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Postgame Press Conference

Philadelphia, PA - Senior Chris Martin's (Sicklerville, NJ / Apex Academies) three pointer broke a 55-55 deadlock with 3:42 to play while giving Wagner the lead for good and propelling the Seahawks to a hard-fought 71-65 win over Penn in non-conference action at the historic Palestra. The Green & White iced the game with seven-straight free throws in the game's final 2:15 - including all four over the the last 28 seconds.

With the win, the Seahawks improve to 4-1 on the year and has now posted back-to-back road wins and its first 4-1 start since the 2008-2009 season, while capping a grueling five-game, 11-day stretch to open the season. In defeat, the Quakers fall to 3-2 in dropping just their second-ever game against a Northeast Conference (NEC) opponent in 16 games (14-2).

Sophomore Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT)) led the way for Wagner with 18 points, on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, including going 2-of-3 from long range and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line in 29 minutes of action. Penn was paced by Zack Rosen's game-high 23 points while Tyler Bernardini added 15. Rosen, who played his final two years of high school ball for head coach Dan Hurley at St. Benedict's Prep, scored 17 of his points after halftime and converted all 10 of his free throws, almost rallied the Quakers from an 11-point first-half deficit.

While the Seahawks didn't win the game at the line, they sure didn't hurt their cause from the charity stripe as the Green & White converted 85.7 percent (18-21), including 10-straight to end the game after misfiring on the first attempt after halftime. Over the game's final five minutes, Wagner was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line and has now converted a blistering 85.7 percent (24-28) in games decided by five points or less.

The first half was evenly played and featured seven lead changes and six ties before the Seahawks assumed command with just under eight minutes to play. Tied at 21-21, sophomore Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ / Science Park / Southern Mississippi) converted a layup for his only basket of the game. Following a Penn turnover, senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario / Eastern Commerce) drained a three pointer before Rivers cashed in a jumper while capping a 7-0 run and staking the Green & White to a 28-21 lead with 6:35 until halftime. 

The Quakers briefly answered with a Bernardini dunk before Rivers drained a pair from the line and hit a tough jumper in pushing the lead out to nine at 32-23 with 4:38 remaining the first while capping an 11-2 spurt. The lead would grow to a game-high 11 at 37-26 with eight seconds until halftime with a pair of Naofall Folahan (So., Cotonou, Republic of Benin / Wilbraham and Monson Academy (MA)) free throws before Rosen hit a runner just before halftime to trim the halftime deficit to 37-28.

All told, Wagner forced a Penn squad, that entered the game shooting 37.7 percent from beyond the arc and was averaging 7.3 triples per game, into a 0-for-7 performance from long range in the opening stanza. Additionally, after the Quakers tied the game up at 21-21 at the 8:07 mark, the Seahawks outscored their hosts 16-7 heading into halftime, while forcing their hosts into eight turnovers and just 2-of-6 shooting from the floor. On offense, the Green & White knocked down 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) from long range in opening up its fourth halftime lead of the year.

Rosen's jumper at the end of the half sparked a 15-3 run, spanning the end of the first and the first 5:42 of the second in helping Penn assume a 41-40 lead with 14:18 to play, capped by another Rosen jump shot.  The Quakers had a chance to add to the lead but could not convert. Martin took advantage on the other end with an old-fashioned three-point play that helped reclaim the lead for Wagner at 43-41 with 13:33 to play. Rivers and Martin followed with layups while extending the lead back out to six at 47-41 with just 10:06 to go.

Penn immediately responded with a 10-3 spurt, capped by yet another Rosen jumper, in assuming a 51-50 lead at the 6:46 mark of the second.  On the ensuing possession, Ortiz missed a jumper that Murray corralled before finding Rivers for a three pointer that again gave the Seahawks a slim lead. The teams would trade baskets over the next three possessions and with the score tied at 55-55, Martin, who was playing not far from his hometown of Sickerlerville, NJ, drifted behind the defense before Murray skipped a pass to him and the Wagner sharpshooter gave put the Green & White up for good with a three pointer.

On the other end, Rosen responded with a pair of free throws before junior Josh Thompson (Richland, NJ / St. Augustine Prep) converted an old-fashioned three-point play to again push the lead out to four at 61-57 with 2:15 to play.

Penn would continue to attack, but could get no closer than two the rest of the way. Bernardini hit a jumper before Murray answered with one of his own. Rosen then hit two from the line only to have Thompson convert a pair. Following a timeout, Rosen hit a jumper before Murray sank both free throws with just 28 seconds remaining, while extending the lead back out to four.  Bernardini again sliced the deficit in half with a pair of free throws with 16 seconds to play. Rivers, who converted six-straight free throws over the last 1:12 of Saturday's win at Lafayette, would again refuse to wilt under pressure two more clutch free throws. The Seahawks then halted the Quakers on the opposite end and tacked on a Murray layup while providing the final 71-65 tally.

In the second stanza, the Green & White used three old-fashioned, three-point plays while converting 4-of-7 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the line over the final five minutes in holding off a furious Penn rally.

For the game, Wagner connected on 63.3 percent (7-11) from long range, compared to just 15.4 percent (2-13) for the Quakers, while outscoring the hosts 25-8 in bench points. The trio of Martin, sophomore Orlando Parker (Orlando, FL / Orlando Christian Prep) combined for the aforementioned 25 points, on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 from the line, with 10 rebounds and three assists. Martin led the reserves with 11 points as three of his four field goals reclaimed the lead for the Seahawks.

Joining Rivers (18) and Martin (11) in double-figures was Murray, who notched 14 points with three assists and three rebounds while accruing double-digits in scoring for the 40th time in 42 games.

Wagner returns to action on Saturday, November 26 at 4:00 pm when Delaware State invades the Spiro Sports Center.

NOTES:
* Rivers and Murray have each notched double-figures in all five games this year

* The game was the first-ever between the teams

* Wagner improves to 3-0 on the year when scoring at least 70 points

* The Seahawks did not score first for the first time this year

* Thompson's mother Diane, who was dunked over at the Madness Before Midnight event, was the featured guest on the Seahawk Broadcasting Network's halftime show

* The Green & White have converted 24-for-52 (46.2 percent) from beyond the arc over the last three games after making good on just 11-of-32 (34.4 percent) in the first two

* Wagner had the same starting five for the fifth-straight game

* Former Seahawk 1,000 point scorer James Ulrich was in attendance as was 2010 Wagner Hall of Fame Inductee and current Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Rich Negrin

* Also making the three-hour trip (normally 1.5 hours) through unsavory weather conditions was Wagner President Dr. Richard Guarasci, his son and Seahawk AD Walt Hameline

* Check back later this morning for the postgame press conference video