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Vermont	Roster	Schedule	Notes
Wagner	Roster	Schedule	Notes

Staten Island, NY - Wagner returns home to host perennial mid-major power Vermont tonight at the Spiro Sports Center. The non-conference tilt will be streamed for free via NEC Front Row starting at 6:50 pm. Fans may also bring five canned goods and receive a free ticket as all donations will benefit the 50 Tons of Food Challenge and be given to Project Hospitality. Also, Alpha Delta Pi is teaming up with Rebounds For Ronald at Thursday's game. Fans that make a pledge for each Seahawk rebound will receive a free ticket to the game.

Today's Top Storylines
#1 - Wagner will be looking for its second-straight victory against a stout Vermont squad that picked to win the America East.

#2 - Marcus Burton (21) & Latif Rivers (20) led the way for the Seahawks in their 102-87 romp at Coppin State.

#3 - The G&W will be aiming for its first win over UVM since the 1987-1988 season.

Quick Hits
* Wagner (2-2) will look horns with Vermont  (1-3) tonight at 7:00 pm in the Spiro Sports Center. The teams last met on November 25, 2006 with the Catamounts winning 77-69.

* Vermont won the last two meetings between the schools and holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1961-1962 season.

* On Monday night, the Seahawks topped the 100-point mark against Coppin State, thanks to making good on 59.3 percent (35-of-59) from the floor, including a blistering 57.1 percent (12-of-21) on three's.

* Burton (21 points) and Rivers (20) each converted on 7-of-9 from the floor while combining to go 8-for-10 from long range.

* Wagner's 12 triples represented the most since burying 12 against Saint Francis U on January 8, 2010. Entering the game, the Seahawks had been just 12-for-58 (.207) from deep.

* Wagner is now 27-1 when scoring 80 points or more, 27-3 when shooting higher than 45 percent and 14-3 when following a loss over the last three years.

* The Seahawks have now won seven of its last eight against schools from the MEAC and are 13-7, all-time, against the conference.

* Rivers, who ranks among the league leaders in scoring (18.0 ppg) (4th NEC), field goal percentage (.543) (5th NEC) and three point percentage (.533) (8th NEC), has been outstanding over the last three games, averaging 20.0 points per game while hitting on 60.0 percent from the floor and 63.6 percent from deep.

* The Garden State native's 20-point outing at Coppin State was his second game of least 20 this season and the 16th of his career as Wagner is 13-3 in those games. His scoring haul against the Eagles also gives him 1,200 points, leaving him just 16 behind his former teammate Tyler Murray (1,216) for 23rd place on the all-time Seahawk scoring list.

* Burton's 21 points vs. Coppin State came in just 14 minutes and were two shy of his career-high of 23 set a year ago. Over two games against the Eagles, the North Carolina native is averaging 19.0 points per game, highlighted by 60.0 percent shooting (9-of-15) from deep.

* Burton's 11.7 points per game average is 20th in the NEC and second among reserves while his 50.0 percent mark from the floor and from beyond the arc rank eighth and ninth, respectively, in the league.

* Setting the table for the Green & White offense at Coppin State was senior Kenneth Ortiz, who recorded his fourth career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists while also adding five rebounds and a pair of steals. On the year, the reigning two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 13.5 points (14th NEC), 4.8 assists (4th NEC) and 1.8 steals (t-4th NEC) per game while leading the league's top field goal percentage defense (.372).

* Ortiz's 10 helpers also represent the 16th time in his career that he has notched at least seven in a game. During that time, Wagner is an impressive 14-2.

* The Newark native, is first among active players in the conference with 127 steals and fourth with 318 assists, as the Seahawks are 46-20 over his three years.

* Burton, Ortiz and Rivers helped fuel an impressive effort by the Green & White backcourt at Coppin State, totaling 72 points, on 58.5 percent (24-of-41) shooting, including 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from long range.

* Along with the aforementioned guards, junior Jay Harris also ranks among the NEC scoring leaders at 8.7 points per game (29th NEC) and is fourth with an impressive 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

* The quartet of Rivers, Ortiz, Burton and Harris have combined to account for 63.2 percent (187-of-296) of Wagner's scoring on the year.

* Lost amid the offensive fireworks by the Seahawk guard unit against the Eagles was another solid performance from the starting frontcourt of senior Naofall Folahan and junior Mario Moody. Folahan had seven points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks while Moody notched 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.

* The duo also combined for six of Wagner's seven slams, including four by Moody. The Jersey City native now has 10 dunks on the year and 58 in his 57-game career.

* Defensively, Folahan is third in the NEC in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and tied for first in blocks (2.0 bpg) while Moody is sixth on the glass (6.8 rpg) and fourth in blocks (1.8 bpg).

