BOX SCORE

Brooklyn, NY – Senior center Michael Orock (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) had 17 points and eight rebounds and junior guard T.J. Czeski (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) added 10 points and six assists to lead defensive-minded Wagner to a gritty 65-59 overtime win over LIU.

With the win, which snapped an eight-game losing streak, the Seahawks improve to 3-17, 1-6 in the NEC while LIU falls to 7-11, 5-2 in NEC play.

Wagner trailed 29-27 at halftime despite shooting 5-of-7 from three-point range. Orock, freshman guard Danny Mundweiler (Overland Park, KS/Olathe East) and sophomore guard Tyler Murray (Toronto, Canada/Eastern Commerce) had six points apiece to lead the Seahawks in the opening stanza. Both Mundweiler and Murray were 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Mundweiler's second trey of the half with three seconds to go drew the Seahawks to within two at intermission.

LIU opened the second half with a 15-8 burst to build its biggest lead of the game of nine at 44-35 with 10:47 left in the game. The Seahawks then countered with a 12-0 run which began with a three-point play by Mundweiler, who was fouled and converted the free throw which made t a 44-38 game. Following a missed three-pointer by Kyle Johnson, sophomore guard Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Apex Academies) drilled a three-point jumper to close the gap to 44-41 with 9:39 to go. Junior center Clifton Spiller then hit a driving layup off a pretty feed from Czeski to make it a one-point game with 9:12 left.

Czeski then blocked a David Hicks shot, grabbed the rebound and drove the length of the floor, capping the play and the 12-0 run with a fast break layup with 8:45 left that gave Wagner the lead at 45-44 with 8:45 left.

The lead would change hands four times over the next six minutes. Wagner appeared to have some breathing room at 56-52 following a Martin jumper with 2:32 left in regulation but two free throws by Jamal Olasewere and a layup by Hicks knotted the score at 56-56 with 1:25 to go. Following a pair of Wagner turnovers, LIU had a chance to win it on the last possession of regulation but solid Wagner defense forced Hicks to misfire on an off-balance three-point attempt at the buzzer, forcing overtime. 

Kyle Johnson hit a three-point jumper to put the Blackbirds up 59-56 at the outset of overtime but again the Seahawks fought back as Orock hit one of two free throws and then slammed home a dunk off an assist by senior forward Doug Elwell (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) to tie the game at 59-59. Elwell then came up with a key defensive play, blocking a Wisseh jumper with Orock grabbing the rebound. Czeski then gave Wagner the lead for good with a layup at the 1:05 mark that made it 61-59.

More hard-nosed Wagner defense forced three missed LIU shots on the ensuing possession. Elwell came up with the rebound of the third miss and was fouled. The senior then hit two free throws to make it a two-possession game at 63-59 with 11 seconds left and Czeski rounded out the scoring with two free throws with two seconds to go to fashion the final score at 65-59.

The staunch Wagner defensive effort limited All-NEC guard Wisseh into a 3-for-21 shooting night which contributed to LIU's shooting 20-of-70 (29 percent) from the field. Hicks led LIU with 15 points while Wisseh, who came in averaging 17.2 points per game, was held to 13.

Wagner received great production from its bench as Mundweiler finished with nine points while Spiller added a season-high eight to go with five rebounds. Wagner shot 48 percent for the game and was 50 percent (6-of-12) from beyond the arc. The rebounding battle was even at 42-42.

Wagner is next in action on Saturday, Jan. 23 when the Seahawks travel to St. Francis (NY) in a 4:30 pm start.

NOTES - Wagner was without freshman guard Josh Thompson (Richland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) due to the death of his grandmother and uncle. Thompson will also miss Saturday's game with St. Francis (NY).