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Santa Clara, CA - Wagner broke open a one-point game at halftime with a 28-12 run to start the second, en route to a hard-earned 72-61 win over Air Force in the First Round of the 45th Cable Car Classic at the Leavey Center. Sophomore Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT)) scored 14 of his game and season-high 21 points in the second half to lead the Seahawks into tomorrow night's championship game at 11:15 pm against tournament host Santa Clara.

The Green & White outrebounded the Falcons by a 36-21 margin, leading to a 17-5 advantage in second-chance points – including 13-0 after halftime - while converting a school-record matching 100.0 percent (20-20) from the line to improve to 9-3 with its school-record eighth non-conference victory. With a win in tomorrow night's title game, Wagner would reach double-figures in victories before the end of the calendar year for the first time in school history and claim its first in-season tourney title since the 1997 Marist Pepsi Classic.

Rivers was 7-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-9 from long range while pacing four double-figure scorers with his seventh career 20-point game.  After going scoreless in the first half against #15 Pitt, Rivers has notched 39 points, on 12-of-21 shooting – including going 7-of-13 from long range – over his last three halves of action. On the year, he is averaging a team-best 14.0 points per game, including a team-high 8.3 after halftime .

Rounding out the Seahawk double-figures scorers were senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario / Eastern Commerce) (11 points), sophomore Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ / Science Park / Southern Mississippi) (10 points, 7 assists) and classmate Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin / Wilbraham and Monson Academy (MA)) (10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks). Junior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA / Kennedy / C.C. of San Francisco), who was playing in front of over 20 members of his family and friends, grabbed a team-best eight rebounds to go along with nine points and three assists.

The first half was an evenly played affair with Wagner taking a 29-28 lead over Air Force at intermission thanks to converting eight of its last 14 shots after starting out just 2-for-11 from the floor (0-9 3-pt FG). The Falcons managed to stay in the game by connecting on 50.0 percent (11-22) from the floor, including 60.0 percent (3-5) from long range.

Down 8-6 with 15:10 to go in the first, the Seahawks ripped off seven-straight points in assuming a 13-8 lead at the 10:44 mark. Martin got the run started with a three pointer before Rivers and Murray added jumpers.  With the Green & White still up five at 20-15 with 7:20 to play in the first, Air Force used an 11-4 spurt to open up a 26-24 lead. Freshman Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC / David W. Butler) answered with his first collegiate three pointer before Folahan converted a layup off a pass from Ortiz before heading into halftime up one at 29-28.

As has been the case in each of the last five games, Wagner sprinted out of the gates in the second half. The Seahawks ripped off a 13-4 run – highlighted by seven-straight  - over the first four-plus minutes while extending the lead out to 42-32. Air Force briefly answered with four-straight from the line before Williams canned a three pointer, which started a 15-4 game-changing spurt. Rivers and Martin added three pointers and Folahan a jumper while Burton and Murray each drained a pair from the line, helping the Green & White open its largest lead of the game at 57-40 with 9:38 to play.

All told, Wagner began the second half with a 28-12 run that spanned 10:22. During the half-opening push, the Seahawk defense also forced the Falcons into just 1-of-7 shooting, highlighted by holding them without a field for over seven minutes before DeLovell Earls hit a three pointer with 9:31 to play.

Air Force would trim the deficit to 11 on three occasions but could get no closer as on the first two times, Rivers immediately answered with a three pointer on each of the subsequent possessions. The win was the first-ever for the Green & White vs. the Falcons (1-1), against the Mountain West Conference (1-2) and vs. a team from the state of Colorado (1-2).

After halftime, Wagner dominated the glass to the tune of 23-8, including posting a 10-2 advantage on the offensive end that led to a 13-0 advantage in points off turnovers, while converting all 14 of its free throws. The Seahawks also made good on 7-of-15 from beyond the arc en route to posting a season-high 10 three pointers.

Mike Fitzgerald led Air Force with 13 points while Kamryn Williams added 11. Taylor Stewart added eight points, nine rebounds and five assists to round out the top performers for the Falcons.

Tomorrow's broadcast will begin at 11:05 pm (EST) and can be accessed by clicking HERE

Notes to follow