Box Score / Box Score (PDF) / Highlights / Moody Postgame Interview / Final Seconds Of Wagner's Win

Staten Island, NY - Freshman Mario Moody (East Orange, NJ / East Orange Campus) posted his first double-double with a career-high 16 points and 11 rebounds while sophomore Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT)) scored a game-high 20 points, leading Wagner to a 78-61 win over Bryant in Northeast Conference (NEC) action at the Spiro Sports Center. The Seahawks improve to 13-3 and 4-1 in the NEC with their sixth-straight victory while matching last year's win total as the Bulldogs fall to 2-14 and 1-4 in league play.

The Green & White dominated the glass to the tune of 46-32, including posting an 18-10 differential on the offensive end, leading to advantages of 21-6 in second-chance points and 38-24 in points in the paint. 

Senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario / Eastern Commerce) added 13 points and seven rebounds while freshman Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC / David W. Butler) chipped in with career-highs in points (10) and assists (4). Senior Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ / Apex Academies) grabbed a career-high eight rebounds while sophomore Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin / Wilbraham and Monson Academy (MA)) matched Martin with eight caroms to go along with four blocks.

Bryant started the game with six-straight points only to see Wagner fight back with an 11-2 run, as the Seahawks claimed an 11-8 lead with 14:16 to play in the first following a Rivers three pointer. The Bulldogs would fight back and and reclaim the lead at 21-18 with 8:04 to play before the Seahawks made their big move.

After Frankie Dobbs hit a three pointer to give Bryant its aforementioned three-point lead, junior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA / Kennedy / CC of San Francisco) hit a jumper and Burton a layup, to reclaim the lead for the Green & White 22-21 with 7:12 to play. Following a Williams free throw, Moody recorded an old-fashioned three-point play following an offensive rebound, extending the Wagner lead out to 26-21 at the 5:36 mark of the first while also notching the eighth-straight Seahawk point.

Alex Francis briefly quelled the run with a layup before Rivers knocked down a jumper with Folahan, Moody and Rivers following with layups while capping another 8-0 run for the Green & White. All told, Wagner ripped off a game-changing 16-2 run that put the lead at 34-23 with 3:12 to play. The Bulldogs were forced into 1-of-7 shooting during the spurt while Wagner converted 6-of-9 during the same time.

The Seahawks would extend the lead out to 17 at intermission following an 8-1 half-ending run - capped by this powerful Moody dunk off an offensive rebound.

In the second half, the Wagner lead would grow to a game-high 21 points before the Seahawks came away with the 78-61 victory to set up a showdown with Central Connecticut State on Saturday at 7:00 pm in the Spiro Sports Center. The Blue Devils, along with Long Island, are the lone two remaining unbeaten teams in league play at 5-0.

Francis led Bryant with 16 points and 13 rebounds off the bench while Ben Altit added 14 points and three blocks. Dobbs had a solid all-around game, finishing with nine points, six assists and three rebounds.

NOTES:
* Wagner's 13-3 start is its best since opening the 1955-1956 season with a 20-2 record en route to a 20-3 finish.

* The Seahawks also improved to 13-1 when leading with five minutes to play, 11-1 when leading at the half, 10-1 when scoring 70 points or more and 9-0 when limiting the opposition to 70 points or less.

* The Green & White's six-game winning streak is the longest since capturing six-straight during the 2002-2003 NEC Championship Season. The last seven-game winning streak came in 1979-1980 when P.J. Carlesimo's  troops started the season with seven-straight victories.

* Moody's 16 points and 11 rebounds surpassed his season-totals of nine points and nine rebounds, accrued over the first seven games of the season.

* Rivers has now notched at least 20 points three times this year and nine times during his career. Wagner is 3-0 this season and 8-1 over the last two years when the Garden State native has hit for 20.

* The win was the first-ever for Wagner at home against Bryant as the Seahawks lost the only previous meeting between the teams at the Spiro Sports Center by a 53-51 count on February 18, 2010.

* The Green & White lead the all-time series by a 3-1 count.

* Wagner also improved to 8-1 when playing on television, including a perfect 5-0 on Time Warner Cable. Saturday's match-up with CCSU will be the last home game of the year to not appear on TV.