STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Jan. 12, 2008) – The Saint Francis University women's basketball team survived a late rally by the Wagner Seahawks to win their first Northeast Conference road game of the season, 81-74, at the Spiro Sports Center. The Red Flash improve to 5-10 (2-2 NEC) with the win.

Saint Francis led by as many as 25 points five minutes into the second half before the Seahawks started a charge that pulled them to within 10 with three minutes to go in regulation.

The Red Flash enjoyed their best offensive performance on the season, shooting 52.5 percent form the floor, including 40 percent from behind the arc. SFU's 81 points represented the team's highest scoring total since scoring 82 in a season-ending win over Mount Saint Mary's on Feb. 27, 2006.

“We're getting better,” said Saint Francis coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl. “There are still things we need to improve upon, and we still go through stretches where it doesn't look pretty. We're still struggling to put an entire 40 minutes together.”

Sophomore Britney Hodges (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal) (Dayton, Ohio/Mount de Chantal Academy) scored a game-high 25, followed by junior Shawna Scott (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill?Academy) (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill Academy) and freshman Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) who each fired in 18.

“Shawna is one of our best shooters. Really, her and Hodges are, so we like to try to get the ball in their hands,” said Robinson Fruchtl. “I thought we took some pretty good shots tonight.”

Leach's 18 marked a new career-high and the second double-digit scoring game of her career.

“This was probably [Samantha's] best game offensively all year. She really read things well, and when she was open, she took the shot,” said Robinson Fruchtl.

Junior Whitney Robinson (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont) (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont) led the Flash with 10 boards, as SFU out-rebounded the Seahawks, 39-30, on the night.

Wagner's Andrea Reed led the Seahawks with 15 points.

Saint Francis travels to Central Connecticut State on Monday.