COMPLETE NOTES / RMU NOTES
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Staten Island, NY - Wagner (6-7; 2-0 NEC) returns to action tonight against two-time defending league champion Robert Morris at 7:00 pm. The Colonials, who have played arguably the toughest non-league schedule of any NEC team, enter with a record of 5-8 and 1-1 in the league and are coming off a solid 79-76 victory at 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Ohio.

MEDIA GUIDE
The 2010-2011 Wagner Men's Basketball Media Guide has been released and can be found by clicking HERE

TONIGHT'S MEDIA INFORMATION
Tonight's game will be broadcast via the Seahawk Broadcasting Network while live updates can be accessed through the Green & White twitter service. Live stats are also available through the Wagner Athletics website.

TIP-OFF TIME
After a thrilling 73-68 victory over Quinnipiac the Wagner Seahawks (6-7; 2-0) will look to extend their winning streak to three games tonight at the Spiro Sports Center tonight. Standing in their way will be a stout Robert Morris (5-8; 1-1 NEC) squad that has won each of the last two NEC Championships.

LAST TIME OUT
Wagner outscored Quinnipiac 12-3 over the final 3:43 en route to the upset victory over the Bobcats. The defending regular season champion Bobcats had won five in a row and were picked to win the regular season title for the second-straight year while the Seahawks were prognosticated to take 11th.

NINE YEARS AGO TODAY
Wagner defeated Robert Morris by 26 points at home, winning by an 89-63 count. Thanks to statsheet.com for the update.

FIVE-POINT GAMES
Wagner is now 5-2 in games decided by five points or less, including winning both league games by five points. Last year, the Seahawks went 3-8 in five-point games, including 2-5 during conference play.

WAGNER HAS ...
Surpassed last year's win total of five after collecting victory number six at against the Bobcats.

NEC PLAY
Wagner is now a perfect 2-0 in the NEC, winning both games on the road and are one of three undefeated teams. Last year, the Seahawks went an anemic 1-8 on the road during conference play en route to a 3-15 finish.

DID YOU KNOW?
That the three teams who are currently 2-0 in NEC finished fifth (FDU), ninth (SFNY) and 11th (Wagner) a year ago.

HOME COOKING
After playing nine of its first 13 games on the road, including the first two NEC Games, Wagner will now be in the Spiro Sports Center for nine of its final 16 games. The Seahawks have gone an impressive 4-5 away from home.

WHEN THE TOUGH GETS GOING TYLER GETS TOUGH
There has been no question that junior Tyler Murray has been the main reason that the Seahawks have started conference play at 2-0 for the first time since the 2007-2008 season. Against Quinnipiac, he scored six of the team's final 12 points, including five-straight to put the Green & White up for good with just over two minutes to play. Against Sacred Heart, he scored 10 points in the game's final five minutes of regulation and overtime while helping Wagner erase what was a five-point deficit with just over 47 seconds to play. During the last five minutes, including overtime, of NEC games he is averaging 8.5 points per game while shooting 71.4 percent (5-7) from the floor.

MURRAY BOUNCES BACK
After being limited to a season-low four points on 1-of-8 shooting against No. 25 Texas A&M, junior Tyler Murray has bounced back with a vengeance, averaging a team-leading 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game over the last two games. He is also shooting 65.0 percent (13-20) from the floor, including a blistering 87.5 percent (7-8) from beyond the arc.

TYLER SETS CAREER-HIGH ... AGAIN
For the third time in the season's first 13 games junior Tyler Murray has set a career-high in scoring. Against Quinnipiac, the Canadian native scored a career-high 28 points while going an impressive 7-of-10 from the floor, including knocking down 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. He also ripped down eight rebounds with three steals against the Bobcats.

DURING NEC PLAY MURRAY IS ...
Leading the team in scoring (25.5 ppg), rebounding (9.0 rpg) and steals (2.5 spg) while shooting 63.6 percent (14-22) from the floor, including 66.7 percent (8-12) from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent (15-18) from the charity stripe.

ANOTHER MURRAY NOTE ...
Junior Tyler Murray has now hit for 20 points in four games as the Green & White has gone 3-1 in those games with the lone loss coming on the road to a St. John's team that has started out Big East play 3-0. He also has paced the team in scoring six times in the season's first 13 games.

