NEC FRONT ROW VIDEO (FREE) / LIVE STATS /
Emmitsburg, MD - Wagner (9-8; 3-3 NEC) continues its four-game road trip with a 7:00 pm tilt at Mount St. Mary's (7-10; 2-4 NEC) on Thursday, January 24 as the Seahawks will attempt to snap their three-game losing streak.
QUICK HITS
* In the all-time series, the Green & White holds a 29-17 advantage (.630), including posting a 15-9 (.625) in Maryland.
* Wagner swept the season series a year ago, thanks to outscoring the Mount by 16 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from long range.
* Senior
Jonathon Williams led the charge, averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 72.2 percent (13-for-18) from the floor, including 75.0 percent (3-for-4) from deep.
* In the teams' last meeting in Maryland, the Seahawks snapped a five-game losing streak at Knott Arena with a 74-57 victory. In the process, the Green & White became quickest team in NEC history to reach 20 wins, doing so on Feb. 8, 2012.
* Today's game matches up two of the NEC's four first-year coaches in
Bashir Mason and Jamion Christian. Mason will next square off with fellow first-year mentor Rob Krimmel of Saint Francis (PA) and has already bested LIU's Jack Perri.
* Mason is the nation's youngest head coach at 28 years and 348 days while Christian is the fifth youngest at 30 years and 281 days. Christian graduated from the Mount and went 1-6 against Wagner as a player from 2000-2004.
* Over its last two games in Emmitsburg, the Seahawks are averaging just 58.0 points per game while shooting 37.6 percent (41-for-109) from the floor and 28.2 percent (11-for-39) from long range.
* Despite losing their last two conference road games, the Green & White is 8-4 away from Staten Island in league play over the last two years.
* NEC teams have won at home just 55.6 percent of the time during conference play, compared with the national average of 71.5 percent.
* Williams paced Wagner in scoring and rebounding for the ninth time this season with 17 points and nine rebounds at Bryant. The California product has recorded double-figures in scoring and rebounding on a team-best 10 occasions and is 10th in the NEC in scoring (14.6 ppg) and eighth in rebounding (7.2 rpg). The Golden State native also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (.504) (8th NEC) and free throw percentage (.818) (3rd NEC).
* Freshman
Eric Fanning matched his career-high with 13 points against the Bulldogs and averaged a team-best 13.0 points per game last week while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from the line.
* Junior
Latif Rivers made good on all seven of his free throw attempts last week and has converted 87.8 percent (245-for-279) from the line during his time on Grymes Hill.
* After scoring nine points against the Bulldogs, Rivers has 951 for his career and is the eighth active leading scoring in the NEC. He is also just 49 away from becoming the 40th member of the Seahawk 1,000-point club and notched double-figures in scoring for the 50th time in his collegiate career at Central Connecticut.
* Wagner is currently 147th in the NCAA RPI rankings while Mount St. Mary's is 182nd. Bryant is the highest ranked NEC Team at 106th.
* Junior
Kenneth Ortiz continues to rank among the league leaders in scoring (11.5 ppg) (21st NEC), assists (4.7 apg) (4th NEC), steals (1.8 spg) (5th NEC) and minutes played (33.2) (14th NEC).
* Over his last seven games, Ortiz is leading the Seahawks in scoring with 14.6 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent (32-for-68) from the floor, 60.0 percent (6-for-10) from long range and 72.7 percent (32-for-44) from the line.
* Junior
Orlando Parker and classmate Josh Castellanos from the Mount prepped together at Orlando Christian Prep. The duo was also teammates with Adonis Burbage from Central Connecticut.
* During NEC-play, senior
Josh Thompson is shooting 44.4 percent (8-for-18) from the floor and 40.0 percent (4-for-10) from long range since conference play started. During non-conference action, Thompson shot just 17.6 percent (6-for-34) from the floor and 25.0 percent (2-for-8) from long range.
* Despite missing the last two games due to injury, junior
Naofall Folahan continues to lead the NEC and ranks 52nd nationally with 2.1 blocks per game. The Republic of Benin native is currently third in school history with 128 career blocks, just seven behind Miladin Mutavdzic for second place.
