Hamden, CT - Wagner (5-7; 1-0 NEC) returns to action tonight with a 7:00 pm game against Quinnipiac (9-2; 1-0 NEC) at the TD Banknorth Center. The defending NEC Regular Season Champion Bobcats enter with a five-game winning streak and are led by junior guard James Johnson (17.5 ppg) and senior forward Justin Rutty (16.8 ppg / 9.8 rpg). Wagner will look to counter with its high-powered duo of junior guard Tyler Murray (16.0 ppg / 5.3 rpg) and freshman guard Latif Rivers (14.0 ppg). The Seahawks closed out 2010 with an 80-65 win over Albany for their fifth victory of the year while matching their entire total from a year ago. Tonight's game can be heard through the Quinnipiac Broadcasting Network. Live updates can be accessed via the Wagner Twitter service.




TIP-OFF TIME
After a decisive 80-65 win over Albany at the Spiro Sports Center, Wagner (5-7; 1-0 NEC) will look to make it two in a row when the Seahawks meet up with NEC Preseason favorite Quinnipiac (9-2; 1-0 NEC).

TOUGH STRETCH
Today's game is also the first of back-to-back games against the defending NEC Regular Season and Tournament champions. The Green & White will host Robert Morris on Thursday, January 7 at 7:00 pm.

ALBANY WIN NOTES
It took four tries but the 1,000th win in school history helped snapped a four-game losing streak while giving Wagner much-needed momentum heading into tonight's tussle with the Bobcats ... The victory also matched last year's win total of five.

THOMPSON TAKES FLIGHT
Sophomore Josh Thompson put together arguably his finest game as a Seahawk in the 15-point drubbing of Albany. Thompson spearheaded Wagner's 47-point second half explosion against the Great Danes while scoring 18 of his career-high 24 points in the second stanza while adding seven rebounds and a career-best five assists. He also notched more field goals (7) in the second half than the entire Albany team (5).

SECOND-HALF SCORING FRENZY LIFTS WAGNER
Trailing 39-33 at the half to a stout Albany team that had already gone 3-0 against NEC competition, Wagner exploded for an 11-1 run after intermisson and never looked back. The Seahawks outscored the Great Danes 47-26 while notching their most points in a half all season. The Seahawk defense was up to task, limiting Albany to just 5-of-24 shooting while fueling runs of 10-1, 16-4 and 7-2.

RISE UP
Junior Josh Thompson became the sixth-different Seahawk to lead the team in scoring through the first 12 games

IN THE PREVIOUS THREE GAMES ...
Wagner averaged just 52.7 points over the previous three games - all losses while failing to eclipse the 60-point barrier ... All of which makes the 47-point second half total that much more impressive.

CCSU, MOUNT, FDU TAKE NOTE
The three teams were all selected to finish above Wagner in the Northeast Conference but the Seahawks were the only one of the four teams to defeat Albany this season.

OFFENSE COMES TO LIFE
After averaging just 57.2 points per game over a four-game losing streak, Wagner erupted for a season-best 80 points. The Seahawks also notched a season-high 28 field goals and 24 assists. The 80 points are the most since the Green & White hit for 81 in last year's season-finale against Saint Francis (PA) (2/27/10) while the 28 field goals and 24 assists are the most since recording 28 field goals and 24 assists in a 91-60 victory over Monmouth (2/28/09).

No. 4
Wagner's 24 assists against Albany are the fourth-best total in the NCAA ranks this year.

ALSO...
The 15-point margin of victory was the largest by a Wagner team since blasting Monmouth 91-60 in the aforementioned regular season finale on February 28, 2009.

IMPROVEMENT
Wagner shot 47.5 percent (28-59) against Albany marking the fifth time in the last eight games the Seahawks shot at least 40.0 percent from the floor after failing to do so once over the first first four games.

DEFENSE STEPS UP
A major key to Wagner's impressive 4-3 start was the defense. However in a four-game losing streak, the Seahawks allowed the opposition to hit on 50.8 percent of its shots, including 45.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Green & White got back in the victory column against Albany, employing a tenacious in the your face defense that forced the Great Danes into just 33.3 percent 15-45), including just 23.7 percent (9-38) after allowing the visitors to connect on six of their first seven shots.

PERFECT
Wagner improved to a perfect 5-0, all-time, against Albany and is now 18-11, all-time, against current members of the America East Conference.