* Folahan's 149 career rejections are second in school history and just 27 short of Frantz Pierre-Louis' school-record total of 176.

*Also at Coppin State, junior Hugo Naurais posted career-highs with seven points and a game-high seven rebounds while sophomore Langston Burnett scored a personal-best five points.

* Second-year head coach Bashir Mason reached the 20-win plateau for his career in just his 33rd game against Chestnut Hill on Tuesday, November 12, matching Chester Sellitto's 47-year school record. He was recently profiled by Fox Sports 1 and that video can be accessed by clicking HERE.

* For the second season in a row, Mason, who is 29 years and 283 days old, is the youngest Division I head coach as well as the lone head man under the age of 30.

* In 2012-2013, Mason led the Seahawks to 19-12 record (12-6 NEC) in 2012-2013. Both his overall and NEC win totals represented school-records for a rookie coach. Mason was also a finalist for the CollegeInsider.com Joe B. Hall First-Year and Ben Jobe Minority Coach of the Year awards.

* The Green & White is off to a fantastic start on the defensive end of the court, leading the NEC in field goal percentage defense (.372), rebounding offense (40.8/game), rebounding margin (-0.2), blocked shots (4.8/game) and defensive rebounds (29.8/game) while also ranking second in 3-pt field goal percentage defense (.250).

* Since the start of the 2011-2012 season, Wagner, which was picked to win the 2014 NEC Championship by the league's coaches, is 46-20, including 27-9 during conference play and 17-9 in non-conference action.

* By The Numbers (70) ... Since the start of the 2011-2012 season, the Seahawks are 31-4 when scoring at least 70 points and 34-2 when limiting the opposition to less than 70 points.

* By The Numbers (40) ... Also, the Green & White is 36-6 when shooting 40 percent or higher and 27-7 when limiting opposing teams to less than 40 percent shooting. Additionally, since the start of last season Wagner has held 17-of-35 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.

* By The Numbers (5) ... The Seahawks have won 37 straight games dating back to 2011-2012 when leading with five minutes to play and were a perfect 17-0 last year.

* Wagner is 24-6 (.800) at home over the last three years and hold an all-time record of 122-67 (.646) at the renovated Spiro Sports Center (since 1998-1999).

SCOUTING VERMONT
Vermont enters tonight's game with a deceiving 1-3 record as the Catamounts have dropped games to Saint Joseph's, Bryant and Providence - all of whom advanced to the postseason a year ago.

CATAMOUNT SUCCESS
Vermont has recorded at least 20 wins in nine of the last 11 years (21.5 average) while advancing to the postseason nine times during that stretch.

SENIOR CLASS SHOWDOWN
The Catamount senior class has notched at least 20 wins over the last three wins en route to compiling 69 victories. Wagner's seniors, meanwhile, have won 59 games and have a good shot to be the winningest class in school history. All told, the Vermont seniors have accounted for 79.5 percent (202/254) of the team's scoring while Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers have notched 53.4 percent (158/296) of the scoring.

UPPERCLASSMEN DOMINATE
Tonight's projected starting line-ups feature eight seniors and two juniors. The Catamounts employ a five-senior starting line-up while the Seahawks have three seniors and two juniors.

SCOUTING VERMONT
Senior Clancy Rugg, who entered the program as a walk-on, leads Vermont in scoring at 14.8 points per game while also pulling down 7.5 rebounds each time out. Classmate Brian Voelkel, who has started all 105 games during his tenure in Burlington, paces the squad with 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

DYK?
The Catamounts' all-time leader in assists Kenny White with 565 played his prep ball at Moore Catholic High School on Staten Island from 1984-1988.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE A-EAST
Wagner is 15-13, all-time, against current members of the America East Conference. Additionally, the Seahawks are 11-7 against the America East members.

MORE RIVERS
When Rivers, who has notched double-figures for the 65th time in his career at Coppin State, leads the squad in scoring the Seahawks are 18-9.

SECOND-HALF SHOOTOUT
Wagner's 60 points after halftime at Coppin State represent the most scored by the Seahawks in the second half since recording 62 against Columbia (12/8/09). Additionally, the Green & White's 67.6 percent (23-of-34) shooting  was the best in the second half since converting on 70.0 percent (14-of-20) at Robert Morris (3/5/11).

AT THE BREAK
The Seahawks improved to an eye-popping 44-1 when leading with five minutes to play over the last three years and 34-2 when leading at the break thanks to their victory at Coppin State.

GOTTA WIN THE TIGHT ONES
Wagner is 23-11 in games decided by five points or less or in overtime over the last three years.

DEFENSIVE STATE OF MIND
The Seahawks have won 22-straight games when limiting teams to less than 60 points, including going 20-0 over the last three years.

