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Staten Island, NY - Wagner (6-5) will play its first game of the new year against Monmouth (5-8) tonight at 7:00 pm in the Spiro Sports Center in the Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams.
QUICK HITS
* The Seahawks are 18-13, all-time in conference openers.
* Wagner has won each of its last two NEC lidlifters as
Bashir Mason will attempt to become just the second coach in the school's Division I history to win his first-ever conference game. Former mentor
Dan Hurley was the first.
* The Seahawks are just 23-32, all-time, against the Hawks but hold a 16-11 edge at home
* Over the last two years, the Green & White has won all three match-ups with each game being decided by 10 points or less.
* Today's game is the fourth of six for Wagner against teams that will be changing conference affiliations at the end of this season. Monmouth, which has been a member of the NEC for 28 years, will leave for the Metro Atlantic Conference (MAAC) on July 1, 2013.
* The Seahawks enter tonight's game with a perfect 3-0 record at home and are 15-3 over the last two years.
* The Green & White 114-64 (.640) at the renovated Spiro Sports Center, which opened on February 20, 1999.
* Wagner returned to the victory column with a 68-63 overtime win against Penn while improving to 8-1 over the last two years following a loss. During that time, the Seahawks dropped back-to-back games just one time.
* Wagner has now won three-straight overtime games and is 11-4 in such games since the 2007-2008 season. Prior to that, the Seahawks were just 14-24 in overtime match-ups in the Division I era (since 1976-1977).
* The Seahawks are also 5-2, all-time, in overtime games at the Spiro Sports Center (since 2007-2008).
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Did You Know? The Green & White began play at the renovated Spiro Sports Center on February 20, 1999, but was not a part of an overtime game at the facility until posting an 82-70 win over Quinnipiac on February 11, 2008.
* Wagner has seen each of its first three home games go to overtime for the first time in the Division I era (since 1976-1977).
* In those three games, all Seahawk wins, the Green & White has outscored the opposition by a 37-14 count in overtime with junior
Kenneth Ortiz leading the way during extra time with 12 points and five assists while not turning the ball over in 15 minutes of action. In the win against the Penn, Ortiz had a hand in all but two of Wagner's 14 points, notching eight points and two assists while sinking all six of his free throw attempts over the final 20 seconds of action.
* Ortiz also recorded his second double-double as a Seahawk with a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds - both of which led the squad - while adding six assists against the Quakers. His first double-double (11 points / 11 rebounds) came against North Carolina Central a year ago, while his 23 markers eclipsed his previous high of 17 set at Bryant last season. On the year, Ortiz ranks among the league leaders in scoring (10.5 ppg) (22nd NEC), rebounding (4.3 rpg) (t-19th NEC), assists (4.2 apg) (7th NEC) and steals (1.8 spg) (7th NEC).
* After halftime, the Garden State native is averaging 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor. In the first half, those numbers are 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.6 steals per game while converting at a 32.6 percent clip. Additionally, after halftime Ortiz has attempted 43 free throws, compared with just nine first-half attempts.
* Over the last two seasons, Wagner is 3-0 when Ortiz leads the Wagner in scoring and 11-1 when he paces the squad in rebounding.
* Also returning to action against Penn was junior
Latif Rivers, who scored 15 points on the strength of three three pointers. Rivers had missed the last eight games due to injury. Thanks to his return, the Seahawks won the three-point battle (5-3) for the first time this year after doing so 21 times a year ago.
* Rivers now has 898 career point, ranking him seventh among active NEC players in scoring. He is now just 102 points away from becoming the 40th member of the Green & White 1,000-point club. He also has converted on a blistering 88.6 percent (233-263) from the line in his career.
* Thanks to Ortiz (6-of-6) and Rivers (3-of-3), Wagner converted 10-of-11 from the line over the final five minutes and in overtime against Penn.
* The Seahawks also moved to 5-0 when leading with five minutes to play and are 30-1 over the last two years.
* Wagner also bested Penn despite trailing at the half for the 10th time this year. The Seahawks are shooting 42.0 percent from the floor after halftime while averaging 31.2 points per game and posting a +2.1 scoring margin and a +4.7 rebounding margin. In the opening half of games, the Green & White is shooting 34.6 percent while averaging just 23.5 points per game and has recorded a -6.3 scoring margin and a -1.9 rebounding margin.
* Over the last two years, Wagner is now 25-2 when limiting the opposition to less than 70 points and 15-7 in games decided by 10 points or less.
* The Seahawks picked up the win over the Quakers without the services of leading scorer and rebounder
Jonathon Williams (15.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg), who missed the game due to injury. As a result, the Green & White was forced to use its sixth different starting line-up of the year as sophomore
Mario Moody accrued his first start on Grymes Hill. Moody finished with six points, six rebounds, three blocks a pair of steals over a personal-best 34 minutes of action.
* Joining Moody in the frontcourt was junior
Naofall Folahan, who also recorded six points with a pair of blocks while moving past 2008 All-NEC First Team selection
Durell Vinson into fourth place on the all-time Wagner blocked shots list (120). He is now just four away from 2003 NEC Player of the Year
Jermaine Hall for third place.
