BOX SCORE

Stony Brook, NY - Junior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario / Eastern Commerce) scored a career-high 21 points while the Wagner defense limited Stony Brook to just 23.8 percent shooting en route to a rousing 58-54 victory before a regionally televised audience on MSG+ at Pritchard Gymansium.

With their first road victory of the season, the Seahawks improve to 2-1 while the Seawolves fall to 3-2.

Late in the second half, Stony Brook took its first lead since early in the period at 48-47on Dallis Joyner's slam dunk with 2:58 to play in the game. After each team misfired on their next possessions, Murray drilled a three pointer, giving Wagner an insurmountable 50-48 lead with just 1:45 to play. Junior Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ / Apex Academies) then forced his namesake, Stony Brook's Chris Martin, into an offensive foul before sophomore Ryan Schrotenboer (Fort Myers, FL / Bishop Verot) hit a jumper, extending the lead out to 52-48 at the 53-second mark. Murray stole the ball on the ensuing possession and Martin drained two free throws, pushing the lead out to 54-48 with just 32 seconds remaining while capping the game-changing 8-0 run.

The game was far from over as Bryan Dougher drilled a three pointer before the Seawolves stole the ball from the Seahawks on the ensuing inbounds play. Dougher, Stony Brook's leading scorer at 16.5 ppg, had two opportunities to tie the game before Murray came down with the crucial defensive rebound. The Canadian native then calmly drained his 20th and 21st points of the night from the line, making it a five-point game at 56-51 with 18 seconds to go. Stony Brook cut the deficit to two at 56-54 with a free throw and a bucket but would get no closer as Martin drilled two more free throws, providing the final 58-54 tally.

For the game, Wagner shot a season-best 39.5 percent (17-43) from the floor, including 40.0 percent (6-15) from beyond the arc, while knocking down an impressive 94.7 percent (18-19) from the charity stripe. After halftime, the Seahawks picked it up a notch on offense, hitting on 42.9 percent (9-21), including 50.0 percent (5-10) from long range. Stony Brook was limited to just 23.8 percent (15-63) and 19.0 percent (4-21) from long range. The home team was able to stay in the game thanks to going 20-of-28 (71.4 percent) from the line while owning the glass to the tune of 49-30, including 28-6 on the offensive end, leading to a 20-4 advantage in second-chance points.

Murray notched his game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including going 3-of-4 from long range, with six rebounds and two steals in a game-high 37 minutes of action. Martin, despite not having a field goal, was good on all eight of his free throw attempts, including four in the final 38 seconds. Freshman Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms) matched Martin with eight points. Freshman Orlando Parker (Orlando, FL / Orlando Christian Prep) led the way on defense, pulling down seven rebounds.

After allowing Stony Brook to take a one-point lead at the half, Wagner came roaring out of the gates in the second half using an 11-1 run to take its largest lead of the game at 38-29 while forcing a Seawolves timeout with 15:40 to go in the game. Wagner went 4-for-6 in its half-opening spurt while forcing Stony Brook into seven missed shots during that time.

The Seawolves would claw their way back into the game with a 9-2 spurt, trimming the deficit to two at 40-38 with 11:50 to play, only to have Rivers drill his second triple of the half while extending the lead back out to five. After each team notched a pair of points, Stony Brook went on an 8-2 run over the next 4:48 in taking their only lead of the second half at 48-47 before the Seahawks closed out the game with an 11-6 run for the 58-54 road win.

Wagner went into halftime down 28-27 after leading for the majority of the first half. Stony Brook scored the first five points of the game before Murray answered with a pair of jumpers. Rivers then found Cliff Spiller (Sr., Pleasantville, NJ / Holy Spirit) for a lay-up, giving the Seahawks its first lead of the game at 6-5. Murray then hit another jumper before Rivers scored off a nifty pass from Spiller, capping the 10-0 run while making it 10-5 with 11:50 to go until halftime.

The Seawolves cut the lead to one at 15-14 at the 8:28 mark before Wagner converted six-straight free throws to take its biggest lead of the half at 21-14 with just over five minutes until halftime. Stony Brook would immediately answer with a 6-0 run, pulling to within 21-20. Martin then hit a pair of free throws before Murray nailed a jumper, extending the lead out to five at 25-20 at the final media timeout (3:51) of the first half.

After allowing the Seawolves to connect on two of its first four shots to start the game, the Seahawks were able to assume control of the game thanks in part to a tantalizing defense that forced Stony Brook into 3-of-22 shooting over the next 13:46. The Seawolves would rebound to close the half on an 8-2 run over the last 3:51 while hitting on three of its final five shots in taking a one-point lead at the half.

Dougher led the Seawolves with 15 points, but was limited to just 3-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-10 from long range, while Danny Carter had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Wagner returns to action on Friday, November 26 when the Seahawks travel to Hofstra for a 7:00 pm affair.



NOTES: With the win, Wagner is now 5-2 all-time against Stony Brook, including 3-2 since the Seawolves moved up to Division I ... The Seahawks have won two of the last three meetings at Pritchard Gymnasium by a combined seven points ... The Green & White have now defeated Lafayette & Stony Brook, both of who bested Wagner a year ago en route to 19 and 22 wins, respectively ... Last year, the Seawolves defeated the Seahawks 72-48 at the Spiro Sports Center on November 21, 2009 ... Stony Brook bested Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson in its last two games ... Murray's previous career-high of 19 points was set against Central Connecticut State on February 20, 2010 ... After being outscored by a combined 68-22 in the paint in their first two games, the Seahawks matched the Seawolves in the paint as each team notched 18 points ... Wagner's frontcourt of freshman Naofall Folahan (Benin Republic / Wilbraham and Monsoon Academy (MA)), Parker, Schrotenboer, Spiller and junior Josh Thompson (Richland, NJ / St. Augustine Prep) combined for 14 points after notching just 12 points over the first two games ... All five players in the starting line-up blocked a shot ... Wagner shot a blistering 94.7 percent from the charity stripe and is shooting 80.8 percent (42-52) for the year ... The Seahawks are also hitting on an impressive 44.1 percent (26-59) from beyond the arc while holding the opposition to 17.1 percent (6-35) ... After giving up 16-2 and 6-0 runs at the onset of the second half in each of its first two games, the Green & White busted off an 11-1 run over the first 4:20 of the second period at Stony Brook ... Murray leads the Green & White in scoring at 19.0 ppg while shooting 50.0 percent (22-44) from the floor, including 56.3 percent (9-16) from beyond the arc, and has been on the floor for all but six minutes this year ... ... Senior #T.J. Czeski# (Amsterdam, NY / Amsterdam) finished up the football season on Saturday, making a team-best 11 tackles at Sacred Heart and will resume basketball activities on Monday ... With its second win of the non-conference season, the Green & White matched its entire non-league win total of a year ago (2-11) ... The schedule doesn't get any easier for Wagner as the Seahawks head to Hofstra the day after Thanksgiving ... The Pride won 19 games a year ago and are led by preseason CAA Player of the Year Charles Jenkins, who is averaging a team-leading 23.0 ppg, highlighted by 24 points against North Carolina.