Box Score
STATEN ISLAND, NY – NJIT sophomore guard Jessica Gerald scored a game-high 21 points leading four double-figure players for the Highlanders but it wasn't enough as Wagner was paced by Kelly Clark and Britteny Thorpe who combined for 28 points leading the Seahawks past NJIT 82-73 Tuesday night at the Spiro Sports Center.
Freshman forward Thorpe finished the night with 14 points and five rebounds while shooting 8-for-10 from the free throw line. Clarke had 14 points and a game-high three blocks for the Seahawks. 5-foot-4 junior guard Andrea Reed posted a double-double 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Classmate Naomi Augustin recorded a career-high 13 points as Casey Stokes scored 10 points and dished out five assists in the victory.
NJIT got a season-best from Gerald, while Ivana Seric, Jill Dickinson, and Kehinde Oyelola added 11 points apiece for the Highlanders. Seric pulled down a team-high seven rebounds while Kehinde Oyelola grabbed six and twin sister Taiwo Oyelola added five.
The Highlanders up one, 37-36, to start the second half, fell behind quickly 46-38 as the Seahawks scored the first eight points of the half led by Casey Stokes with six points.
NJIT cut the lead down to three on two different occasions in the second half – the first coming at 12:54 when senior Dickinson hit a three-pointer from the left wing and then again at 12:20 when sophomore guard Adriana Johnson drove into the paint hitting a short jumper bringing the score 58-55 in favor of the Seahawks.
The Highlanders found themselves within two points of Wagner, 59-58, on an acrobatic layup made by Johnson with 11:53 left to play.
Wagner, coming out of the 12 minute media timeout sparked a 9-0 run led by Thorpe with four points increasing the Seahawks lead, 70-61. NJIT made one last push cutting the lead to five with 2:06 remaining in the game but could not get any closer as the Seahawks closed out the game from the free throw line the rest of the way.
The Seahawks opened up the game at 5-2 on a layup by Clark and a three-pointer by Stokes.
NJIT answered back with a 4-2 run pulling ahead on a jumper in the paint by Taiwo Oyelola at the 15:12 mark.
The game became knotted twice in the first half – 19-19 and 21-21 when Highlander freshman Melanie Griffin hit a jumper from the foul line.
Wagner took their biggest lead of the first half, 34-25, with 2:36 remaining, when Lindsay Corcoran sank a three-pointer from the corner.
The Highlanders battling back and never giving up finished out the half on a 10-2 run led by Gerald with seven and Katie Piekielski who added three points.
NJIT will play its next game a week from today (Tuesday) at Fordham. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.
