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Staten Island, NY - Wagner (9-8; 3-1 NEC) returns home to the friendly confines of the Spiro Sports Center against Central Connecticut (4-13; 0-4 NEC) with tip time slated for 7:00 pm. As always, as Joey Wahler will have the call beginning at 6:50 pm through NEC Front Row.
Top Storylines
#1 - Wagner, which defeated CCSU 88-59 in the teams' first meeting, will be aiming for its first series sweep of the Blue Devils since 2003-2004.
#2 - The Seahawks return home after playing seven-of-eight on the road.
#3 - In the teams' first meeting, the Green & White converted on 10-of-12 from long range in the first half and 12-of-20 for the game.
Quick Hits
* The Seahawks have won each of the last three meetings between the teams by an average of 23.3 points per game while scoring 87.0 points each time out on 49.0 percent shooting, including 51.9 percent from deep.
* Leading the charge during that time has been junior
Marcus Burton, who is averaging 18.7 points and 5.7 assists per game despite coming off the bench while shooting 55.2 percent (16-of-29), including 60.0 percent (9-of-15).
*The Green & White second unit is averaging an astounding 40.0 points per game off the bench in the aforementioned three-game winning streak, highlighted by a 50-point showing in the teams' last meeting.
* The 50 points were the most by the bench since notching 56 in a 122-91 victory over Brown on November 17, 2000.
* Wagner reserves outscored the starters for the second time this season the last time out against Saint Francis U, notching 31 of the Seahawks' 56 points as Burton paced the squad in scoring for the fourth time this season with 14 markers.
* During league play, Burton is averaging a team-leading 15.5 points per game while shooting 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the long range and is one of just two NEC players that have not started to rank among the league leaders in scoring (10.8 ppg-22nd NEC). He is also second in the circuit from the line (.870).
* Burton also helped close out the game with four free throws in the final 21 seconds and is now a perfect 8-for-8 in the last five minutes of games decided by 10 points or less or in overtime. As a unit, the Green & White has made good on 77.8 percent (42-of-54) in those situations.
*The Wagner bench has averaged 37.2 points per game during league play while shooting 52.4 percent (54-for-103) from the field, including 45.2 percent (14-for-31) from deep.
* In overcoming its largest largest deficit (-13) of the year in the win over the Red Flash, the Seahawks improved to 17-6 over the last three years following a loss while winning for the 25th-straight time when limiting the opposition to less than 60 points.
* Wagner, which entered the game 327th in the NCAA with 22.9 fouls per game, committed just nine, including two in the second half. The nine penalties are the fewest by the Seahawks since registering eight at Princeton on December 30, 2009.
* Senior
Latif Rivers returned to the starting line-up for the first time in over a month and notched double-figures for the 74th time in his 96-game career with 12 points Rivers ranks among the league leaders in scoring (14.1 ppg, 10th), field goal percentage (.497, 6th), 3-point percentage (.392, 9th) and free throw percentage (.778, 8th).
* Since returning from injury, he is averaging 12.3 points while shooting 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the floor. Rivers also recently became just the fourth Seahawk to notch 1,300 points this century (
Dedrick Dye,
Mark Porter,
Jermaine Hall). He currently has 1,339 points, just 10 behind Dye for 15th place.
* Despite failing to notch double-figures, the Seahawks got solid performances from senior
Orlando Parker (9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks) senior
Kenneth Ortiz (8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 TO) and junior
Jay Harris (8 points, 5 rebounds).
* Despite failing to notch double-figures in scoring for the fourth-straight game, Ortiz continues to rank among the league leaders in scoring (12.3-t-13th), assists (4.2-8th), steals (1.5-5th) and free throw percentage (.747-10th) while posting a 1.53 assist/turnover ratio (9th NEC). He is the only Wagner student-athlete to earn NEC Player of the Week accolades this year, after averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in wins over Vermont and Coppin State.
* During NEC play, Ortiz is handing out 6.0 assists each time out while posting an impressive 2.7 assist/turnover ratio.
* Harris continues to star in Seahawks' guard-dominated offense and ranks among the NEC leaders in scoring (9.9-24th), assists (2.9-11th), three-point percentage (.417-4th) and three-pointers/game (2.2-7th).
