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Staten Island, NY - After playing six of its first seven games on the road, Wagner (3-4) returns to the friendly confines of the Spiro Sports Center for a non-conference tilt against Coppin State (2-8) on Saturday, December 15 at 4:00 pm. The game will also be the first-ever match-up between the teams with each squad looking for their first winning streak of the season.
QUICK HITS
* Six of Wagner's seven games have been decided by 10 points or less, including five by six points or less.
* The Seahawks have limited the opposition to less than 50 points in all three of their wins, for the first time since the 1951-1952 season. Additionally, the opposition has shot just 47.8 percent (22-for-46) from the line during that time.
* In its three victories, the Green & White is averaging just 46.0 points per game.
* Wagner is 1-1 against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) this season, having lost to Delaware State (11/14) by a 73-69 count in overtime, before besting North Carolina Central (11/24), 38-36.
* All-time, the Seahawks are 11-7 against the MEAC, including 6-2 at home, and has won five-of-six dating back to the 2006-2007 season.
* Coppin State is 2-11, all-time, against members of the Northeast Conference (NEC), having last posted a win against a member institution on December 3, 1988 via a 106-93 score in double overtime against Robert Morris.
* Ironically enough, that Eagle team was coached by current coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell, who is 411-381 in this his 27th year at the Baltimore-based school.
* Mitchell is the 17th-oldest coach (64) in the D-I ranks and the fifth oldest that first-year coach
Bashir Mason (28) will face this year.
*
Did You Know? That Mason, who is the youngest coach in America, was born just three days after Mitchell's 36th birthday on February 11, 1984.
* Wagner returns to action after having not played since a 52-44 win at Hofstra on December 4. Conversely, in that same 10-day stretch Coppin State has played twice.
* Junior
Kenneth Ortiz led the way against the Pride, scoring 10 of his team-best 15 points after halftime, including notching six over the final 2:22 to help put the game away. On the year, Ortiz ranks among the league leaders with 3.3 assists (13th NEC), 2.1 steals (t-4th NEC) and 32.0 minutes (15th NEC) per game while shooting 71.9 percent from the line.
* Over his last two games, Ortiz has scored 19 of his 30 points after halftime ... For the year he is averaging 6.7 points per game in the second half, on 50.0 percent (14-for-28) shooting. In the first half of games, Ortiz is averaging just 3.0 points per game, on 28.1 percent (9-for-32) shooting.
* Also in the win at Hofstra, Ortiz became the first player other than senior
Jonathon Williams to lead the team in scoring and has notched 15 the last two games.
* Despite being held to just two points and one rebound over 23 minutes of action against Hofstra (12/4), Williams continues to rank among the NEC leaders with a team-best 15.3 points (8th NEC) and 6.6 rebounds (5th NEC) per game while shooting 51.9 percent (9th NEC) from the floor.
* In the last five minutes of games and overtime, Williams is converting 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from the floor with the rest of the team shooting just 26.8 percent (15-for-49). Defensively, Wagner is limiting opposing teams to just 36.5 percent (19-for-52) shooting in the same sample.
* Williams is also now averaging 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game over four match-ups against MEAC foes, while shooting 59.2 percent (29-for-49) during that time. Additionally, he has been Wagner's high scorer in all four of the games.
* Over two home games against the MEAC a year ago, Williams averaged 23.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 64.3 percent (18-for-28) from the floor, including 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from long range.
* Joining Ortiz in double-figures at Hofstra was sophomore
Mario Moody, who scored 10 of his season-high 12 points in the opening stanza, while grabbing nine rebounds over 19 minutes off the bench.
* Over his last two games, Moody is averaging 10.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game ... In his first five games, he averaged just 3.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
* On the year, the Garden State native has established himself as the team's offensive and defensive threat off the bench averaging 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds (13th NEC) and 1.3 blocks (3rd NEC) per game.
* After going his first 67 games without notching double-figures on the glass, junior
Naofall Folahan recorded a career-best 10 rebounds at Hofstra (12/4) to go along with five points and four blocks. His previous career-high was nine caroms which was established coincidently enough against the Pride on November 26, 2010.
