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Estero, FL - Fueled by a game-changing 15-0 run, Wagner (4-2) ran past Stetson (0-6) 81-64 in first round play at the inaugural Gulf Coast Classic at Germain Arena. The Seahawks will now play in the winner's bracket against St. Bonaventure tomorrow night at 8:30 pm.

Senior Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT)) paced four players in double-figures with 17 points while sophomore Dwaun Anderson (Suttons Bay, MI / Michigan State) and junior Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC / David W. Butler) each notched 10 of their 12 points after halftime to pace the Green & White reserves, which outscored their counterparts by a 37-18 count. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for Wagner was junior Jay Harris (Aurora, IL / Valparaiso) with 11 points.

Defensively, Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin / Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA)) turned in one of the finest performances of his career. The senior pivot blocked a personal-best matching seven shots, just one off of Miladin Mutavdzic's single-game school record of eight (2/29/92), to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds and six points.

Down five at the half (33-28), the Hatters rallied to trim the Seahawk advantage to one on three occasions, the last of which came with 10:37 to play after Aaron Graham's three pointer made it a 55-54 game. Burton quickly put some separation between the teams with a pair of three pointers while starting what would turn out to be a game-changing 18-2 run over the next 3:15.  Following the North Carolina native's second triple, Anderson converted a layup, before senior Orlando Parker (Orlando, FL / Orlando Christian Prep) hit a jumper. Anderson then followed with a three pointer and a layup, before Rivers capped the game-changing run with the Green & White's 15-straight point on another Wagner three pointer.

All told in the Seahawks' dominating run, Wagner converted on all seven shots, including four triple tries, while extending the lead to an insurmountable 73-57 with 5:29 to play.

The lead would grow to a game-high 20 at 80-60 with just over three minutes to play, before the Seahawks posted the aforementioned 81-64 victory.

Buoyed by converting on eight-straight shots, including five-straight from long range, Wagner shot a blistering 57.1 percent (16-of-28) after halftime, including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from long range, to fuel a 48-point half.

The first-half was a back-and-forth affair as Stetson jumped out to an early 8-5 lead just over five minutes in to the game, before the Seahawks ripped off a 14-2 run, including 10-straight at one point, to assume a 19-10 lead with 8:58 to play.

With the lead still at nine at 24-15 following a Harris triple, the Hatters scored 10-straight points to take its final lead of the game at 25-24 with 3:30 to play in the first half. Folahan immediately answered on the opposite end to spur a half-ending 9-3 run to give Wagner a 33-28 lead that it would not relinquish.

For the game, the Seahawks made good on 49.2 percent (29-of-59) from the field, including 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from deep, and a season-best 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the line while posting a dominating 44-33 advantage on the glass. Stetson, meanwhile, made good on just 36.8 percent (25-of-68).

Willie Green paced the Hatters with 15 points while Raymone Andrews and Kentwan Smith each added 11.

Notes:
* Over the last three years, Wagner is 18-1 when scoring 80 or more points, 29-3 when shooting 45 percent of higher and 45-1 when leading with five minutes to play - including capturing 38-straight.

* The Seahawks have had 20 double-digit performances this season with 18 coming from the backcourt. All told, the Green & White guards are accounting 70.8 percent (315-of-445) of this season's scoring.

* Anderson's 12 points were a career-high, bettering his previous high of nine set on four different occasions while Rivers' 17 points give him 1,128 for his career, vaulting him past former teammate Tyler Murray and Bob Mahala, Sr. into 22nd place on the all-time Wagner scoring list.

* Additionally, the Seahawks are now 19-9 when Rivers paces the team in scoring since the prolific guard descended on Grymes Hill in 2010-2011.

* The senior class of Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers have now won 61 games and are accounting for 51.9 percent of this year's offense (231/445).

* Wagner has captured three-straight neutral court games and six of seven since losing to Pitt in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

* The Seahawks are also 2-1 when playing in Florida and 3-1 against Florida-based schools thanks to their first-ever win over an Atlantic Sun member.

* Wagner is averaging 83.7 points per game, on 51.8 percent shooting, including 50.9 percent from long range, over its last three games. In their first three games, the Seahawks averaged just 64.7 points each time out on 36.1 percent shooting, including 20.7 percent from deep.

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