* Sophomore
Mario Moody is second Folahan in the NEC rankings with 1.7 blocks per game while helping to give Wagner one of the most formidable front lines in the league. Both Folahan (31) and Moody (27) have more blocks than Bryant (20). Folahan has more than Monmouth (29) and Mount St. Mary's (28).
* Moody is averaging 7.6 points and 6.2 rebounds (10th NEC) per game, but has seen those numbers jump to 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game during conference play. The 6-7 high riser is also leading the Seahawks with 20 dunks.
* Thanks to the duo's play, Wagner leads the league and ranks among the national leaders in blocks (5.2 bpg) (28th NCAA), field-goal percentage defense (.399) (62nd NCAA) and scoring defense (63.6) (112th NCAA). The Seahawks are also second in the league and 73rd nationally in rebounding margin (+4.4).
* Since converting on a season-best 59.2 percent (29-for-49) from the floor and a NEC-record 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from long range in a 86-75 win over LIU Brooklyn, the Green & White have made good on just 37.1 percent (66-for-178) from the floor and 21.8 percent (12-for-55) from deep over the last three games.
* Williams is shooting 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the field over the last five minutes of games with the rest of Wagner converting on just 37.9 percent (41-for-108).
* The Seahawks are averaging 32.6 points per game in the second half on 43.3 percent from the floor, compared to just 25.8 points per game in the first half on 36.7 percent shooting. The Green & White has also scored 30 points or more in the second half 12 times, compared with just three times in the opening stanza.
* Ortiz is averaging 6.9 points per game on 47.9 percent shooting after halftime, after notching just 3.9 points per game on 34.7 percent in the first half of the Seahawks' 17 games.
* Wagner is 2-1 on Thursdays this year and 11-2 over the last two seasons.
* The Seahawks last played on January 24th in 2008 ... Defeating Mount St. Mary's 74-70 behind a team-high 18 points from
Jamal Smith. All-time, Wagner is 5-3 on this date.
* Freshman
Dwaun Anderson provided the highlight of the day at the St. Francis Brooklyn game with his putback dunk in the second half that was ranked as the No. 6 play on
SportsCenter for Saturday night.
* Former Wagner coach
P.J. Carlesimo is currently 11-2 since being named as the interim coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Carlesimo ushered the Seahawk program to the Division I level in 1976-1977 and was the head coach for six seasons.
SETTING THE SCENE
Wagner will look to snap a three-game losing streak when it visits Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, January 24 at 7:00 pm.
STREAKING
The Seahawks have won each of the last three meetings between the teams.
TONIGHT'S MEDIA
A free video stream of the game can be watched online for free through
NEC Front Row and can be accessed via the Wagner Athletics website.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
11 of the Green & White's 17 games have been decided by less than 10 points or in overtime with Wagner going 7-4 during that time.
JUST THE REMEDY
The Seahawks enter today's game ranked 11th in the NEC in field goal percentage (.398) and 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (.294). Mount St. Mary's, meanwhile, is allowing opposing teams to shoot a blistering 55.7 percent from the floor, including 43.7 percent from long range.
KEY MATCH-UP: THE GLASS
The Mountaineers also rank 11th in the league with a -7.6 rebounding margin while the Seahawks are second with a +4.4 advantage on the glass.
SCOUTING THE MOUNT
Mount St. Mary's is led by George Mason transfer junior Rashad Whack, who is averaging 13.1 points per game on the strength of 2.4 three pointers per game while Marist transfer and classmate Sam Prescott is second with 10.0 points per game, while chipping 2.1 three pointers per game. The duo has also helped a Mountaineer long-range attack that is second in the NEC with 8.3 triples per game.
FOR STARTERS
With the return of Williams to the starting line-up against Central Connecticut, Wagner employed its ninth different starting line-up of the season.
OLD VS. YOUNG
Against the Blue Devils, Mason, the nation's youngest coach, went up against the 10th oldest in Howie Dickenman (68). Mason, who will turn 29 on February 11, has now squared off with three of the 10 oldest coaches in the D-1 ranks (Larry Brown (72) - SMU / Jim Boeheim (68) - Syracuse).
