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Video Highlights / Final Seconds Of Wagner's Win

Staten Island, NY - Wagner won for the sixth time in seven games while improving to 7-2 on the year with an impressive 58-43 victory over Hofstra in non-conference action at the Spiro Sports Center. The Seahawks broke open a three-point game at intermission with a lock-down defensive performance in the second half as the Green & White pressured the Pride into 12-straight missed shots over 14:29 while outrebounding the visitors by a 27-13 margin, which led to a 13-2 advantage in second-chance points.

Wagner is off to its best start since beginning 7-2 in the 2005-2006 season and is 6-1 in non-conference play with four more games. Senior Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ / Apex Academies) scored a season and game-high 15 points, on 3-of-5 shooting from long range, with four rebounds in 25 minutes of action.

The Seahawks won the game on the glass and in the passing lanes, outrebounding the Pride by a 45-32 margin, including 16-8 on the offensive end, while recording 12 steals. Those two statistics contributed to a +9 margin for second-chance points, a +6 differential on points in the paint and a +5 advantage in points off turnovers.

Both teams struggled from the floor as Wagner shot a season-low 33.9 percent (19-56) from the floor and a season-worst matching 28.6 percent (4-14) from beyond the arc, but managed to limit Hofstra to a season-worst 28.9 percent shooting (13-45) while forcing the Pride to misfire on all nine three-point attempts. The Seahawks also forced at least 20 turnovers for the fourth time this year and converted on 80.0 percent (16-20) from the line. 

Hofstra began the game on a 6-2 run and appeared to be in control in the early going while pressuring Wagner into four-missed shots over the first four minutes of the game before sophomore Orlando Parker (Orlando, FL / Orlando Christian Prep) and Martin took over. Parker, who was making his first start of the year in place of an injured Jonathon Williams (Jr., Richmond, CA / Kennedy / CC of San Francisco), converted the first two shots of the game for the Seahawks while helping jumpstart their stagnant offense.

Martin then entered off the bench and scored the next 10 points of the game - highlighted by this jumper from the corner and this three from nearly the same spot - in staking Wagner to a 14-11 lead with 10:03 to play in the opening period. After Mike Moore cut the deficit to one at 14-13, Parker hit this layup to extend the lead back out to three. On other end the Florida native blocked a shot before converting this layup while drawing the foul. Parker then drained the free throw while capping a 10-2 run and giving the Green & White a 19-13 lead with 8:10 to play before halftime.

Wagner would extend its lead out to a half-high eight at 23-15 at the 5:50 mark of the first following a pair of Kenneth Ortiz (So., Newark, NJ / Science Park / Southern Mississippi) free throws. Hofstra, however, would rally and closed the half on an 8-3 run to draw to 26-23 at intermission.

Parker and Martin kept the Seahawks in the game in the first half,  as the duo scored the first 19 Green & White points of and went a combined 7-for-12 from the floor while the rest of the team was just 1-for-16.

Wagner scored the first six points of the second half while pushing the lead out to 32-23 with 18:17 to play. Hofstra then quickly responded with a pair of field goals and appeared poised to make a run only to have Ortiz convert this tip-in off a missed shot to quell the Pride momentum. Moussa Kane answered with a layup before the Seahawks put the game out of reach.

Senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario / Eastern Commerce), who entered the game as the NCAA's second leading three-point shooter, drained this three pointer the next time down the court while sparking a game-changing 8-0 run over the next 1:52. Sophomore Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin / Wilbraham and Monson Academy (MA)) then converted this tip-in before Martin sank this three pointer, his third of the game, as the Green & White claimed an insurmountable 42-29 lead with 13:24 to play.

Hofstra would not go away and cut the lead to seven at 44-37 with 6:34 to play following a pair of Nathaniel Lester free throws. Wagner immediately responded with seven-straight points on a pair of Martin free throws, this old-fashioned three-point play from Ortiz and this Murray layup in building the lead up to 51-37 with just over five minutes to play. The Seahawks would push the lead out to a game-high 17 en route to a 58-43 final for their first win over Hofstra since December 20, 1988 and the first victory over a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) squad since besting VCU 80-72 on November 30, 2002.

Martin led Wagner in scoring for the first time all year, finishing with 15 points, highlighted by 3-of-5 shooting from long range, while Parker narrowly missed a double-double with season-highs in points (11), rebounds (9) and blocks (4) over a season-best 31 minutes. Ortiz also had a big night, going for 12 points, six rebounds, a career-best five steals and four assists. Murray notched double-figures for the 29th-straight game dating back to last year with 10 points while adding seven rebounds and four assists.

Moore led the way for Hofstra with a game-high matching 15 points, but was just 4-of-16 from the floor while turning the ball over six times. Lester also finished in double-figures, recording 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

The Seahawks returns to action against Lehigh on Saturday, December 10 at 4:00 pm in the Spiro Sports Center.