WAGNER PICKED TO REIGN SUPREME
For the first time in 21 years Wagner was picked in the annual NEC Coaches Poll to stand atop the summit at the end of the season as The Seahawks received seven of the 10 first place votes. Robert Morris and Bryant tied for second with the Colonials earning two first place nods. Three-time defending champion LIU Brooklyn garnered the final first place vote and was tabbed fourth. Central Connecticut was fifth, followed by last year's runner-up Mount St. Mary's, St. Francis Brooklyn, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U and Fairleigh Dickinson.

NEC TELEVISION PACKAGE ANNOUNCED
For the third-straight year Wagner will play at least two televised games at home, including one on national television as part of the NEC package. Before the aforementioned two televised home games, the Seahawks will play before a Fox College Sports (FCS) audience at Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 pm. Exactly one month later, the Green & White will host Bryant on Sunday, February 16 at 12:00 pm on the CBS Sports Network before welcoming FCS back to the Spiro for Senior day against Robert Morris on March 1 at 6:00 pm.

A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Wagner is averaging 42.2 points per game in the second half, compared with just 31.8 points per game in the first half. The Seahawks are also shooting 46.5 percent after halftime, compared with 36.3 percent before intermission.

MASON ANNOUNCES NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Wagner will play seven games against teams that qualified for postseason play a year ago to highlight a 14-game non-conference slate. The Seahawks opened the season with a loss at Penn State (11/9), before defeating Chestnut Hill (11/12) in its home opener. After dropping a 73-57 decision to  St. John's (11/15), Wagner rebounded with a 102-87 victory over Coppin State (11/18). After hosting Vermont (11/21) tonight, the Seahawks will head to the Sunshine State for the Gulf Coast Showcase  (11/25-11/27) in Estero, FL. Wagner will then host Lafayette (12/3) before beginning with a four-game road trip at Penn (12/7) and former NEC rival Rider (12/14). After returning to the City Of Brotherly Love for a game against 2013 Sweet 16 participant La Salle (12/19), the Seahawks will wrap up their non-conference slate with a games against Monmouth (12/30) and North Carolina Central (1/4).

SEAHAWKS HEADING SOUTH FOR THE GULF COAST SHOWCASE
Wagner is one of eight schools that will descend upon Southwest Florida to participate in the inaugural Gulf Coast Showcase at the Germain Arena in Estero, FL. The eight-team tournament, designed to showcase the top mid-major programs from across the country, will take place from Monday, November 25 to Wednesday, November 27. The Seahawks along with Louisiana Tech are among the headliners in the eight-team field which also includes St. Bonaventure, San Diego, UNC Greensboro, Illinois-Chicago, Southern Illinois and Stetson. The Green & White will lock horns with Stetson on Monday night at 6:00 pm before playing either St. Bonaventure or Southern Illinois on the second day of the tournament.

SENIORS PACE RESURGENCE
The senior class of Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers is arguably the main reason that Wagner in considered among the elite of the NEC. The Seahawks are an impressive 59-37, including 36-18 during league play, since the foursome arrived on Staten Island. This turnaround comes the heels of a 2009-2010 campaign that saw the Green & White go 5-26 and 3-15 in the NEC.

MEET THE STAFF
Mason will be joined on the bench by Mike Babul, Marquis Webb, Scott Smith, Scott Butterworth and Obie Nwadike in year two. Babul came to Wagner from Auburn, where he served as the Director of Basketball Operations for two years. The former UMass standout and Parade All-American also worked at UTEP, Drexel, Youngstown State and Memphis. Webb descended on Staten Island after spending a year at George Mason, where he helped the Patriots to 24 wins in 2011-2012. A 1,000-point scorer at Rutgers, he ranks among the Scarlet Knight all-time leaders with 305 assists. Smith is in his fourth  season as an assistant coach with the Seahawks and the third overall as a member of the staff. Butterworth, who played collegiately at Colby-Sawyer University, begins his first season as the Director of Operations after working in the corporate world. Rounding out the staff is former NEC First Team selection and Central Connecticut standout Nwadike, who notched 1,265 points and 980 rebounds for the Blue Devils from 2003-2007 and most recently played professionally overseas.

DON'T GET DEFENSIVE
Mason, Babul and Webb all garnered All-Conference Defensive Team honors during their collegiate careers. Mason was recognized as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman and was a four-year member of the CAA All-Defensive Team. Babul was a three-year selection to the Atlantic 10 (A-10) All-Defensive Team. Webb was named to the 2006 Defensive All America team.

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 home games that are slated to be streamed via the Northeast Conference's (NEC) Front Row Platform.

UP NEXT
Wagner will next be in action at the three-day Gulf Coast Showcase starting on Monday, November 25 at 6:00 pm against Stetson.

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 Bashir Mason">@BashirMason for news on the second-year coach.

Photography by Dave Saffran