PARKER CRASHES THE GLASS
Parker recorded a season-best matching 11 rebounds at Central Connecticut and has now posted five double-digit rebounding games over his career on Grymes Hill.
STREAK SNAPPED
With its win over LIU Brooklyn, Wagner snapped a four-game losing streak to the 2x defending NEC Champions while also ending the Blackbirds' 31-game WRAC winning streak, including 23 against NEC foes, with its 86-75 win. The Seahawks became the first team to win in the WRAC since Iona posted an 88-82 victory on December 8, 2010.
RECORD BREAKING
Wagner also shot a NEC-record 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from long range against LIU Brooklyn. The Seahawks' performance betters the previous mark of 88.9 percent (8-for-9) set by Marist against St. Francis Brooklyn on February 21, 1991. The Green & White also converted a season-best 59.2 percent (29-for-49) from the floor, which was its highest since making good on 60.4 percent (29-for-48) against Yale on December 6, 2008.
PERFECT 10
Rivers led the offensive explosion against the Blackbirds with 20 points, highlighted by a perfect 4-for-4 performance from long range as Wagner won for the 10th-straight games when the Garden State native hit for at least 20 points. He also paced the Seahawks in scoring for the first time this season and the 22nd time in his career.
DOUBLE DOWN
Ortiz has recorded his second and third career double-doubles this season. Most recently, he notched a career-high 11 assists with 19 points in the win at LIU Brooklyn. Ortiz's 11 helpers are the most by a Wagner player since
Mark Porter recorded 13 in a win over UMES on December 15, 2007. Before that, the Garden State native scored a career-high 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the Green & White's 68-63 overtime victory over Penn.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ortiz has now converted 6-of-10 from long range after misfiring on the first 12 three-point attempts of his career.
70-POINT CLUB
By virtue of its season-high 86 points against LIU Brooklyn, Wagner improved to a perfect 2-0 this season when scoring at least 70 points and is 21-1 over the last two seasons.
NOT BAD
The Seahawks also moved to 8-0 on the season and are 33-1 since last year when leading with five minutes to play. Additionally, the Green & White is 7-0 this season when outshooting the opposition and 26-3 over the last two years.
IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF GAMES ...
Ortiz (58) and Williams (41) have combined for 48.8 percent (99/203) of the Seahawks' scoring. Additionally, the duo is shooting 46.3 percent (25-for-54) from the floor and 73.8 percent (48-for-65) from the line.
SECOND UNIT STEPS UP
Over the last 12 games, the Green & White reserves are averaging 24.2 points per game while outscoring their counterparts by 6.8 points per game, highlighted by a 30-3 advantage in the win vs. SMU.
YOUNGEST IN THE NATION
Mason is the youngest head coach in America at 28 years and 348 days, with UNC Greensboro's Wes Miller second at 29 years and 362 days. The two are the only coaches in the D-1 ranks under the age of 30.
WILLIAMS LEADING THE WAY
In 43 career games over two years with Wagner, Williams has paced the team in scoring 20 times and in rebounding on 21 occasions. The California native has notched 593 points (13.8 ppg) and 243 rebounds (5.7 rpg) during his time on Grymes Hill.
SENAT SIGNS
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.
WAGNER GARNERS NATIONAL EXPOSURE ... AGAIN
For the second-straight year Wagner will host LIU Brooklyn on
ESPNU, as the teams will tangle on “The U” on February 24 at 8:00 pm. Additionally, the Seahawks' game against Mount St. Mary's on February 6 will be broadcast regionally on FCS and online at ESPN3. Last year, the Green & White went 14-4 when playing on television, including a perfect 10-0 on Time Warner.
HARRIS TO REDSHIRT THIS YEAR
Junior
Jay Harris will sit out this season after transferring from Valparaiso and beginning in 2013-2014 will have two years of eligibility remaining. A year ago, the smooth-shooting Harris averaged 9.0 points per game off the bench, while helping the Crusaders to the Horizon League Regular Season Title.
UP NEXT
Wagner concludes its four-game road trip with a game at Saint Francis (PA) on Saturday, January 26 at 4:00 pm.
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