* Folahan leads the NEC and ranks 50th nationally with 2.1 blocks per game while Moody is second in the NEC and 57th nationally with 2.0 blocks per game. Each player has more blocks (22 - Folahan / 20 - Moody) than Monmouth (18), Mount St. Mary's (16) and Bryant (13).
* Thanks to Folahan and Moody, Wagner continues to lead the NEC in scoring defense (60.8), field goal percentage defense (.383), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.318), defensive rebounds (26.9) and blocked shots (5.9).
* With their most recent victory, the Seahawks finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with a winning record for the second-straight year and the fifth time in the last eight seasons. It also extended the Green & White's winning streak over the Ivy League to four-straight games as Wagner has defeated Penn and Princeton in each of the last two seasons.
* Williams continues to lead the Seahawks in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg), ranking seventh and fourth in the NEC, respectively. He also ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.548) and fifth in free throw percentage (.826) while pacing the team in scoring and rebounding eight times this year.
* Over the last five minutes of games this season, Williams is shooting 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the floor and 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the line, while the rest of his teammates are converting on just 34.2 percent (26-of-76) from the floor and 67.6 percent (46-of-68) from the line.
SETTING THE SCENE
Wagner opens up conference play with a game against local-rival Monmouth at the Spiro Sports Center with tip time slated for 7:00 pm.
WATCH LIVE
A free video stream of today's can be watched online for free through
NEC Front Row and can be accessed via the Wagner Athletics website.
WFAN Update Anchor Joey Wahler will have the call.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Nine of the Seahawks' 11 games have been decided by less than 10 points or in overtime.
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
The Hawks (5-8) will be aiming to snap a five-game losing streak and is led by sophomore Andrew Nicholas, who is the team's lone double-figure scorer at 13.4 points per game. Monmouth likes to push the pace pressure the ball as is evident by their NEC-best 11.0 steals per game.
TAR HEEL TIES
For the second time in four games, Mason will square off against a North Carolina graduate in King Rice. Mason bested Larry Brown and SMU by a 63-53 count at the Cable Car Classic. Also on Rice's staff are former Tar Heels Brian Reese and Derrick Phelps.
DID YOU KNOW??
That Rice and Wagner Women's Basketball Coach
Lisa Cermignano were assistant coaches at Vanderbilt at the same time from 2006-2009.
HAWKS REELING
Monmouth has lost five-straight games, including three games to renowned college powers Syracuse, Maryland and Villanova, by an average of 28.4 points per game while being outrebounded by an average of 12.6 rebounds per game during that time.
KEY MATCH-UP
The Seahawks have won the battle of the boards in nine of its 11 games and is outrebounding the opposition by an average of 3.8 caroms per game (2nd NEC). The Hawks, meanwhile, have been outrebounded by a NEC-worst 10.8 rebounds per game.
LATIF LIGHTS IT UP AGAINST MONMOUTH
Over three career games against Monmouth, Rivers is averaging 22.7 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent (22-for-46) from the floor.
LUCKY NUMBER 70
The Seahawks have notched 70 points just one time this season, a 77-65 overtime victory against Coppin State, and are 20-1 over the last two years when scoring at least 70.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Tonight's match-up is the first of eight Thursday games for the Green & White this year. Last season, Wagner went 9-1 on Thursdays.
7-UP
In the Division I era (since 1976-1977), The Seahawks are 7-3 when playing on January 3rd, having won seven-straight games on the date over the last 18 years, including five by five points or less.
STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT
Wagner is 18-18 in its first game of a new calender year since moving to Division I (1976-1977), but has won four of its last five.
WILLIAMS UNSTOPPABLE AT HOME
In two games at the Spiro Sports Center this season, Williams is averaging 26.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 69.0 percent (20-for-29) from the floor and 80.0 percent (12-for-15) from the line.
DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Over six games in December, Moody was an absolute force averaging 8.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.0 (18-for-36) from the floor and 75.0 percent (12-for-16) from the line.
BENCH BIG IN WIN OVER SMU
Against the Mustangs, the Green & White second unit outscored its counterparts by a 30-3 count and was led by 11 points from freshman
Eric Fanning and six points, seven rebounds and a career-high six blocks from Moody. Over the last six games, the Wagner reserves are averaging 27.2 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent (57-for-133) from the floor. In the first five games the Seahawk bench averaged just 14.2 points per game.
OVERTIME
Four of Wagner's 11 games and two of its four wins have been decided in overtime. The Seahawks have outscored the opposition 40-21 over 20 minutes of extra basketball, including 37-14 in the last three games.
NOT TOO SHABBY
The Green & White's five losses have come against teams with a combined 53-17 record.
THE COACHES
Mason is 6-5 while Rice is 17-28 in this his second year Monmouth.
YOUNGEST IN THE NATION
Mason is the youngest head coach in America at 28 years and 328 days, with UNC Greensboro's Wes Miller second at 29 years and 342 days. The two are the only coaches in the D-1 ranks under the age of 30.
STATE OF MIND
The Green & White has defeated teams from six different states (MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TX) this year.
UP NEXT
Wagner hosts Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, January 5 at 4:00 pm.
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.