* Thanks to Rivers, Ortiz, Harris and Burton, the Green & White guards have accounted for 70.7 percent of the offense (853/1207) of the team's scoring.
* Senior
Naofall Folahan broke
Frantz Pierre-Louis' 14-year school-record for blocks at Central Connecticut. Folahan now has 183 blocks and ranks 45th nationally with a league-best 2.4 blocks per game and is 13th in the NEC with 4.9 rebounds each time out. In his career, Folahan has now blocked four or more shots on 12 occasions with Wagner going 10-2 in those games.
* Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers comprise the Seahawk senior class, which has registered 66 wins since descending on Grymes Hill and has accounted for 46.7 percent (564-of-1207) of the team's offense this year. Parker ranks among in the NEC leaders in rebounding (5.4-9th) and blocks (1.1-9th).
* Sophomore
Dwaun Anderson has also now hit for double-figures in three of his last six games after doing so just once in his first 42 games. In the six-game sample, the Michigan State tranfer is averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent (20-of-48).
* Anderson was recently cited as having the top dunk of the first half of the college basketball season by the Sporting News and garnered top billing on
ESPN's #SCTop10 on Saturday, January 11 for his alley-oop dunk off of a Rivers' backboard pass. The dunk was Anderson's fourth career top-10 play on the worldwide sports leader.
* Despite failing to score against Saint Francis U, junior
Mario Moody is averaging 11.3 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds while shooting 64.5 percent (18-of-29) during NEC play. On the year, he ranks among the NEC leaders in scoring (8.9-30th), rebounding (6.6-4th), blocks (1.2-5th), offensive rebounds (2.6-3rd) and defensive rebounds (4.0-6th) while posting three double-doubles.
* Wagner is a perfect 7-0 when leading with five minutes to play this season and is 48-1 over the last three years, including posting 42-straight victories.
* Since head coach
Bashir Mason took over at the start of last season, his teams have limited the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting in 27 of the Seahawks' 48 games. Additionally, the Green & White is a perfect 11-0 when limiting teams to less than 35 percent during that time.
* Mason, who was a finalist for the
CollegeInsider.com Joe B. Hall First-Year and Ben Jobe Minority Coach of the Year awards last season, is 28-20 in this his second year on Grymes Hill. He reached the 20-win plateau for his career in 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 346 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 a 19-12 record (12-6 NEC) in 2012-2013. Both his overall and NEC win totals represented school-records for a rookie coach.
* Since the start of the 2011-2012 season, Wagner, which was picked to win the 2014 NEC Championship by the league's coaches, is 53-26, including 30-10 during conference play and 21-14 in non-conference action.
* Over the last three years, the Seahawks are 27-13 in games decided by less than 10 points or in OT, 40-2 when limiting opponents to less than 70 points, 35-6 when scoring at least 70, 39-2 when leading at the half, 17-6 following a loss and 31-4 when shooting 45 percent or higher.
* Wagner is off to a solid start on defense, leading the NEC in rebounding (37.7), blocks (5.5) (32nd NCAA), field goal percentage defense (.397) (47th NCAA) and three point field goal percentage defense (.310) (57th NCAA).
* The Seahawks are 26-7 at home (16-3 NEC) over the last three years and 124-68 (.646), all-time, at the renovated Spiro Sports Center (since 1999).
SCOUTING CCSU
Central Connecticut has lost five-straight games, including four-straight to open conference play, as the Blue Devils have been forced to play without its leading scorer and reigning All-NEC First Team selection Kyle Vinales (17.4 ppg, 3.7 apg). The Blue Devils have been in each of their last three losses, losing each by 10 points or less including a one-point heartbreaker to LIU Brooklyn the last time out. In Vinales' absence, junior Faronte Drakeford has seen his scoring jump to a team-best 14.8 points per game while classmate Malcolm McMillian is averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds each time out during conference play.
THE VINALES FACTOR
Vinales has been explosive in his brief two-year career against Wagner, averaging 23.5 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent (19-for-47) from long range. The Michigan native also scored a Spiro Sports Center record 42 points last season in the Seahawks' 101-82 victory.