SETTING THE SCENE
Wagner will be looking for its first winning streak of the season against an extremely talented Quinnipiac team that has won its last five games en route to a league-best 9-2 mark. The Bobcats are outscoring the opposition by an average of 6.5 points per game and are 7-2 in games decided by 10 points or less.

COACHING MATCH-UP
Head coach Dan Hurley is 5-7 (1-0 NEC) in this his first year at Wagner while fourth-year Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore is 62-43 (27-18 NEC), highlighted by a school-record 23 wins and a school's first-ever trip to the NIT a year ago.

HOMECOMING OF SORTS
Assistant coach Luke Murray began his collegiate coaching career at Quinnipiac back during the 2007-2008 season, helping the Bobcats to a 15-15 record, including an 11-7 ledger in the NEC.

HURLEY, BURRELL MEET AGAIN
Wagner assistant Bobby Hurley and Quinnipiac assistant Scott Burrell faced off against each other on March 24, 1990 with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Hurley's second seeded Duke team defeated Burrell's top-seeded UConn squad 79-78 in the East Regional Final at the Meadowlands. Hurley had eight assists, four steals and three points while Burrell had 12 points with five rebounds. The pair were again linked when they were each drafted in the First Round of the 1993 NBA Draft with Hurley going seventh overall to the Sacramento Kings and Burrell 20th to the Charlotte Hornets.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC
Quinnipiac, which is second in the NEC in scoring (76.1 ppg), is arguably the most talented & deepest team in the NEC, led by senior forward and reigning Player of the Year Justin Rutty, who is second in the NEC in scoring (16.8 ppg) and first in rebounding (9.8 rpg). Junior point guard James Johnson leads the league in scoring at 17.5 points per game while ranking fifth with 4.4 assists per game. Rounding out the top scorers for the Bobcats is senior shooting guard Deontay Twyman, who checks in with 11.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.

THE SERIES
Wagner leads the all-time series by a 13-12 but has dropped three of the last four meetings.

JAMEE JACKSON & THE HURLEYS
Sophomore Jamee Jackson, who played his prep ball at Saint Anthony's High School for Bob Hurley, Sr., has started all 11 games for Quinnipiac, averaging 5.0 points and 5.2 rebounds for the season.

LAST YEAR VS. THE BOBCATS
Wagner dropped both games to Quinnipiac by an avearge of 10.5 points per game. The Seahawks averaged just 61.5 points over the two games and went just 12-of-23 (52.2 %) from the line while allowing the Bobcats to go 44-61 (72.1 %) from the charity stripe. Junior Tyler Murray averaged 10.0 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game while turning the ball over just three times. The Canadian guard also shot 40.0 percent (4-10) from beyond the arc.

REBOUNDING NOTE
After failing to win the battle of the boards over the first four games, Wagner managed to win the glass battle at Bucknell (+2), at St. John's (+6), vs. Saint Peter's (+4) and against Albany (+4). Wagner will need to continue improving on the glass as Quinnipiac is the No. 1 rebounding team in America, averaging a super-muscular 45.3 boards per game, including a nation-best 17.8 offensive rebounds, wihle ranking seventh nationally in rebound margin (+10.3). The Seahawks, on the other hand, are ranked at 334th in the nation and last in the NEC in rebounding (29.5 rpg).

FOR WAGNER TO WIN ...
The Seahawks will have to continue to shoot the ball well as they continue to lead the league in three-point percentage (38.7 %) and free throw percentage (78.0 %). Wagner will also have to contain the Quinnipiac offense (41.2 %) (3rd NEC) while finding a way to score against a stingy defense (41.2 %) (2nd NEC).

SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Wagner leads the NEC in three-point shooting (38.7 %) while Quinnipiac is second in three-point defense (28.1 %).

RPI UPDATE
Wagner is currently ranked 174th in RPI while Quinnipiac is 72nd.

TV NOTES
Time Warner Cable has announced they will pick up the Quinnipiac (1/20) and Long Island (2/17) games, bringing Wagner's total home Television package to seven games. The Seahawks will next be televised on Saturday, January 8 when the Green & White tip off the NEC television package against Saint Francis (PA). The game will shown on MSG+ and Fox College Sports.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
According to the most recent NCAA Rankings, Wagner is currently ranked fifth in the nation in free throw shooting at 78.0 percent (198-254). Freshman Latif Rivers, who made his first 31 collegiate free throws, ranks sixth nationally at 94.0 percent (47-50) from the line. Junior Tyler Murray is seventh in the NEC and 36th nationally at 86.4 percent (51-59) from the charity stripe while ranking 90th in the nation in scoring (16.0 ppg). Freshman Naofall Folahan is 54th with a NEC-best 1.8 blocks per game.

