Jan. 12, 2008

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - For the second-straight game the Seahawks used a big second-half rally to get back into the game but were unable to overtake Saint Francis (PA) in an 81-74 loss at the Spiro Sports Center. The Green & White, who were down by as many as 25 points in the second stanza, cut the deficit to six with eight seconds remaining before succumbing for the 13-straight time. Wagner is now 2-13 and 0-4 in the NEC while the Red Flash improves to 5-10 and 2-2 in the NEC.

SFPA appeared to be in cruise control after Emily Bollinger's lay-up with 8:40 to go in the game pushed the Red Flash lead out to 24 points at 70-46. Junior Casey Stokes (Hummelstown, PA / Lower Dauphin) then drilled a three pointer, sparking a 14-1 run. The two teams exchanged free throws before Wagner ripped off 10-straight points. Stokes nailed another three and following a missed jumper, senior Ieva Sulskyte (Vilnius, Lithuania / Daytona Beach CC) knocked home a three of her own. Freshman Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY / Notre Dame Academy) sank a pair of free throws before Sulskyte followed suit with a pair of her own and suddenly the Seahawks were trailing just 71-60 with 5:46 remaining. SFPA pushed the lead back out to 13 but the Seahawks continued to claw at the lead. Down 75-64 Wagner used a 7-2 run, capped by Stokes' fourth three pointer of the half to cut it to 77-71 with 1:43 remaining. Shawna Scott answered with a jumper to quell the rally. Wagner would cut it to six one more occasion before losing 81-74.

Reed led Wagner with a season-best matching 15 points while pacing the team with six rebounds and four assists. Stokes scored in double-digits for the second time in her Seahawk career with 12 points, on a perfect 4-4, from beyond the arc, in just 15 minutes. Olsen chipped in with 10 points while Sulskyte and sophomore Naomi Augustin (Valley Stream, NY / Valley Stream Central) each posted seven points and five rebounds, rounding out the top performers for the Green & White.

Wagner shot 41.1 percent (23-56) for the game, their best shooting outing since the second game of the season, and matched their season-high with seven three pointers (17 attempts). Unfortunately for the Green & White, the Red Flash hit on a scoring 52.5 percent (32-61) from the field and parlayed a 39-30 advantage on the glass into a 23-8 advantage in second-chance points. Another bright spot for the Green & White was their bench, which scored a season-high 36 points.

Britney Hodges scored 25 points while Samantha Leach and Scott each hit for 18 points to lead SFPA.

Saint Francis (PA) came out on fire in the first, scoring the first six points before an Augustin lay-up. After another SFPA basket pushed the lead out to 8-2, Wagner used a 12-4 run to take their only lead of the half at 14-12 with 11:08 remaining. The Red Flash reclaimed the lead with an old-fashioned three-point play from Whitney Robinson while starting a game-changing 14-0 run over the next 2:35, making it 26-14 with 8:16 to go. SFPA would add three points to the lead, heading into halftime with a 41-26 lead.

Wagner begins a three-game road trip at Monmouth on Monday, Jan. 14 at 7 pm.