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Estero, FL - Wagner (3-2) returns to action against Stetson (0-5) on Monday, November 25 at 6:00 pm as part of the inaugural Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena. The Seahawks will next play either St. Bonaventure on Southern Illinois on Tuesday. The entire tournament can be watched for $25 through America Sports One or $10 per day. As always Joey Wahler will have all the action for you for free through Red Zone Media starting at 5:50 pm.

Today's Top Storylines
#1 - Wagner will be aiming for its third in-season tournament title since ascending to Division I for the 1976-1977 season.

#2 - The Seahawks last tournament title came at the 2011 Cable Car Classic.

#3 - The match-up with Stetson will be the first-ever meeting between the teams as well as the Green & White's first-ever game vs. the Atlantic Sun.

Quick Hits
* Today's contest will be the first of three-straight neutral site games while also marking the first time in the Seahawks' Division I history that the Green & White will play on three-straight days.

* All-time (D-1), Wagner is just 26-41 when playing on a neutral court, but has won two-straight and five-of-six since 2003-2004.

* This week's tournament also represents a homecoming of sorts for senior Orlando Parker, who will be playing in his home state of Florida for the first time in his collegiate career.

* The Seahawks have twice played in the Sunshine State, besting the University of Miami by a 57-55 score on December 29, 1993, before falling to Florida State 83-62 on December 18, 2003.

* Wagner is 2-1, all-time, against Division I teams from Florida while previously besting Florida International 84-71 on December 1, 1996 in the consolation game of the St. Peter's Tournament.

* The Seahawks will play St. Bonaventure or Southern Illinois on Tuesday at either 2:30 pm or 8:30 pm, before facing Louisiana Tech, San Diego, UIC or UNC Greensboro on Wednesday. Of the seven other teams in the field, the Seahawks have only squared off previously with St. Bonaventure (2-1) and UNC Greensboro (0-1).

* 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.

* For the second season in a row, Mason, who is 29 years and 287 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 (.375), rebounding offense (38.4/game), rebounding margin (-1.8), blocked shots (4.8/game), scoring margin (+0.4) and defensive rebounds (28./game) while also ranking second in 3-pt field goal percentage defense (.211).

* Wagner is coming off arguably one of its top wins in recent memory, a 68-61 victory over a stout Vermont squad that was picked to win the America East.

* Thanks to the win, the Seahawk senior class now has posted 60 victories since arriving on campus in 2010-2011.

* Senior Kenneth Ortiz led the way with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals while pacing four double-figure scorers against the Catamounts. Ortiz has now notched double-figures in all five games and ranks among the NEC leaders in scoring (13.8 ppg, 12th), assists (4.4 apg, 5th) and steals (1.8, 3rd).

* Also notching double-figures in scoring for the fifth time to start the season was classmate Latif Rivers, who went a perfect 8-for-8 from the line to highlight an 11-point effort vs. the Catamounts. Rivers leads the team and ranks among the NEC leaders in scoring (16.6 ppg, 7th), field goal percentage (.500, 8th) and 3-point percentage (.529, 2nd).

* Rivers (1,211) is just five points behind former teammate Tyler Murray for 23rd place on the all-time Wagner scoring list and are the fourth-most points by an active NEC player. His 165 made three pointers also tie him for 10th place in school history and are just three behind Matt Vitale (168) for ninth.

* The Seahawks used a 13-5 game-ending run to overcome a one-point Vermont advantage with 5:29 on the clock, marking just the second time in 18 games over the last three years that the Green & White won a game when trailing with five minutes to play.

* Wagner also improved to 24-11 over the last three years in games decided by 10 points or less or in overtime.

* Defensively, the Seahawks held the Catamounts without a three pointer, marking the second time in the last three games that a Green & White opponent was held without a triple.

* The last time that Wagner held two opponents without a three pointer in one season was in 2011-2012 when Hofstra and FDU failed to convert at least one triple.

* Rounding out the Seahawks in double-figures were Jay Harris (11) and Mario Moody (10) while Parker notched a team-best nine rebounds with nine points off the bench.

* This season Wagner has 16 double-digit scoring performances in its five games with 14 coming from the backcourt. All told, Seahawk guards are accounting for 70.1 percent (255-for-364) of the scoring. However, Moody has hit for double-figures in each of the last two games and is averaging 7.6 points, 6.4 rebounds (6th NEC) and 1.8 blocks (t-2nd NEC) per game.

* Wagner is 25-6 at home over the last three years and 123-67 (.647), all-time, at the renovated Spiro Sports Center (since 1999).

* The Seahawks, which defeated Coppin State 102-87 in their first game last week, outscored both opponents on the week by a whopping 35-4 margin on fast break points.

* By The Numbers (70) ... Since the start of the 2011-2012 season, the Seahawks are 31-4 when scoring at least 70 points and 35-2 when limiting the opposition to less than 70 points.

* By The Numbers (40) ... Also, the Green & White is 37-6 when shooting 40 percent or higher and 28-7 when limiting opposing teams to less than 40 percent shooting. Additionally, since the start of last season Wagner has held 18-of-36 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.