HOWIE LEADS THE CHARGE
The venerable Howie Dickenman is back for his 18th season at the helm of the Blue Devils. The former UConn assistant is the dean of the NEC coaches and led CCSU to three NEC titles while winning four NEC Coach of the Year awards. He is 266-254 during that time, including going 173-121 during NEC play.
TOURNEY TIME
Wagner has eliminated the Blue Devils in the NEC Tournament in each of the last two years.
NWADIKE CONNECTION
Wagner graduate manager Obie Nwadike played at Central Connecticut from 2003-2007 and and ranks 20th in Blue Devil annals with 1,265 points and sixth with 980 rebounds. He also earned First Team All-NEC accolades in helping CCSU to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Wagner is limiting opposing teams to a league-low 31.0 percent from long range while Central Connecticut is shooting a league-low 29.0 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, during league play the Seahawks are allowing a league-low 67.0 points each time out while the Blue Devils are scoring just 63.2 points per game.
MAKES SENSE
When outshooting the opposition, Wagner is 9-1 this season and 45-6 over the last three years - including 26-3 since the start of last season. The Seahawks are also 7-2 this season when winning the rebounding battle and 37-8 since 2011-2012.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Wagner is averaging 31.8 points per game in the first half while shooting 38.0 percent from the floor, including 33.3 percent from deep, and 67.8 percent from the line. After halftime, the Seahawks are scoring 38.5 points each time out while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, including 34.6 percent from deep, and 73.5 percent from the line.
LONG RANGE BLISS
In Wagner's 88-59 win over Central Connecticut, the Seahawks went 12-for-20 (.600) from long range, including making good on 10-of-12 (.833) in the first half. Harris set the tone, drilling a pair of triples to open the game and finished with 14 points with a career-high matching six assists.
BENCH EXPLOSION
Led by Burton, the reserves erupted for 50 points against the Blue Devils on 67.9 percent (19-of-28) shooting, including 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from long distance. It also marked the first time that the bench scored at least 50 against a Division I team since it notched 56 in a 122-91 victory over Brown on November 17. 2000.
60-POINT CLUB
The Seahawks have now won 25-straight games (23-0 since 2011-2012) when limiting teams to 60 points or less thanks to impressive defensive performances against Saint Francis U, CCSU and Monmouth.
HIGH-POWERED BACKCOURT
Thanks to the stellar play of Burton, Harris, Rivers and Ortiz, the Wagner backcourt has accounted for 70.7 percent (853-of-1207) of the team's offense while posting 46 of the Seahawks' 56 double-digit performances.
INSTANT OFFENSE
Burton paced Wagner in scoring against Coppin State (21), CCSU (18), UIC (17) and Saint Francis U (14) despite coming off the bench, continues to the lead the Seahawks' reserves. The Green & White second unit has outscored their counterparts in 14 of 17 games thanks to the North Carolina native.
IN THE RANKINGS
* Ortiz is currently eighth in school history with 371 assists, 84 behind
Tony Rice for seventh.
* Ortiz is 10th with 145 steals and with seven more will match former
Courtney Pritchard.
* Rivers is seventh with 327 free throws and needs 13 more to equal
Jamie Ciampaglio.
* Rivers is also ninth with 176 triples and with nine will match
Jeff Klauder.
* Moody is 10th in school history with 82 blocks and with two more will equal
Mark Porter.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
Ortiz's nine helpers at the Mount also represent the 17th time in his career that he has notched at least seven in a game. During that time, the Seahawks are an impressive 14-3. The Newark native, is first among active players in the conference with 145 steals and fourth with 371 assists, as Wagner is 53-26 over his three years.
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.
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, SFU and FDU.
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 played before a
Fox College Sports (FCS) audience at Mount St. Mary's (1/16). The Green & White will next be on television when it hosts Bryant on Sunday, February 16 at 12:00 pm on the
CBS Sports Network before welcoming FCS back to the Spiro for Senior Day vs. Robert Morris on March 1 at 6:00 pm.
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 66-43, including 39-19 during league play, since the foursome arrived on Staten Island.
UP NEXT
Wagner will play at Robert Morris on Saturday, January 25 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 Bashir Mason">@BashirMason for news on the second-year coach.
