Jan. 27, 2007
Box Score
Staten Island, NY -Wagner junior guard Mark Porter (Atlantic City, NJ / St. Augustine's Prep) scored a career high 27 points to lead the Seahawks past visiting Saint Francis (PA) by a final count of 83-67 at the Spiro Sports Center tonight. The conference win improves Wagner to 4-5 in the NEC and 7-13 overall. The Red Flash have now lost a school record 13 straight while slipping to 1-10 NEC and 4-18 overall.
Porter led four players in double figures for the Seahawks shooting 10-14 to go along with seven assists, six rebounds and a career best five steals.
In a first half that contained six ties and seven lead changes, the Seahawks managed an eight point advantage at the 4:24 mark. Wagner took the 25-17 lead after a 13-2 run highlighted by five points from Porter. The Red Flash quickly responded with a 15-5 run over the next three minutes to regain a 32-30 lead with one and a half minutes to play in the period. A three from senior Matt Vitale (Brooklyn, NY / St. Edmund's Prep) then gave the Seahawks a 35-34 lead before four straight points, including a runner at the buzzer by Devin Sweetney left Saint Francis (PA) up 38-35 at the break.
Back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore Joey Mundweiler (Olathe, KS / Olathe East) fueled Wagner which used a 12-3 spurt to start the second half to gain a 47-41 lead at the 15:40 mark. The Seahawks and Porter then put the game away with a 14-3 stretch that turned a four point advantage into a 15 point margin (71-56) with 5:11 remaining. Porter, who recorded his 50th career double digit scoring game, hit two of his four three pointers in the stretch and contributed 10 points.
The Seahawks, which shot over 50 percent (54.7%) for the third straight game, would go up by as many at 18 before all was said and done. Wagner shot 60.7 percent in the second half and hit 11-20 three pointers for the game.
After Porter, junior James Ulrich (Mt. Laurel, NJ / Camden Catholic) extended his double-digit consecutive games streak to eight with 15 points. Mundweiler (14 points) and Vitale (13 points) who combined for seven three-pointers completed the double digit scorers.
Chris Berry paced the Red Flash with 19 points, while Bassirou Dieng chipped in 15 for the team which shot 45.1 percent from the floor and held a 33-29 edge in rebounding.
The win marked the 390th career victory as a Division I head coach for Mike Deane.
Before the game Frank Casiano and John Strandberg were honor for their life-saving effort of NEC Coordinator of Officials, Edgar Cartotto. Cartotto suffered a heart attack in the stands of Wagner's December 9th win over Robert Morris and was brought back to life after CPR and a deliberator where used by Casiano and Strandberg.
Wagner will complete a five games in 10 days stretch on Tuesday night when they travel to LIU for a 7:00 pm start.
~wagnerathletics.com ~