* Despite not recording a block against Vermont, senior Naofall Folahan is still fifth in the NEC with 1.6 rejections per game to go along with his team-leading 6.6 rebounds (5th NEC) per game and has 149 career blocks, just 27 blocks off of Frantz Pierre-Louis' school-record total of 176.

* Stetson (0-5) is looking for its first win of the season under former Oklahoma State standout and first-year mentor Corey Williams, who won a NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1993.

* Since the start of the 2011-2012 season, Wagner, which was picked to win the 2014 NEC Championship by the league's coaches, is 47-20, including 27-9 during conference play and 18-9 in non-conference action.

* Also during that time, the Seahawks are 27-1 when scoring 80 points or more, 27-3 when shooting higher than 45 percent and 14-3 following a loss.

SCOUTING STETSON
Stetson enters tonight's game with a 0-5 record, but has dropped decisions to BCS members Clemson, Notre Dame and USF. The Hatters are led by fifth-year seniors Aaron Graham (12.2 ppg) and Willie Green (10.6 ppg).

MASON ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2018
Mason recently announced the signings of Joseph Cooper (Wilmington, DE / Concord), Aaren Edmead (Deer Park, NY / Deer Park) and Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD / DeMatha Catholic) to National Letters of Intent. Cooper will be playing his senior season at Concord High School averaging 13.0 points, 4.0 steals, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game as a junior at the Tatnall School. As a junior, Edmead averaged 14 points per game while helping lead Deer Park to a 17-4 record, a league championship and the Suffolk Class AA title game. Henson averaged 10.7 points while draining 48 three-pointers for DeMatha Catholic as a junior and is the top returning scorer for the Stags.

RED-HOT OFFENSIVE EFFORT FUELS WIN OVER COPPIN STATE
Wagner 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

DEEP THOUGHTS
The 12 triples represented the most for the Seahawks since burying 12 against Saint Francis U on January 8, 2011.

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

FUELING THE FIRE
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 against the Eagles.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Rivers has now hit for at least 20 points on 16 different occasions throughout his four years on Grymes Hill as the Green & White is 13-3 in those games.

MORE RIVERS
Wagner is also 18-9 when Rivers, who has notched double-figures 66 times in his career, leads the team in scoring.

SUPERSUB
Burton's 21 points at Coppin State came in just 14 minutes and were two shy of his career-high of 23 set a year ago. The North Carolina native's 10.8 points per game average are 22nd in the NEC and second among reserves while his 46.7 percent mark from the floor and his 44.4 percent clip from long range, rank 12th and ninth, respectively, in the league.

DOUBLE DOWN
Setting the table for the Green & White offense at Coppin State was Ortiz, who recorded his fourth career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists while also adding five rebounds and a pair of steals.

LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
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 129 steals and fourth with 321 assists, as the Seahawks are 47-20 over his three years.

HARRIS QUIETLY SETTING IN
Along with the aforementioned guards, junior Harris also ranks among the NEC scoring leaders with 9.0 points per game (27th NEC) and is fourth with an impressive 2.17 assist-to-turnover ratio while playing a team-best 32.8 minutes (6th NEC) each time out.

SENIORS CARRY THE LOAD
The Wagner Seniors: Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers have notched 53.3 percent (194/364) of the Seahawks' scoring on the year.

NAURAIS, BURNETT NOTCH CAREER-HIGHS
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.

NEW ROLE, SAME RESULT
Parker is coming off the bench as the sixth man after starting the final 13 games and has seen his numbers improve. This season, Parker is averaging 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

LONG SOLID THUS FAR
Freshman Nolan Long is averaging 3.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game over just over 10.8 minutes each time out this season.

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.

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) and a 68-61 win over Vermont (11/21) and will now take part in 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.

MASON PROFILED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES
While being the youngest coach in Division I is a story in itself, it may not be the most unique regarding Wagner's second-year head man Bashir Mason. The Jersey City native was recently profiled by the New York Times and Zach Schonbrun due to the fact that Mason is believed to be the only Division I men's head coach that is also student-teaching in the mornings in order to attain his master's degree in education.

EXPERIENCE YIELDS SUCCESS
Wagner is hoping that statement rings true in 2012-2013 as the Seahawks boast a roster that features eight upperclassmen and nine student-athletes that are in at least their third year of college. Additionally, both of  the Green & White's freshmen played a post-graduate year of school before furthering their education at the college.

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 60-37, 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.

ORTIZ LEADS THE WAY
After sitting out his first year on Grymes Hill due to NCAA transfer rules, Ortiz has led the Green & White to a 46-20 record, including 27-9 in league play, while starting 65 games during that time and notching four game-winning shots.

DOUBLE-DUTY
Following in the footsteps of former Seahawk student-athlete, head coach and current Brooklyn Nets announcer Tim Capstraw, Long will play both baseball and basketball at Wagner. On the diamond, Long was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 38th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

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.

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