RIVERS DISHING IT OUT
While freshman Latif Rivers' scoring has been down over the last two games, he is still finding a way to make a difference, handing out a career-high seven assists in each of the last two games. In the win over Albany, the rookie guard had nine points and seven assists before going for 12 points and seven assists, against no turnovers, in the Seahawks' 73-68 victory over Quinnipiac.

SECOND-HALF SUCCESS
Wagner shot a season-best 57.1 percent (12-21) in its win over Quinnipiac and has now converted 52.9 percent (27-51) of its shots in the second half of each of the Seahawks' last two games, both wins, while averaging 44.0 points in final stanza and outscoring the opposition by an average of 13.0 points per game.

SEAHAWKS DIAL IT UP FROM DEEP
Wagner drilled a season-best matching 11 (of 24) three pointers in the win over the Bobcats, highlighted by a 7-of-12 showing in the first half.  The 45.8 percent showing was just the second time the Green & White had hit more than 40.0 percent of their shots from long range in the last eight games after doing so in each of the first five games.

WAGNER SHUTS DOWN RUTTY
Facing arguably the toughest player in the NEC in Justin Rutty, the Wagner defense rose to the occasion limiting the senior forward to just 14 points, on 5-of-14 shooting.

SETTING THE SCENE
Wagner will be looking to even its record up at 7-7 while improving to a perfect 3-0 in the NEC but the task will be difficult as two-time defending NEC Champion Robert Morris comes to town.

COACHING MATCH-UP
Head coach Dan Hurley is 6-7 (1-0 NEC) will be squaring off with fellow first-year coach and Garden State native Andrew Toole, who is 5-8 and 1-1 in the NEC in his first go round in Moon Township.

SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
Robert Morris is a tough battle-tested team that is gunning for its third-straight league title despite the departure of head coach Mike Rice to Rutgers. Leading the way for the Colonials is 5-9 guard Karon Abraham. Despite his diminutive stature, Abraham is one of the best players in the league, averaging a team-best 14.2 points per game while shooting 35.5 percent from beyond the arc and 87.8 percent from the charity stripe. Last year, Abraham had arguably his best performance of the year on the biggest stage, dropping in 23 points in Robert Morris' heartbreaking 73-70 overtime loss to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament. Forward Russell Johnson is second on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) while grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game.

LAST YEAR VS. THE COLONIALS
Wagner dropped both meetings to Robert Morris while averaging just 62.5 points per game. Junior Chris Martin averaged a team-best 15.5 points and 5.5 assists per game against the Colonials while classmate Tyler Murray added 14.5 points per game while connecting on 68.8 percent (11-16) from the floor, including 70.0 percent (7-10) from long range.

RPI UPDATE
In the RPI, the Colonials are ranked #115 and the Seahawks are ranked #117.

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 ranked eighth in the nation in free throw shooting at 77.1 percent (212-275). Freshman Latif Rivers, who made his first 31 collegiate free throws, ranks fourth nationally at 92.6 percent (50-54) from the line. Junior Tyler Murray is fifth in the NEC and 36th nationally at 85.7 percent (60-70) from the charity stripe while ranking 139th in the nation in scoring (16.9 ppg). Murray leads the NEC in three-point shooting at 50.9 percent but doesn't have the required 2.5 makes/game to qualify for the rankings. Freshman Naofall Folahan is 80th with a NEC-best 1.9 bpg.

EVEN BETTER
The Seahawks' free throw percentage jumps to 78.0 percent in the last five minutes of games as Wagner is connecting on 71-of-91. Freshman Latif Rivers is 20-for-22 (90.9 %) while junior Tyler Murray is 21-for-24 (87.5 %).

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 42nd nationally. 

TYLER & LATIF SNAP OUT OF FUNK
Junior Tyler Murray (16.9 ppg) and freshman Latif Rivers (13.8 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 12 times and freshman Latif Rivers has eight times, the rest of the team has gone for double-figures just 13 times in the season's first 13 games. Junior Chris Martin scored 11 points in the win over Quinnipiac and will now look to do something that hasn't been accomplished the 12 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 five times this year, averaging 16.9 points in those five games while shooting 47.1 percent (24-51) from the floor, including 51.7 percent (15-29) from beyond the arc in those games. In the four previous 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.

WAGNER IS ...
5-1 when junior Tyler Murray records at least six rebounds.

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.

MURRAY ALL-TIME LEADER
Junior Tyler Murray leads NEC in three-point percentage at 50.9 percent (28-55). For his career, he is the all-time Wagner leader in the same category (min. 100 three point attempts), converting on a blistering 43.3 percent (84-194).