EVEN BETTER
The Seahawks' free throw percentage jumps to 79.0 percent in the last five minutes of games as Wagner is connecting on 64-of-81. Freshman Latif Rivers is 17-for-18 (94.4 %) while junior Tyler Murray is 18-for-20 (90.0 %).

A YEAR AGO
The Green & White hit on just 61.1 percent from the free throw line.

BEST IN SHOW
Besides its prowess at the charity stripe, Wagner leads the Northeast Conference in three point percentage (.393), ranking 19th nationally.

TYLER & LATIF SNAP OUT OF FUNK
Junior Tyler Murray (16.0 ppg) and freshman Latif Rivers (14.0 ppg) combined for 17 points in the win over Albany. Coming into the game, Murray had been averaging just 4.0 points per game in the first half in the previous four games while shooting just 21.1 percent (4-19). Rivers hit for nine points after averaging just 1.8 points per game during the same time while shooting just 20.0 percent (3-15).

LOOKING FOR THE THIRD OPTION
While junior Tyler Murray has hit for double-digits 11 times and freshman Latif Rivers has seven times, the rest of the team has gone for double-digures just 12 times in the season's first 12 games. Sophomore Josh Thompson scored a game and career-high 24 points in the win over Albany and will now look to do something that hasn't been accomplished the 11 previous times a player other than Murray and Rivers hit four double-digts and that is follow it with double-figures. Besides the aforementioned two players, Wagner has not had a player score in double-digits in back-to-back games all year.

MARTIN LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCY
Junior Chris Martin has scored in double-digits four times this year, averaging 17.3 points in those four games while shooting 47.8 percent (20-41) from the floor, including 59.1 percent (13-22) from beyond the arc in those games. In the four games after notching double-figures he is averaging just 6.3 points per game while shooting 34.8 percent (8-23) from the floor and 18.8 percent (3-16) from long range. However, the in the last game he recorded six assists while not turning the ball over while adding seven points, four steals and four rebounds in helping the Green & White exit the Spiro victorious.

WAGNER IS ...
4-1 when junior Tyler Murray records six rebounds or more and classmate Chris Martin drains four free throws or more.

FOLAHAN NAMED CHOICE HOTELS NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman Naofall Folahan was named the Choice Hotels Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Week (12/13-12/19) after posting career-highs with 19 points and seven blocks against Princeton on Friday, December 17 at the Spiro Sports Center.

RECRUITING PAYING DIVIDENDS
Head coach Dan Hurley's first recruiting class has been paying dividends since day one and the Northeast Conference is paying attention. Freshman Naofall Folahan collected Wagner's fourth Rookie of the Week citation in the season's first six weeks following his performance against Saint John's. For the 6'11” center it his first NEC accolade while classmate Latif Rivers has been honored three times.

FOLAHAN DOMINANT
Against Princeton, freshman Naofall Folahan provided a dominant inside presence for Wagner in a 69-57, scoring 19 points with seven blocks after notching just 22 points and 13 blocks over the first nine games of the year. He also converted 6-of-8 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the line. His seven rejections represented an NEC single-game season-high and were the most by a Seahawk player since Miladin Mutavdzic blocked eight against Fairleigh Dickinson on February 29, 1992. On the year, Folahan leads the NEC with 1.8 blocks per game and is averaging 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per outing.

MURRAY ALL-TIME LEADER
Junior Tyler Murray is second in the NEC in three-point percentage at 46.9 percent (23-49). For his career, he is the all-time Wagner leader in the same category (min. 100 three point attempts), converting on a blistering 42.0 percent (79-188).

NOT TOO SHABBY
Wagner head coach Dan Hurley, assistant coach Bobby Hurley and assistant coach Bashir Mason have seen their alma maters go a combined 29-9 to start the season. Duke (B. Hurley) has started a perfect 13-0 while Drexel is an impressive 9-2 (Mason) and Seton Hall (D. Hurley) has a solid 7-7 record.

