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Staten Island, NY - Following a heartbreaking overtime loss in its last game, Wagner (13-10; 7-5 NEC) returns home while looking for a measure of revenge against Central Connecticut (10-12; 6-5 NEC) on Thursday, February 14 at 7:00 pm. The game will be streamed free of charge through
NEC Front Row with
WFAN Update Anchor Joey Wahler providing the call.
QUICK HITS
* In this week's NEC9, which highlight the top plays of the week from around the NEC, Wagner is featured prominently. Click
HERE to see the video.
* The Blue Devils bested the Seahawks by a 73-66 count in the teams' previous match-up on January 17th in New Britain, CT.
* In that game, CCSU guard Kyle Vinales scored a game-high 30 while posting the highest scoring output against a Green & White team since Will Felder from Saint Francis U went for 30 on February 24, 2011.
* Wagner last played Central Connecticut at home on March 1, 2012 in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. In that game, an 87-77 victory, junior
Kenneth Ortiz led five double-digit Seahawk scorers with 16 points.
* When playing on Staten Island, the Seahawks are 10-5, all-time, against the Blue Devils.
* Wagner has won six of the last nine meetings in the Spiro Sports Center between the teams, dating back to the 2002-2003 season. During that time, eight of the nine games and each of the last five have been decided by 10 points or less.
* Head coach
Bashir Mason turned 29 on Monday and is the only Division I (D-1) coach under 30.
* Mason will meet Howie Dickenman, who at 66 years and 96 days is the 10th oldest coach in the D-1 ranks.
* This will be Mason's fifth game of the year against a senior citizen, having gone 2-2 over the first four.
* Mason is 4-0 against first-year NEC coaches and is tied with former mentor
Dan Hurley and
Mike Deane for the most wins (13) by a Seahawk rookie coach in the school's Division I era (since 1976-1977).
* Wagner trails the all-time series with CCSU by a 16-18 count, including 14-17 in the Division I era (since 1976-1977).
* Ortiz has paced the Seahawks in scoring in each of the last two games against Central Connecticut and is averaging 12.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game over four career outings against the Blue Devils.
* Vinales, who leads the NEC in scoring at 21.2 points per game, is averaging 19.0 ppg over four career games against Wagner, but is shooting just 33.9 percent (20-for-59) from the floor, including a paltry 33.0 percent (7-for-21) from long range. Additionally, the Seahawk defense has limited Vinales to just 25.0 percent (8-for-32) shooting from the field and 23.1 percent (3-for-13) from deep in the teams' two meetings a year ago at the Spiro Sports Center.
* Thursday's game comes on the five-year anniversary of Wagner's thrilling 100-92 double overtime victory over Sacred Heart on February 14, 2008. The Seahawks have won four of their last five games played on Valentine's Day and are 6-4, all-time, on February 14th since moving up to Division I for the 1976-1977 season.
* Wagner played in their school-record sixth overtime game of the year against Robert Morris, bettering the previous mark of five set during the 2007-2008 season.
* The Seahawks had their four-game overtime winning streak snapped against the Colonials, falling one victory short of the school-record set by the same 2007-2008 squad.
* Wagner is now 7-3 in overtime games since the 2010-2011 season and 13-5 over the last six seasons.
* In the program's first 31 years playing at the D-1 level (since 1976-1977), the Seahawks were just 13-28 in overtime games.
* Over four overtime games at home, the Green & White has outscored the opposition by a 50-21 count during extra time while shooting 52.4 percent (11-for-21). In two road overtime games, Wagner has been outscored 17-9 while shooting just 17.6 percent (3-for-17).
* Ortiz has scored a team-best 17 points during overtime this year with five assists, against just two turnovers, while Williams has 12 points and 10 rebounds while going a perfect 8-for-8 from the line.
* Against Robert Morris, Ortiz and junior
Latif Rivers each notched 22 points as Wagner had two players record at least 20 points for the first since November 16, 2011 against North Carolina Central. The duo also helped force overtime with a combined 34 points in the second half while making good on 9-of-12 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from long range, and 13-of-14 from the line.
* Ortiz has now recorded at least 20 points in a game three times this season and is averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game over his last five.
* Rivers also accrued his third game of at least 20 points this season at RMU and has 13 for his career. He has notched double-figures in scoring in each of his last five games, averaging 18.4 points each time out while shooting 54.7 percent (29-for-53) from the field and a blistering 60.0 percent (15-for-25) from long range.
* Over his first nine games this season, Rivers recorded double-figures just four times while averaging 9.8 points per game, on 34.1 percent shooting from the field (29-for-85) and long range (13-for-41).
* Over his last three games, Rivers is averaging 22.7 points per game while shooting 61.8 percent (21-for-34) from the floor and 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from long range.
* In his 75-game career, Rivers has hit for double-digits in scoring 55 times - with the Seahawks going 35-20 during that time - and is 36th all-time in school history, including 23rd in the D-1 era (since 1976-1977), with 1,048 markers. Next up on the list is 2004 All-NEC First Team selection
Nigel Wyatte (1,060).
* Wagner has shot above 40.0 percent from the floor in each of its last six games, after converting more than 40.0 percent just six times in 17 games to start the year.
* The Seahawks have also outshot the opposition in each of the last six games thanks to red-hot shooting after halftime, as the Green & White has made good on 50.3 percent (83-for-165) from the floor and 54.2 percent (13-for-24) from long range.