* Classmate
Orlando Parker came off the bench at Hofstra (12/4) to score nine second-half points to go along with five rebounds and a block.
* In the aforementioned win over the Pride, the threesome of Moody, Folahan and Parker combined for 26 points, 24 rebounds and six blocks.
* Fueled by Moody and Parker, the reserves outrebounded the starters by a 21-18 count while matching them in scoring (26-26) in the win at Hofstra (12/4) .
* The Seahawks also claimed the battle of the boards against the Pride by a 44-33 margin, including posting a 23-13 advantage after halftime that led to a 9-0 differential in second-chance points. On the year, the Green & White has won the battle of the boards in six of their seven games while averaging a NEC-best 39.4 rebounds per game.
* In the win at Hofstra (12/4), Wagner recorded a season-high 17 free throws while matching its previous season-highs with 11 steals and eight blocks.
* The Seahawks also scored just 19 first-half points against the Pride, marking the third time the Green & White failed to notch at least 20 points in a half ... Interestingly enough, Wagner has come out on top in all three of those games.
* Freshman
Langston Burnett converted his first collegiate field goal at Hofstra (12/4) with a three pointer, which also turned out to be the lone Seahawk triple for the game.
* Classmate
Eric Fanning made his first collegiate start against the Pride, finishing up with four points and five rebounds.
* Through seven games, the Green & White is just 20-for-84 (.238) from long range ... Last year at this time
Tyler Murray was 21-for-32 (.656).
* In the most recent
NCAA rankings, Folahan ranks 44th nationally with a NEC-best 2.3 blocks per game. After rejecting four at Hofstra (12/4), the Republic of Benin native has blocked at least four shots in three games this year. For his career, he has 113 and is just five rejections short of matching 2008 All-NEC First Team selection Durell Vinson for fourth place in the all-time Seahawk rankings. As a team, the Green & White ranks 20th in the NCAA with 5.7 blocks per game.
* Wagner leads the NEC in scoring defense (59.9), field goal percentage defense (.385), rebounding offense (39.4), defensive rebounds (28.0) and blocked shots (5.7).
WATCH LIVE
A live video stream of Saturday's game can be seen for free through the
NEC Front Row platform.
WFAN Update Anchor Joey Wahler will again bring all the action into your home starting at 3:50 pm.
ABOUT COPPIN STATE
Coppin State snapped a four-game losing streak with an 80-61 win at UMBC on Wednesday night and enters today's game with a 2-8 record.
LEADING THE WAY FOR THE EAGLES ...
Is junior forward Michael Murray, who is averaging 13.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Patrick Cole is second on the team with 12.8 points per game while also handing out a team-best 2.8 assists per game.
KEY MATCH-UP - THE GLASS
Wagner enters Saturday's game averaging a NEC-best 39.4 rebounds per game while posting a +3.6 rebounding margin, which ranks second in the league. Coppin State, meanwhile, is averaging just 33.7 rebounds each time out while being outrebounded by an average of 9.0 caroms per game.
TOUGH TRIP
Saturday's game is just the second home game of the season for the Seahawks as the Green & White played six of its first seven games on the road.
THE COACHES
Mason is 3-4 in his first season while Mitchell is 638-426 in 35 years as a head coach. Included in his impressive ledger is a victory over South Carolina in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. His Coppin State team became just the third-ever No. 15 seed to win a game in the then 64-team tourney with an impressive 78-65 victory, before dropping an 82-81 decision to No. 10 Texas in the round of 32.
DID YOU KNOW???
That assistant coach
Mike Babul's UMass squad was assigned to the same site (Pittsburgh, PA / Civic Arena) as Mitchell's 1997 Coppin State team in 1997. Babul and the No. 11 seed Minutemen dropped a 65-57 decision to No. 6 Louisville in an opening round match-up.
NOT TOO SHABBY
Wagner's four losses have come against teams with a combined 29-8 record. No. 4 Syracuse is a perfect 8-0 while Albany is 9-2, Temple 7-1 and Delaware State 5-5.