PERFECT PARKER
After not starting for the first time all season, freshman Orlando Parker stepped up in a big way against Saint Peter's, scoring 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 performance from the floor while matching his career-best total of 20 minutes. Parker, who scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half, was 6-for-6 in the opening stanza while the rest of his teammates went just 3-for-12. Coming into the game, Parker had just five points over the previous three games.

PARKER'S SPLITS
Freshman Orlando Parker has scored in double-digits twice this year, notching 15 against Saint Peter's and 12 in the win over Bucknell before narrowly missing double-figures at No. 25 Texas A&M, finishing with nine points. In those three games, he is averaging 12.0 points per game while converting on 68.0 percent (17-25) from the floor. In his other eight games he has nine points on 23.5 percent (4-17) shooting. For the season, he is averaging 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 52.5 percent (21-40) from the floor.

MURRAY MAKES IT RAIN
Junior Tyler Murray ranks third in the NEC in scoring at 16.0 points per game and among the league-leaders in three-point percentage (.469) (2nd NEC) minutes played (37.3 mpg) (2nd NEC), free throw percentage (.864) (6th NEC), three-pointers made (1.9) (t-10th NEC), assists (3.4 apg) (11th NEC), assist to turnover ratio (1.1) (15th NEC), rebounding (5.3 rpg) (15th NEC) and defensive rebounding (4.6) (11th).

LATIF LEADS ALL NEC FRESHMAN
Freshman Latif Rivers leads all NEC freshmen in scoring (14.0 ppg) while ranking 10th overall. On the national level, he is tops in the league and is sixth in the nation in free throw percentage (.940) while sitting eighth in the NEC in three-pointers made (2.1) and 15th in three-point percentage (.379).

RIVERS EARNS THIRD CHOICE HOTELS NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK ACCOLADE
Freshman Latif Rivers earned his second-straight NEC rookie accolade and the third of of the season after averaging 17.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game as the Seahawks posted a 2-1 record on the road for the week of November 29- December 5. He also hit 21-22 (.955) from the line to en-route to a pair of 20-point outings as Wagner bested Bucknell and Sacred Heart while coming up painstakingly short at St. John's.

MURRAY NOTCHES CAREER-HIGH
Junior Tyler Murray scored a career-high 23 points with a personal-best matching 10 rebounds over 40 huge minutes at Sacred Heart. The Canadian native was 7-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 6-of-7 from the line while also drilling a three pointers and hitting a free throw with under a minute to go to force overtime. In the extra session, Murray hit a driving lay-up, pushing the Seahawks lead out to three with just 1:36 to play.

HURLEY BROTHERS PROFILED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES
Wagner head coach Dan Hurley and assistant coach Bobby Hurley were recently profiled by Harvey Araton of the New York Times in an article entitled The Coaching Hurleys Are Jersey's Boys. The entire article can be accessed via the Wagner Athletics website.

HEAD COACH DAN HURLEY PROFILED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wagner head coach Dan Hurley was recently profiled by Associated Press (AP) National College Basketball writer Dan Gelston in an article entitled Dan Hurley Forging His Own Identity At Wagner. The entire article can be accessed via the Wagner Athletics website.

TRIPPED UP IN TEXAS
Wagner's 86-51 loss to No. 25 Texas A&M on December 21, 2010 was the Seahawks' first game against a nationally ranked team since suffering a narrow 74-72 loss to No. 12 UCLA on December 21, 2005.

ODD STAT
Wagner has drained 77 three pointers while grabbing 81 offensive rebounds over the first nine games. The 6.4 three pointers per game rank fourth in the NEC while the 6.8 offensive rebounds per game rank last in the league.

FOULS
The Seahawks committed just nine fouls in the first half against Princeton, marking the second half this season Wagner has not allowed the opposition into the double-bonus (10 fouls). Thus far, the Green & White is committing an average of 5.4 more fouls than the opposition while ranking 333rd with 25.3 fouls per game. For comparison's sake, Florida is averaging a NCAA-low 13.8 fouls per game.

ROAD GAMES
The Seahawks are 3-5 on the road with all three wins coming by five points or less after going 2-11 away from the Spiro Sports Center a year ago.

MARTIN GOES OFF
After being held to just 26 points on 6-of-18 shooting over his three previous games, junior Chris Martin exploded for 24 points, on 8-of-13 shooting, with four steals, three rebounds and two assists at Columbia. He is averaging 9.3 points per game while shooting a 39.5 percent (17-43) on threes' (10th NEC) and 73.9 percent (34-46) (14th NEC) from the free throw line.

