzi And Sanchez-Henry Return
Senior Julia Fabozzi made her return to the court against Saint Francis U on February 15 after having ACL surgery on August 4. Last season, Fabozzi appeared in all 28 games while notching 17 starts.

The Staten Island, NY native aver- aged 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds during the 2022-23 season. In her third game back in the line- up at Central Connecticut State on February 22, Fabozzi scored five points on 2-3 shooting while grabbing two rebounds. 

Senior Marisa Sanchez-Henry returned to the court against LIU on February 24 after tearing her ACL on February 9, 2023 against St. Francis Brooklyn. Sanchez-Henry has two steals, four assists, and one three-pointer made in her three games back on the court.

Noo The Glue
Taleah "Noo" Washington ranks second in the NEC and 145th in the nation with 3.8 assists per contest.

Washington tallied a career-high 29 points against LIU on January 8, the most for a Seahawk since Emilija Krista Grava netted 32 back on March 5, 2021. 

Washington is second on the Seahawks with 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game through NEC play. Through 13 NEC appearances, Washington has recorded over five assists on six separate occasions. Washington has also grabbed five or more rebounds in seven out of 13 conference appearances. 

Scouting Merrimack
Merrimack enters the final game of the regular season with an 11-17 overall record and an 8-7 mark in NEC play. Merrimack is 6-7 at Hammel Court this season.  The Warriors can wrap up the #4 seed in the NEC Tournament with a win over Wagner or a CCSU loss to FDU. 

Last Time Against Merrimack
Merrimack earned a 72-45 win over Wagner on January 19 at the Spiro Sports Center. Kaylee Thomas and Thalia Shepard combined for 48 points as they both scored 24. The two Warriors combined to shoot 8-17 from three-point range.

Paige Lyons led all Seahawks with 14 points as Rakisha Ballinger chipped in 12. 

The Series
Wagner holds a 5-3 overall record against Merrimack. The Seahawks are 4-1 at Hammel Court against the Warriors. The Green & White's loss to Merrimack in January snapped a three- game winning streak against the Warriors. 

What's Next
If Wagner defeats Merrimack and Stonehill defeats LIU, the Seahawks will qualify for the NEC Tournament.