YOUNGEST IN THE NATION
Mason is the youngest head coach in America at 28 years and 309 days, with UNC Greensboro's Wes Miller second at 29 years and 323 days. The two are the only coaches in the D-1 ranks under the age of 30.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
Wagner is 5-2, all-time, on December 15 since moving to Division I for the 1976-1977 season. Most recently, the Seahawks defeated MEAC member Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) 105-86 on December 15, 2007 at the Spiro Sports Center.
HARD TO BEAT AT HOME
Wagner is an impressive 13-3 at home since the start of the 2011-2012 season.
HOME COOKING
With their 48-42 overtime victory over Princeton, the Seahawks improved to 26-11 in home openers during the Division I era (1976-1977).
DEFENSE
The Green & White, which is leading the NEC in field goal percentage defense (.385) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.295), has limited the opposition to less than 30 percent shooting in each one of its three wins.
INTERESTING
In Wagner's three victories, the Seahawks have a combined 44 field goals. Of those 44 makes, just eight have come outside the paint, including four three pointers. Against Princeton, just two of Wagner's 16 field goals came on shots other than layups.
GOOD OMEN
Wagner's 52-44 win over Hofstra came in the Seahawks' lone Tuesday game of the year ... The next potential Tuesday night game for the Green & White would be in the NEC Championship Game slated for Tuesday, March 12.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Folahan's four-block performance at Hofstra give him 113 for his career. He is now just five rejections behind Durell Vinson's for fourth place on the all-time Wagner blocked shot list.
ORTIZ FILLS UP THE STAT SHEET
Ortiz, the reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year, has picked up right where he left off in filling up the stat sheets over the first seven games. On the year, he is averaging 9.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
SENAT SIGNS
Wagner head coach
Bashir Mason has announced the signing of Marianapolis Prep forward Greg Senat to a National Letter of Intent for the 2013-2014 season. The 6-8, 225-pound Senat is Mason's first recruit for next season.
1,000-POINT CLUB
Rivers has 883 career points (14.2 ppg), is the seventh active leading score in the NEC and just 117 points away from becoming the 40th member of the Wagner 1,000-point club. Over his first three years, the Garden State native has recorded 10 career 20-point games, with the Seahawks going 9-1 in those games.
DIVISION I HISTORY
Since moving to the Division I ranks in 1976-1977, Wagner is 476-562.
WAHLER TO AGAIN SERVE AS OFFICIAL VOICE OF WAGNER BASKETBALL
Mason announced that
WFAN Update Anchor and
News 12 New Jersey Sports Anchor/Reporter Joey Wahler will return for his second season as the official voice of all Seahawk broadcasts for the 2012-2013 season. During the home portion of the schedule, Wahler will broadcast all 10 games that are slated to be streamed via the Northeast Conference's (NEC) Front Row Platform. For all 17 road games a straight audio broadcast can be accessed by listeners for free thanks to an agreement with Red Zone Media.
WAGNER TABBED THIRD IN NEC PRESEASON POLL
Wagner was selected to finish third in the annual NEC men's basketball preseason poll, as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, the league office announced at the inaugural NEC “Social” Media Day. Last year, the Seahawks finished second in the regular season and won a school-record 25 games, including a 59-54 victory over No. 15 Pitt. LIU Brooklyn, which earned nine first place votes, was selected to win its third-straight league title after claiming each of the last two titles. Robert Morris, which has appeared in each of the last four NEC Championship Games, was tabbed to finish second, followed by the Seahawks in third. Quinnipiac was selected fourth, followed by St. Francis (NY) in fifth. Sacred Heart was picked sixth, followed by Monmouth in seventh and Central Connecticut in eighth. Rounding out the poll was Mount St. Mary's, Bryant, Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Francis (PA).
UP NEXT
Wagner will look to win its second-straight Cable Car Championship starting on Friday, December 21 against SMU at 9:00 pm (EST).
FOLLOW ON TWITTER
Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department, @WagnerHoops for news and updates on the men's basketball program and @bashirmason to follow the Seahawks' first-year head coach.
Photography by Dave Saffran