IF ONLY EVERY GAME COULD BE AGAINST COLUMBIA
Junior Chris Martin's season-high 24 points at Columbia comes after he dropped a career-high 34 points against the Lions a year ago at the Spiro Sports Center. He is now aveaging 21.3 points per game in three career games against the Columbia, shooting 55.0 percent (22-40) from the floor and 52.1 percent (12-23) from outside the arc.

THE LAST TIME WAGNER WON AN OVERTIME GAME ...
Prior to the Seahawks' NEC-opening 73-68 overtime win was the first extra-time victory for the Green & White since January 21, 2010, besting Long Island by a 65-59 count.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Head coach Dan Hurley became the first Wagner coach in the program's 30-year Northeast Conference (NEC) history to win his first league game. P.J. Carlesimo (Coach Hurley's collegiate coach at Seton Hall), Neil Kennett, Tim Capstraw, Dereck Whittenberg and Mike Deane all lost their NEC-debuts ... Wagner is also now 17-13, all-time, in NEC openers.

COMEBACK KIDS
Wagner rallied for a five-point deficit with just under 50 seconds to play in its NEC-opening 73-68 win at Sacred Heart.

RIVERS AUTOMATIC
It took seven games but freshman Latif Rivers showed he was human from the charity stripe, missing his first career free throw at Sacred Heart. After splitting a pair with 5:40 to play, the freshman guard hit his final four, helping spur the Seahawks to a come-from-behind overtime victory. Rivers finished up 9-for-10 from the line and has six games in which he has converted at least six free throws. As mentioned before Rivers ranks sixth in the national rankings at 94.0 percent (47-50).

MURRAY, RIVERS DUO RANKS THIRD IN THE NEC
Junior Tyler Murray and freshman Latif Rivers continue to rank as one of the top scoring duo in the league (3rd NEC) at an impressive 30.0 points per game. In the overtime win against Sacred Heart the pair combined for 44 points on 11-of-26 shooting, including 7-of-16 from beyond the arc, and 15-of-17 from the free throw line. On the year, they are shooting 39.6 percent (107-270) from the floor, 41.7 percent (48-115) from beyond the arc and a blistering 89.9 percent (98-109) at the line.

BAILEY NAMED TO THE NEC HALL OF FAME
Former Wagner basketball standout and Hall of Famer Terrance Bailey, the most prolific scorer in NEC men's basketball history, was one of eight members in the Northeast Conference's inaugural Hall of Fame class. He was previously selected to the NEC All-Decade team, 20th Anniversary and 25th Anniversary teams. His 2,591 career points are nearly 300 more than the next closest league player and his single-season point totals of 854 points as a junior and 788 as a senior rank him third and fourth, respectively, on the all-time conference list. Bailey led the nation in scoring (29.4 ppg) and was named the NEC Player of the Year as a junior in 1985-1986. He won the NEC scoring title again as a senior (28.1 ppg) in 1986-87 and finished his career as a three-time First Team all-league performer. Not just a shooter from the outside, the 6'2” guard also tallied 136 dunks over course of his career, including a legendary slam over 7'4” Marist center Rik Smits. The Trenton, NJ native was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 1987 NBA draft.

3-POINT CONSISTENCY
“Live By The Three, Die By The Three.” That phrase is often uttered when perimeter oriented teams are discussed. This year's Wagner team is no exception to the rule as the Seahawks' top three scorers are all guards. However, the Seahawks have shown uncanny consistency from beyond the arc, hitting on at least 40.0 percent of its attempts in six of its 12 games.

10-POINT GAMES
In games decided by 10 points or less, the Green & White is converting a remarkable 81.0 percent (136-168) from the free throw line.

RAISING THE BAR
In the last five minutes of games, the Seahawks are shooting a solid 50.0 percent (11-22) from beyond the arc while holding the opposition to just 28.0 percent (7-25) in similar situations and have converted 80.6 percent (58-72) from the charity stripe.

