NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Wagner Seahawks used a dominant second-quarter surge to overcome an early deficit and hand the visiting Central Connecticut Blue Devils their 20th consecutive loss to open the season, 63-44, in a Northeast Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Spiro Sports Center.

The game’s decisive stretch came in the second period, where Wagner outscored Central Connecticut 24-14 to turn a three-point deficit into a commanding lead. The Seahawks, who improved to 10-10 overall and evened their conference record, capitalized on a flurry of Blue Devil turnovers and found their offensive rhythm from beyond the arc during the quarter.

Central Connecticut, which fell to 0-20, started the game with purpose, building an 11-8 lead after the first quarter behind active defense that forced several Wagner turnovers. The Blue Devils extended their lead to 15-11 early in the second quarter on a floating jumper by Lucia Noin.

The momentum shifted abruptly. Wagner’s Klea Kaci, a guard from Mississauga, Canada, ignited the run with a three-pointer off an assist from Priscila Varela. After a Central Connecticut turnover, Kaci struck again from deep, this time on another Varela assist, to give Wagner a 17-15 lead it would not relinquish. Varela then hit a three-pointer of her own, and Keana Foz converted a steal into a driving layup, capping a 14-0 run that put the Seahawks firmly in control at 25-15.

Wagner’s defense was the catalyst, forcing eight Central Connecticut turnovers in the quarter and converting them into 12 points. The Seahawks finished the game with a 26-16 advantage in points off turnovers.

Central Connecticut’s Kiyah Lewis, a guard from Fredericksburg, Virginia, did her best to keep her team within reach. She scored 11 of her game-high 19 points in the first half, including a layup and a three-pointer in the third quarter that briefly cut the Wagner lead to 32-29. But each time the Blue Devils threatened, Wagner had an answer.

The Seahawks responded to Lewis’s third-quarter push with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three-point play from Foz. Wagner’s lead ballooned to 50-36 by the end of the third quarter, and the Seahawks cruised through the final period, holding Central Connecticut to just four points on 2-of-14 shooting from the floor.

Lewis added one assist in 35 minutes for the Blue Devils. Jessica Farrell, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, provided support with 12 points and two assists. Noin, of Santander, Spain, contributed five points, two assists, two steals and a block.

Wagner’s attack was balanced. Kaci led the Seahawks with 14 points, including three three-pointers. Irene Fernandez de Caleya, from Tarragona, Spain, filled the stat sheet with 10 points, four assists and five steals. Foz added nine points and two assists, while Varela, of Cabinda, Angola, orchestrated the offense with eight points, five assists and four steals. Hawa Balde-Camara, a 6-foot-4 center from Barcelona, Spain, anchored the interior defense with six points, two blocks and two steals.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably Wagner’s transformative second-quarter performance. After a sluggish and turnover-prone start, the Seahawks flipped the contest on its head with a combination of stifling perimeter defense and efficient, unselfish offense. Their 14-0 run over a three-minute span turned a tentative four-point game into a double-digit lead, establishing a cushion that Central Connecticut, plagued by scoring droughts all season, could never seriously challenge. That burst exemplified the difference between a team finding its footing at .500 and one mired in a prolonged struggle.

The Seahawks shot marginally better from the field overall, though both teams struggled from three-point range and the free-throw line. Wagner held a slim 38-34 rebounding edge. The announced attendance was 401.

The loss extends a difficult season for Central Connecticut, which has not won since the previous February. The Blue Devils will look to break the streak on Saturday when they travel to face Long Island. Wagner, now at the .500 mark, continues its conference schedule on the road Saturday at Fairleigh Dickinson.