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Staten Island, NY - Wagner won its seventh-straight game for the first time since the start of the 1979-1980 season with a hard-fought 67-58 victory over Central Connecticut State (CCSU) in Northeast Conference (NEC) action at the Spiro Sports Center. Senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario / Eastern Commerce) hit three triples over the final six-plus minutes, helping the Seahawks pull away and improve to 14-3 (5-1 NEC) while the visitors fall to 8-8 (5-1 NEC).

The Green & White became the first conference team to best CCSU while moving into a three-way tie with the Blue Devils and St. Francis (NY) for second place in the league at 5-1, behind defending champion Long Island (6-0 NEC). Wagner will next play the Terriers on Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 pm before returning home to host the Blackbirds on Saturday, January 21 at 7:00 pm in a game that will be televised by ESPNU.

The Seahawks' 5-1 league start matches the school-record set on three occasions (92-93, 02-03, 07-08) while the 14 overall victories best last season's total of 13 with 12 regular season games remaining. The Green & White also defeated CCSU for the first time since January 3, 2008 while snapping a five-game losing streak to the Blue Devils in the process.

Wagner raced out to a 42-30 lead at the half after shooting a season-best 68.2 percent (15-22) from the floor, including a blistering 85.7 percent (6-7) from long range. Robby Ptacek kept the Blue Devils in the game thanks to scoring 18 of his team's 30 first-half points while going 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line as the rest of CCSU could only manage 12 points, on 5-of-19 shooting (0-6 3pt).

After Adonis Burgage hit a jumper to put the visitors up 10-9 with 14:46 to play in the opening stanza, the Seahawks ripped off six-straight points on two layups from junior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA / Kennedy / CC of San Francisco), sandwiched between one from sophomore Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ / Science Park / Southern Mississippi). Terrell Allen momentarily quelled the spurt, Williams and sophomore Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT)) knocked down three pointers, capping a 12-2 run that put the Green & White ahead 21-12 at the 10:38 mark of the first.

CCSU immediately answered with nine-straight points, tying the game at 21-21 with 8:52 to play in the first period, only to have Wagner respond with nine-straight points. Williams scored the first six points on a pair of layups and a dunk before freshman Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC / David W. Butler) drained a three, staking the Seahawks to a 30-21 advantage with 6:54 to play in the opening period. After the Blue Devils whittled the lead down to eight with just over two minutes till halftime, senior Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ / Apex Academies) hit a pair from the line and sophomore Orlando Parker (Orlando, FL / Orlando Christian Prep) drained a jumper, giving the Green & White a 42-30 lead at intermission.

Despite trailing by 12 at intermission, CCSU would not go away in the second half as the Blue Devils opened the second half by converting 6-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line while ripping of a 18-6 run that tied the game up at 48-48 with 12:54 to play. However, as would be the case in the second half when CCSU got close, Wagner responded. Williams immediately answered with a three pointer off a pass from Ortiz while sparking a 6-0 run.

After the Blue Devils cut the deficit to 54-51 just after the third media timeout (7:55), Murray extended the lead out to 57-51 at the 7:12 mark of the second with a three pointer. Horton then hit a jumper on the other end before Murray connected on his third triple of the game while zapping the CCSU momentum in the process. 

With the visitors again within striking distance at 62-56 following three Ptacek free throws, Murray put the game on ice for all intents and purposes with his fourth and final three pointer of the game with 1:43 to play. Overlooked on the play was the fact that the Canadian native snared an offensive rebound earlier to keep the possession alive.

The teams would end the game by trading free throws as Wagner held CCSU off by a 67-58 count, giving the Seahawks just their second win over the Blue Devils in the teams' last 10 meetings.

Wagner shot an even 50.0 percent (23-46) for the game while converting on a blistering 62.5 percent (10-16) from the long range while overcoming a season-high 21 turnovers and a 57.9 percent (11-19) showing from the line.

CCSU converted just 38.8 percent (19-49) from the floor, including a dismal 17.6 percent (3-17) from long range, but stayed in the game thanks to making good on 89.5 percent (17-19) from the line. Ptacek led all scorers with 28 points and was 7-of-16 from the floor and 12-of-13 from the line. Horton, the NEC's leading scorer and reigning Player of the Year, became all-time leading scorer in Blue Devil history with his first field goal of the game, but was limited by a tenacious Seahawk defense to season-lows in points (7) and rebounds (3). Kyle Vinales, who entered as the leading freshman scorer in America at 19.1 ppg (2nd NEC), was corralled into 3-of-15 shooting, including 1-of-6 from long range, before finishing with nine points in 36 minutes of action.

The Seahawks were led by Williams, who scored a team-best 18 points with six rebounds over a career-high 36 minutes of action. Murray added 12 points while converting all four of his three-point attempts with five rebounds. Despite not reaching double-figures for only the third time this year, Rivers had a solid game with nine points, four assists and a career-best matching three blocks. Rounding out the top performers were Ortiz (8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) and Burton (8 points, 4 steals).

Thursday's aforementioned game at St. Francis (NY) can be heard for free starting at 6:50 pm via RedZoneMedia.Com with Joey Wahler again providing the play-by-play and color.