NON-CONFERNCE IMPROVEMENT
Wagner's victory over Albany capped the Seahawks' non-conference slate with a 4-7 record. Last year the Green & White went just 2-11 against non-NEC teams.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
“Wagner trailed by as many as 16 in the second half (at St. John's), but showed that there is another team on the rise in the outer boroughs.”
Howard Kussoy - New York Post

“If there is a team personality trait emerging in the early part of new coach Dan Hurley's first season at Wagner College, spunky might be the way to best describe it.”
Cormac Gordon - Staten Island Advance

“Dan Hurley coached as hard as he could on Wednesday night -- so hard, in fact, that he picked up the first technical foul of his college coaching career in the first half, for chewing on the refs' ears. His Wagner squad played hard for him, bouncing back from a 46-30 deficit early in the second half against St. John's to cut the lead to four, 62-58, with 4:33 to play.”
Kieran Darcy - ESPN

“I first just wanted to compliment Wagner. I thought they came in with a good game plan. They played more zone than they have at any point this season. They did an excellent job with tempo and played with poise. When we made runs, they came back and answered. Clearly, Dan Hurley and his brother, assistant coach Bobby Hurley, have done a nice job of building a team that doesn't have a lot of depth, but stays within striking distance with some timely shots, using the clock well and playing at different tempos. So I want to give them some credit.”
Steve Lavin - St. John's Head Basketball Coach

DAN HURLEY QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“That's the style I want to coach ... And it's the way I like to play ... I thought we got away from it during the losing streak, and I take responsibility for that.”
Head coach Dan Hurley on amping up the defensive intensity against Albany

NO FLUKE
Freshman Latif Rivers followed up his outstanding 28-point performance at Hofstra with 20 points at Bucknell, highlighted by a remarkable 16-point first half in which all the Bison guards could do was watch as Rivers helped stake Wagner to what would be an insurmountable halftime lead. He helped finish off the victory by hitting four free throws, all of which came with under five minutes to play. Rivers' 20 points make him the first Wagner rookie to notch back-to-back games of at least 20 points since Dedrick Dye accrued 21 points at Mount St. Mary's (2/19/00) and 23 against Sacred Heart (2/22/00).

MURRAY ABOUT FACE
If you were to tell the casual basketball fan that junior Tyler Murray would evolve into one of the most complete players in the league the end result would probably be laughter as the Canadian native averaged just 2.6 points per game as freshman. Well that scenario has in fact played out as Murray is arguably the most complete player in the Northeast Conference, ranking among the league-leaders in nine categories. He notched the first career double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the 77-73 win at Bucknell while narrowly missing a triple-double after handing out a team-best seven assists over 36 minutes before picking up double-double number two with a career-best 23 points and 10 caroms in the win over Sacred Heart.

MURRAY LEADS THE WAY
Through the first 12 games, junior Tyler Murray has shown the consistency that Dan Hurley and his staff were expecting out the Canadian native. Murray has paced the team in scoring five times while accruing at least 14 points nine times, highlighted by a career-high 23 points in the win over Sacred Heart. He also hit for 21 points in a win over Stony Brook before matching that total at St. John's (12/1). In the season-opening victory over Lafayette, he scored a team-best matching 18 points while twice quelling big Leopard runs, hitting all six free throws - including two with under a minute remaining - and adding a game-high six assists with five rebounds. Murray followed that up with an impressive 18 point effort at Lehigh. Then in the win over Stony Brook, he notched a career-high 21 points, highlighted by the go-ahead three pointer late in the second half. In Wagner's most recent win over Albany, he had 17 points with six rebounds and five assists.

GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
Freshmen Naofall Folahan, who has only been playing basketball for five years narrowly missed a double-double at Hofstra, scoring 10 points with nine rebounds after notching zero points and six rebounds over his first three games.

FREE THROW NOTE
Wagner is connecting on 78.1 percent (118-151) from the line in the second half of games this year.

FREE THROWS NOTE PART 2
The Seahawks are connecting on 84.3 percent (91-108) from the line in their five victories, including 82.7 percent (62-75) after halftime in those games.

DON'T FOUL
Wagner figures to be a formidable foe in close games this season due to its prowess at the line. The three guard attack of freshman Latif Rivers (47-50) (1st NEC), junior Tyler Murray (51-59) (6th NEC) and Chris Martin (34-46) (14th NEC) are shooting a remarkable 85.2 percent (132-155). In the last minute of games and overtime, Murray is 11-for-13 while Rivers is 8-for-9 as the Green & White have connected on 33-of-41 (80.5 %).

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH
Bucknell defeated La Salle by an 89-78 score while gaining attention from ESPN.Com in the weekly watch. The Bison are projected by the site to win Patriot League and defeated Richmond yesterday 62-61 on a last-second shot. Wagner bested Bucknell 77-73 back on November 29, 2010.

