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Staten Island, NY - Wagner outscored Sacred Heart by a 13-7 count in overtime en route to an 84-78 victory before 2,032 fans at the Spiro Sports Center in Northeast Conference (NEC) action. With their third-straight win, the Seahawks improve to 12-8 and 6-3 in the league while the Pioneers fall to 8-12 and 6-3 in the NEC.

The Green & White were able to overcome a game-high 22 points from reigning NEC Player of the Week Shane Gibson to post its fourth-straight overtime victory this season while moving into a four-way tie for second place in the league at 6-3. Junior Kenneth Ortiz paced three double-digit scorers for Wagner with 17 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals while helping limit Gibson to just 6-of-20 shooting, including 2-of-8 from long range, over 42 minutes.

In the extra period with the score tied at 73-73, the Seahawks scored six-straight points to put some distance between the teams while grabbing a 79-73 advantage with just 1:22 remaining. Gaetano, however, again made things interesting with a long three pointer. After Ortiz split a pair from the line, he forced Gaetano, who entered the game with a NEC-best 2.37 assist-to-turnover ratio, into his ninth turnover of the game. Senior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA / Kennedy / City College of San Francisco) then for all intents and purposes put the game on ice with a pair from the line, as Wagner won going away by an 84-78 count.

In their last four overtime games, the Seahawks have outscored the opposition by a staggering 50-21 count thanks to shooting a blistering 52.4 percent (11-for-21) from the floor, compared to just 25.9 percent (7-for-27) for the opposition.

Despite the loss, Sacred Heart put up a valient effort and forced overtime despite trailing by six points with just 48 seconds to play in regulation. After junior Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT)) put the Green & White up 69-63, Gibson hit a fade-away three pointer from well beyond the arc to draw the Pioneers to within three. Ortiz then sank a pair of free throws, only to see Gibson answer with another triple with 31 seconds on the clock. Following a turnover, Sacred Heart tied the game up at 71-71 with a pair of Gaetano free throws with 28 seconds left on the clock. Wagner' was able to get a clean look at the basket in the waning moments of the second half, but Williams last-second layup was not to be as the Seahawks would be forced to play extra basketball for the fifth time this season.

In the second half, the Green & White built up a 49-38 lead just under six minutes in following a Marcus Burton (So., Charlotte, NC / David W. Butler) three pointer and appeared poised to put the game away. However, Pioneers continued to fight and would eventually force overtime thanks to 14 points from Gibson over the final 14 mintues of regulation.

Wagner built up a slim five-point advantage at halftime thanks to outscoring Sacred Heart 14-2 in the paint while limiting the Pioneers to just 32.0 percent (8-for-25) shooting and 12 turnovers, The visitors were able to stay in the game thanks to converting 11-for-13 from the line while Seahawks the were able to make good on just 6-for-11.

For the game, Wagner shot a solid 43.9 percent (29-for-66) from the floor, including 37.5 percent (6-for-16) from long range, while forcing a season-high 22 turnovers that led to a 21-15 advantage in points off turnovers and a season-best 16 steals. The Seahawks also used to a dominating 38-16 in points in the paint to help fuel their first victory of the year when being outrebounded (42-40).

Sacred Heart, meanwhile, converted on just 39.3 percent (22-for-56), including 33.3 percent (8-for-24) from long range, but was able to stay in the game thanks to making good on 81.3 percent (26-for-32) from the line.

Joining Ortiz in double-figures was Williams, who finished up with 16 points and six rebounds, and Rivers, who notched 14 points with three assists and three triples. Sophomore Mario Moody (East Orange, NJ / East Orange Campus) matched Sacred Heart's Steve Glowiak with a game-high eight rebounds while adding six points and three steals off the bench.

Glowiak would also finish with 15 points, fueled by 4-of-9 shooting from deep, while Gaetano notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.

Wagner will next host Quinnipiac on Saturday, February 2 at 4:00 pm.

NOTES
* With the win, Wagner moves into a four-way tie for second place in the NEC at 6-3 with LIU Brooklyn, Sacred Heart and Robert Morris. Bryant leads the league at 7-2 with Central Connecticut and St. Francis Brooklyn tied for sixth at 5-4 as the seven teams are separated by just two games.

* The Seahawks have now won four-straight overtime games for the first time since the 2007-2008 version of the Green & White went 5-0.

* Since that season, Wagner is 12-4 in overtime games ... Over their first 31 years of playing basketball at the Division I level, the Seahawks were just 15-24.

* Wagner improved to 6-2, all-time, in overtime games at the renovated Spiro Sports Center with four of those wins coming this season.

* In Staten Island, the Seahawks are 18-4 over the last two years, including 6-1 this year, and will play four of their next five games on Grymes Hill.

* All-time, Wagner is now 117-65 (.643) at the renovated Spiro Sports Center, which opened in February of 1999.

* Head coach Bashir Mason improved to 12-6 in his career thanks to defeating the nation's second-longest tenured coach in 35th-year head man Dave Bike. Earlier this season, Mason squared off the with the nation's longest tenured coach in Jim Boeheim (37 years).

* Mason is one win away from matching the school's Division I school-record total of 13 victories by a first-year Seahawk coach, held by Dan Hurley and Mike Deane.

* Rivers notched double-figures for the 52nd time in his 72-game Wagner career and now has 980 points ... With 20 more points, he will become the 40th member of the Seahawks' 1,000-point club.

* Today's game marked the first time since the Syracuse game on November 18 that the Green & White dressed all 12 eligible players.

* Burton played for the first time since January 5 and scored five points in seven minutes.

* Wagner improved to 4-0 this season when scoring 70 points or more and is 23-1 over the last two years.

* The Seahawks also moved to a perfect 11-0 when leading or tied with five minutes to play and are 36-1 over the last two years.

* Each of the last 10 meetings between the teams at the Spiro Sports Center have been decided by 10 points or less with the Green & White going 6-4.

* Wagner now leads the all-time series by a 16-12 count, including posting a 16-10 mark since moving up to Division I.

* The Seahawks won for the first time this year when failing to win the rebounding battle, losing the previous four times.

* Wagner has seen 13 of its 20 games decided by 10 points or less or in overtime, going 9-4 in those games. Since the start of last season the Seahawks are 19-8 in games decided by 10 points or less or in overtime.

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