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. He also had a solid six-point performance in the win over Quinnipiac. In those four games, he is averaging 10.5 points per game while converting on 71.4 percent (20-28) from the floor. In his other eight games he has nine points on 23.5 percent (4-17) shooting. For the season, Parker is averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54.5 percent (25-46) from the floor.

MURRAY MAKES IT RAIN
Junior Tyler Murray ranks third in the NEC in scoring at 16.9 points per game and among the league-leaders in three-point percentage (.509) (1st NEC) minutes played (37.2 mpg) (2nd NEC), free throw percentage (.857) (5th NEC), three-pointers made (2.2) (t-6th NEC), assists (3.3 apg) (13th NEC), assist to turnover ratio (1.0) (15th NEC), rebounding  (5.5 rpg) (15th NEC) and defensive rebounding (4.7) (8th).

LATIF LEADS ALL NEC FRESHMAN
Freshman Latif Rivers is second among NEC freshmen in scoring (13.8 ppg) while ranking 11th overall. Also, he leads the league in free throw shooting (.926) while ranking sixth in three pointers per game (2.2), seventh in minutes played (33.6 mpg) and 10th in three-point percentage (.384)

ODD STAT
Wagner has drained 88 three pointers while grabbing 90 offensive rebounds over the first 13 games. The 6.8 three pointers per game rank third in the NEC while the 6.9 offensive rebounds per game rank last in the league.

FOULS
The Seahawks did not allow the opposition into the double-bonus (10 fouls) for the first time all year in the win at Quinnipiac. In 26 halves of play, Wagner has commited at least 10 fouls 22 times. Thus far, the Green & White is committing an average of 5.3 more fouls than the opposition while ranking 334th with 25.1 fouls per game. For comparison's sake, Ohio State is averaging a NCAA-low 13.6 fouls per game.

ROAD GAMES
The Seahawks are 4-5 on the road with all four wins coming by five points or less after going 2-11 away from the Spiro Sports Center a year ago.

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 30.7 points per game. In the win at Quinnipiac the pair combined for 40 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc, and 12-of-15 from the free throw line. On the year, they are shooting 40.3 percent (117-290) from the floor, 43.8 percent (56-128) from beyond the arc and a blistering 88.7 percent (110-124) 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 seven of its 12 games.

10-POINT GAMES
In games decided by 10 points or less, the Green & White is converting a remarkable 79.4 percent (150-189) from the free throw line.

RAISING THE BAR
In the last five minutes of games, the Seahawks are shooting a solid 48.0 percent (12-25) from beyond the arc while holding the opposition to just 26.7 percent (8-30) in similar situations and have converted 78.0 percent (71-91) from the charity stripe.

DAN HURLEY QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We won the last four minutes ... The kids did a great job, and they deserved it .. This shows that if you fight real hard and have toughness, you can overcome things.”
Head coach Dan Hurley on the win over Quinnipiac, highlighted by a 12-3 surge to end the game.

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 recently defeated Richmond 62-61 on a last-second shot. Wagner bested Bucknell 77-73 back on November 29, 2010.

FREE THROW NOTE
Wagner is connecting on 76.6 percent (131-171) from the line in the second half of games this year.

FREE THROWS NOTE PART 2
The Seahawks are connecting on 81.4 percent (105-129) from the line in their five victories, including 78.9 percent (75-95) 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 (50-54) (1st NEC), junior Tyler Murray (60-70) (5th NEC) and Chris Martin (35-48) are shooting a remarkable 84.3 percent (145-172). In the last minute of games and overtime, Murray is 12-for-15 while Rivers is 9-for-11 as the Green & White have connected on 36-of-47 (76.6 %).

GOOD NEWS: GUARD PLAY ON DISPLAY
While most Wagner fans know that the team will be a guard-oriented offense, following in the footsteps of head coach Dan Hurley, himself a standout guard at Seton Hall, no one could have foreseen the guard play in the team's first 10 games. Guards Martin, Mundweiler, Murray and Rivers have shot 39.2 percent (170-434) from the floor, including 40.5 percent (87-215) from beyond the arc while accounting for 70.4 percent (587-834) of the team's scoring.

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.

UP NEXT
Wagner hosts Saint Francis (PA) on Saturday, January 8 at 7:00 pm in a game that will be broacast by MSG+.