DEFENSE LOCKS IT UP
Wagner has jumped out to a respectable 5-7 start this season thanks to a solid defense that has come up clutch in big situations. In the 58-54 win over Stony Brook, the Seahawk defense limited the Seawolves to just 3-of-22 shooting over a 13:46 span in the first half stretching from 16:55 to 3:09. In the second half, the Green & White improved on their already stellar first-half play forcing Seawolves to 2-of-14 shooting over the final 11:10, including not allowing a field goal for an 8:13 stretching from 11:11 to 2:58. Wagner also had an impressive defensive stand against Bucknell, forcing the Bison into nine-straight missed field goal attempts over a 9:30 span in the first half ... en route to limiting the Patriot League school to just 2-of-15 shooting to close out the first half ... Over the final 8:34 of the first half against Saint Peter's, the Wagner defense held the Peacocks to just 1-of-7 shooting with five turnovers while turning a four-point deficit into a five-point halftime lead ... Most recently in the 80-65 win over Albany, the Seahawks forced the Great Danes into two field goal droughts of at least eight minutes - one in each half.

SEAHAWKS CHANGE IT UP
Wagner changed starting line-ups for the first time this season against Saint Peter's, starting sophomore Josh Thompson at the forward position instead of freshman Orlando Parker. Parker responded with a career-high 15 points, on 7-of-7 shooting while reclaiming his starting spot.

CONGRATS COACH K
Assistant coach Bobby Hurley's former collegiate coach Mike Krzyzewski, who won his 800th career in at Duke on Tuesday, November 23 , recently passed former UNC Coach Dean Smith for the second-most wins in Division I history when when his top-ranked Blue Devils blasted UNC Greensboro 108-62 on Wednesday, December 29. Hurley helped his former coach to 119 wins, three Final Fours and two National Championships over a four-year period from 1989-1993. Following the game, Duke presented Coach K with a five minute tribute video, which included a taped segment from Bobby Hurley. The 880th win would have come a game earlier had it not been for an 84-77 Wagner victory over Duke back on January 5, 1983.

WAGNER PICKED TO FINISH 11TH IN THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Head coach Dan Hurley won't be short on motivation in this his first year at Wagner. In this the NEC's 30th season the league's 12 coaches predicted the new-look Wagner College Seahawks to finish 11th.

After capturing its first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season crown a year ago, Quinnipiac was picked to win the 2010-2011 NEC men's basketball championship, based on voting conducted by the league's coaches. Two-time defending NEC Tournament champion Robert Morris was tabbed second, followed by Long Island in third. Central Connecticut State was picked fourth, ahead of Mount St. Mary's in fifth and Fairleigh Dickinson in the sixth spot. St. Francis (NY) and Saint Francis (PA) tied for seventh in the poll, and were followed by Sacred Heart in ninth, Monmouth in 10th, Wagner in 11th and Bryant in 12th. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

HURLEY SIGNS TWO FOR NEXT SEASON
Wagner head coach Dan Hurley announced the signing of Marcus Burton (Matthews, NC / David W. Butler) and forward Mario Moody (Orange, NJ / East Orange Campus) for the 2011-2012 academic year. Both student-athletes will be freshmen and have four years of eligibility.

A 6'0” point guard from North Carolina, Burton averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 assists per game at David W. Butler High School last season under the direction of Kurt Wessler while earning inclusion on the Southwestern 4A All-Conference team. A powerful point guard, Burton has outstanding ball handling skills and can shoot with consistency from beyond the arc.

Burton, who hit a game-winning 40-foot shot against Providence Day High School in a playoff game, led Butler to the school's fourth-straight Southwestern 4A Conference title a year ago. He also played AAU ball for the Charlotte Royals under the tutelage of Rod Seaford.

A 6'7” forward from New Jersey, Moody averaged 11.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game for East Orange Campus under the guidance of Daron Hoges. Last year as a junior, he helped the Jaguars to a 15-10 record and showcased his outstanding athleticism in a playoff game against Paterson East Side, blocking 12 shots.

Moody, who is an outstanding athlete who can play either the small or power forward position, played AAU ball last summer with Success University Team Izod under the direction of Brian Coleman and Ed Bright.

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Wagner returns home to host Robert Morris on Thursday, January 6 at 7:00 pm.