* During that time, Rivers is averaging a team-best 11.0 points per game after halftime while shooting 55.6 percent (20-for-36) from the floor and 64.7 percent (11-for-17) from deep.
* Wagner was 149th in the most recent RPI rankings while Central Connecticut checks in at No. 195.
* The Seahawks will play three of their next four games at the Spiro Sports Center and are an impressive 7-2 at home this season, 19-5 over the last two years and 118-66 (.641) all-time in the building since its renovation in February of 1999.
* Wagner continues to lead the NEC and ranks among the national leaders in blocks (5.0) (40th NCAA), field goal percentage defense (.400) (60th NCAA) and scoring defense (64.7) (134th NCAA) while also placing among the top-100 in rebounding margin (+4.5) (58th NCAA) and steals (8.2) (58th NCAA).
* Williams paces the Seahawks in scoring (14.5 ppg) (10th NEC/244th NCAA) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) (8th NEC/199th NCAA) while shooting a team-best 49.7 percent (10th NEC/79th NCAA) and 79.3 percent (9th NEC/166th NCAA) from the line.
* Ortiz also ranks among the league leaders in scoring (12.0 ppg) (18th NEC), assists (4.9 apg) (4th NEC/71st NCAA) and steals (2.0) (3rd NEC/60th NCAA). Ortiz has also notched at least seven assists and four steals in a game on five occasions.
* The Garden State native has also now recorded over 500 points, 200 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals during his two-year career on Grymes Hill.
* Junior
Naofall Folahan leads the NEC with 1.6 blocks per game while sophomore
Mario Moody is third with 1.4 rejections per game.
* Folahan, who has 130 career blocks, is just five short of matching
Miladin Mutavdzic for second place in the all-time Green & White rankings.
DURING LEAGUE PLAY ...
The trio of Rivers (13.6 ppg), Ortiz (13.3 ppg) and Williams (13.1 ppg) have combined for 51.4 percent (427/830) of Wagner's scoring.
LEADING THE WAY
This season, Williams has led the Seahawks in scoring 11 times and on the glass on 12 occasions, both of which are team-highs. Over 49 career games, the Golden State native has paced the squad in scoring 22 times and in rebounding on 24 occasions.
CLOSING IT OUT
Williams has made good on 24-of-26 (.923) from the line over the final five minutes of games decided by 10 points or less or in overtime.
BOUNCE BACK
Wagner is 10-3 over the last two seasons when coming off a loss
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
The Seahawks are 10-6 in games decided by 10 points or less or in overtime and 20-10 over the last two years.
HIGH FIVE
Wagner has won 30-straight games and is 12-0 this season and 37-1 when leading or tied with five minutes to play in regulation.
70-POINT CLUB
The Seahawks are 5-1 this season when notching at least 70 points and are 24-2 over the last two years when hitting the threshold.
60-POINT CLUB
When limiting opposing teams to 60 points or less, the Green & White is 8-0 this year and 18-0 over the last two seasons.
CLEANING UP THE GLASS
Wagner won the battle of boards for the 17th time in 23 games this year against Robert Morris. During NEC play, the Seahawks have outrebounded their opposition in eight of their 12 match-ups.
DOUBLE-DOWN
Senior
Josh Thompson recorded season-highs with 10 points and eight rebounds against Mount St. Mary's. Thompson's performance marked his most points and rebounds since going for 11 points and 10 rebounds against Saint Francis U on February 4, 2012 - a span of 29 games.
RIVERS HITS THE CENTURY MARK
Rivers became the 40th member of the Wagner 1,000-point club in a loss to Quinnipiac, scoring a season-high 29 points, including 14 in the final 51 seconds. Rivers, who superseded the Seahawks' first-half total of 19 points with 26 second-half markers, converted a career-best matching 10 field goals and six three pointers.
STREAK SNAPPED
The Seahawks loss to the Bobcats snapped a 10-game Wagner winning streak when Rivers hit for at least 20 points, dating back to the guard's freshman campaign. All-time, the Seahawks are now 10-3 when Rivers goes for at least 20 as well as 16-8 when the Garden State native paces the team in scoring.
RIVERS LIGHTS UP QUINNIPIAC
Thanks to his 29-point performance, Rivers is now averaging 20.3 points per game over four career match-ups with Quinnipiac while shooting 65.2 percent (15-for-23) from long range during that time.
INTERESTING ...
Entering this year, Wagner had played just four overtime games at the Spiro. By virtue of their four OT victories this season, the Seahawks are 6-2, all-time, in overtime games at the Spiro.
UNDER PRESSURE
Williams is shooting 56.8 percent (21-for-37) from the field and 90.6 percent (29-for-32) from the line over the last five minutes of the second half this year.
TALE OF TWO HALVES
Wagner is averaging 34.5 points per game in the second half on 45.3 percent shooting from the floor, compared to just 27.0 points per game in the first half on 39.0 percent shooting. Leading the way after halftime has been the duo of Ortiz and Williams, as the pair is averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting 51.5 percent (100-for-194) from the floor and 73.7 percent (98-for-133) from the line.
BROOKLYN STATE OF MIND
Former Wagner head coach
P.J. Carlesimo is currently 16-8 since being named as the interim coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Carlesimo ushered the Seahawk program to the Division I level in 1976-1977 and was the head coach for six seasons.
UP NEXT
Wagner will host Bryant on Saturday, February 16 at 4:00 pm.
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
