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Staten Island, NY - Wagner (9-5; 3-0 NEC) will be searching for its fifth-straight victory and a 4-0 start in league for the second time in three years today at 4:00 pm against St. Francis Brooklyn (6-8; 2-1 NEC). Today's game will be streamed free of charge through
NEC Front Row with
WFAN Update Anchor Joey Wahler providing the call.
QUICK HITS
* Today is the inaugural Wagner College Hall of Fame day. For more information on the event click
HERE.
* The Seahawks moved to a perfect 3-0 in league play after besting LIU Brooklyn by an 86-75 count at the Wellness, Recreation & Athletic Center (WRAC) on Thursday.
* With its most recent win, the Green & White snapped a four-game losing streak to the 2x defending NEC Champions while also ending the Blackbirds' 31-game WRAC winning streak.
* Wagner became the first team to win in the WRAC since Iona posted an 88-82 victory on December 8, 2010. The Seahawks also broke LIU Brooklyn's 23-game winning streak vs. NEC foes.
* The Seahawks shot a season-best 59.2 percent (29-for-49) from the floor, while converting a NEC-record 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from long range. Entering the game, the Green & White were ranked 12th in the NEC in 3-point shooting (.282) and are now ninth (.319).
* Wagner's performance betters the previous mark of 88.9 percent (8-of-9) set by Marist against St. Francis Brooklyn on February 21, 1991.
* The Seahawks' 59.2 percent mark from the floor was also their highest since converting on 60.4 percent (29-for-48) against Yale on December 6, 2008.
* Junior
Latif Rivers led the offensive explosion against the Blackbirds with 20 points, highlighted by a perfect 4-for-4 performance from long range.
* Wagner has now won 10-straight games when Rivers hits for at least 20 points. Rivers, who has notched at least 20 on 11 occasions, led the Seahawks in scoring for the first time this season and the 22nd time in his career.
* Since returning for the Penn game after missing the previous eight outings, Rivers is averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting a blistering 66.7 percent (8-for-12) from long range.
* Rivers, who has notched double-figures in scoring 49 times in 66-game Seahawk career, has 926 points and is just 74 away from becoming the 40th member of the Green & White 1,000-point club.
* Junior
Kenneth Ortiz handed out a career-high 11 assists while scoring 19 points at LIU Brooklyn en route to registering his second double-double of the year and the third of his career. Ortiz's 11 helpers are the most by a Wagner player since Mark Porter recorded 13 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on December 15, 2007.
* Ortiz also went 8-for-11 from the floor and converted both of his three-point attempts while recording four steals and turning the ball over just three overs 38 minutes of action.
* Over his last four games, Ortiz is averaging a team-best 18.5 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the floor, 83.3 percent (5-for-6) from long range and 75.0 percent (27-for-36) from the line. On the year, Ortiz ranks among the league leaders with 11.9 points (19th NEC), 4.6 assists (4th NEC) and 1.9 steals (6th NEC) per game.
* Did You Know? Ortiz has now converted 5-of-6 from long range after misfiring on the first 12 three-point attempts of his career.
* Sophomore
Mario Moody also contributed mightily to the Seahawks' offensive onslaught against the Blackbirds, hitting for a career-high 19 points while pulling down a game-high matching nine rebounds. Since his inclusion to the starting line-up four games ago, the Green & White is unbeaten as Moody is averaging 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.4 percent (18-for-35) from the floor and 70.0 percent (14-for-20) from the line.
* During the current four-game winning streak, 11 of Moody's 18 field goals have been dunks. For the season, 17 of his 40 field goals on the year have been dunks.
* Thanks to Rivers, Ortiz and Moody, Wagner improved to 2-0 on the season when scoring 70 points or more and is 21-1 over the last two years. Additionally, the win was the Seahawks' fourth double-digit victory of the season after recording 17 last season.
* Wagner also improved to 8-0 on the season and 33-1 since last year when leading with five minutes to play. Additionally, the Seahawks are 7-0 this season when outshooting the opposition and are 26-3 over the last two years.
* Defensively, Wagner won the battle of the boards at LIU Brooklyn for the 12th time in 14 games while posting a season-best matching +13 rebounding margin and is now 58th nationally at +5.1.
* The Seahawks lead the NEC and rank and 29th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.380) and 70th in scoring defense (61.1).
* Wagner also paces the conference and ranks 17th nationally with 5.5 blocks per game thanks to the duo of junior
Naofall Folahan and Moody. Folahan, who moved past 2003 NEC Player of the Year
Jermaine Hall into third place (127) in the all-time Seahawk annals with three rejections against LIU Brooklyn, leads the conference with 2.1 blocks per game while Moody is second with 1.8 blocks per game. Folahan (30) and Moody (25) also each have more blocks than Mount St. Mary's (21) and Bryant (17).
* Since the start of last season, the Green & White is 11-1 on Thursdays and 10-1 in January.
* Wagner is now 18-3 in the NEC games since the start of last season, marking the best-ever stretch in school history.
* The Seahawks ripped off a 15-2 run in the first half and a 13-2 spurt in the second half, each of which included 10-straight points, in the victory over the Blackbirds.
* Wagner's four-game winning streak is their first of the year and its fourth of at least four over the last two years.
* The Seahawks enters today's game as the NEC's highest ranked team in the initial NCAA RPI rankings at No. 99.
* During NEC play, the Green & White is shooting 49.7 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent from long range and 70.0 percent form the line while posting a +9.3 scoring margin and a +9.7 rebounding margin while winning the rebounding battle in all three games. During that time, Ortiz (17.0 ppg, 6.3 apg), Moody (14.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg), Rivers (14.0 ppg) and senior
Jonathon Williams (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) are all averaging double-figures in scoring.
* Wagner is perfect 5-0 at home this year and 17-3 over the last two years. All-time, the Seahawks are 116-64 (.682) since the renovated Spiro Sports Center opened in 1999.
* The Green & White won both match-ups with St. Francis Brooklyn a year ago, outscoring the Terriers by an average of 26.0 points per game.
* St. Francis Brooklyn is led by sophomore Jalen Cannon, who is averaging a team-best 16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 60.1 percent from the floor. Akeem Johnson (10.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Ben Mockford (10.3 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers for a Terrier team that is averaging 69.4 points per game.
* Wagner is just 39-47, all-time, against St. Francis Brooklyn and 35-35 since the Seahawks moved to Division I in 1976-1977.
* Head coach
Bashir Mason is 9-5 in his first year on Grymes Hill while Glenn Braica is 36-38 in this his third year in Brooklyn Heights.
* Freshman
Eric Fanning scored all six of his points after halftime at LIU Brooklyn. Over his last four games, 24 of his 27 points have come after intermission.
* Williams continues to lead the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) (8th NEC) and rebounding (7.5 rpg) (6th NEC) and is fifth in field goal percentage (.531) and third in free throw percentage (.837).
* Wagner returns to action on Thursday, January 17 with a 4:00 pm tilt at Central Connecticut in the first of a four-game road trip.
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.
