Thornton scored a career-high 20 points to lead all scorers this afternoon (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

Trio of 13-point scorers leads balanced Seahawks offense as Thornton nets career-high 20 points for Skyhawks

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (February 3, 2024) – Wagner College held off Stonehill College's fourth quarter rally to secure a 63-55 victory in a Northeast Conference women's basketball contest at Spiro Sports Center this afternoon.

Freshman Shamique Cummings led Wagner's balanced scoring effort that featured four double-figure scorers, including a trio with a team-high 13 points by making 5-of-7 shots and grabbing a team-best seven rebounds with three steals. Junior Rakisha Ballinger totaled 11 of her 13 points in the second half, finishing 6-of-10 shooting with three rebounds and four steals, while freshman Kiera Edmonds contributed 13 points and three boards. Junior Semie Brar rounded out the Seahawks in double-figures with ten points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Senior Jada Thornton recorded a new career-high for the second-straight game, finishing with a game-high 20 points, including nine of her 15 second-half points in the fourth quarter, with two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Classmate Cameron Ward notched her second career double-double with 13 points and a career-best 15 rebounds (eight offensive), while junior Maureen Stapleton also pulled double double-digit rebounds with ten. Postgrad Lauren Sampson rounded out the Skyhawks in double-figures with 12 of her 14 points in the second half, with four boards, four assists, two blocked shots and a steal.

Ward pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds and added 13 points for her second career double-double (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard)

Wagner took advantage of a slow start from Stonehill, grabbing a quick lead, as the Skyhawks made just 2-of-15 shots (13.3-percent), by connecting on 8-of-15 shots (53.3%) at its own end. The Seahawks scored nine-straight points, including five from Brar, to open an 11-point lead (15-4) after a Brar three-pointer with less than three minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Stonehill trimmed the lead to seven (15-8) at the free-throw line, including 3-of-4 by Ward who finished the first quarter with five points and four rebounds, but Edmonds sent the Seahawks into the second quarter with a nine-point lead (17-8) with a layup at the buzzer.

Wagner scored the first seven points of the second quarter to extend its lead to 16 (24-8) after four-straight points from junior Paige Lyons less than four minutes into the frame. Stonehill broke a 12-minute stretch without a field goal with a second-chance layup from Sampson with 5:28 to play in the half and then Ward drained a three to pull the Skyhawks back within 11 (24-13) with 4:54 remaining. Those would be two of Stonehill's three baskets from the floor in the frame as a jumper from junior Sharn Hayward still had the Skyhawks within 11 (29-18) with 1:45 before the intermission, but Edmonds scored five points in the last 33-seconds to restore Wagner's 16-point lead (34-18) at the half.

After the two teams largely traded baskets throughout the third quarter, Wagner stretched its lead to 19 twice over the first 2:25 of the fourth. Stonehill scored ten-straight points, including five at the free-throw line, to rally within seven (56-49) after a Hayward triple with 96-seconds remaining. Sampson answered a layup from postgrad Taleah Washington with a three-pointer to pull within six (58-52) with 58-seconds to go, but the Seahawks held there, doing enough at the free-throw line, and collecting a key offensive board after two misses at the stripe, to offset a final Thornton three-pointer with 14-seconds on the clock that had the visitors back within six (61-55).     

Noteworthy

• Thornton's career-high 20 points followed up a 19-point performance against Sacred Heart University on Thursday night and marks her team-leading 12^th double-figure game of the season (15^th career), leading the Skyhawks scorers for a team-leading ninth time this season (12 career).
• Sampson has scored in double-figures in eight-straight games in just her ninth game played overall since returning from injury after transferring from Providence, posting her 13^th career double-figure scoring game overall.
• Ward has two of Stonehill's three double-doubles of the season – both coming within the last two weeks as her career-high 15 boards are a new team season-high and one shy of the most in the NEC this season.
• Stapleton's ten rebounds is her team-leading sixth double-figure game of the season (ninth career).
• Stonehill finished shooting 28.1-percent from the floor (18-for-64), including 6-for-11 (54.5%) in the third quarter, but was limited to 5-for-34 (14.7%) in the first half, including the 12-minute shooting drought.
• The Skyhawks held a 47-36 rebounding edge, including 24 on the offensive glass while Wagner matched that total on the Stonehill end of the floor defensively.

Up Next
Stonehill (3-19, 3-6 NEC) is back on the road on Friday, when it visits Conference newcomer Le Moyne College for a Northeast Conference matchup of former Northeast-10 Conference rivals in Syracuse, New York, at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks next home game is the following Saturday, February 17, against Le Moyne for their Alumnae Day Game at 2 p.m. Wagner (6-13, 3-4 NEC) visits FDU for an NEC matchup on Friday at 7 p.m.

Tickets for home Stonehill basketball games can be purchased in advance online at stonehillskyhawks.com/tickets.

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