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Staten Island, NY - After dropping a one-point decision on Saturday, the Green & White (10-11; 4-4 NEC) returns home to host FDU (8-14; 4-4 NEC) on Thursday, February 6 at 7:00 pm in game that could have serious postseason implications. As always, fans can watch the game for free through
NEC Front Row with Joey Wahler bringing you the action beginning at 6:50 pm.
Top Storylines
#1 - Wagner returns home after playing 10 of its last 12 games on the road.
#2 - The Seahawks are 18-7 following a loss since the 2011-2012 season.
#3 - Senior Naofall Folahan is four blocks away from becoming the fifth NEC player with 200 rejections.
Quick Hits
* The teams along with Saint Francis U are tied for fifth place in the standings at 4-4 with St. Francis Brooklyn and the Mount tied for third at 5-3.
* Wagner will play six of its next eight games - including the final five - in the friendly confines of the Spiro Sports Center.
* The Seahawks are 26-8 at home (16-4 NEC) over the last three years and 124-69 (.642), all-time, at the renovated Spiro Sports Center (since 1999).
* Wagner has captured the last five meetings between the teams by an average of 15.8 ppg.
* The Knights lead the all-time series by a 49-45 count with the Seahawks holding a slim 18-16 edge in Staten Island since the Green & White moved to D-I for the 1976-1977 season.
* Wagner has won seven-straight home games against schools from New Jersey and 13-of-14 since midway through the 2010-2011 season.
* The Seahawks dropped their last game by one point in overtime to St. Francis Brooklyn and have lost four NEC games by a total of 18 points, including three by three or less.
* Wagner enters Thursday's match-up with a RPI of 246 with Fairleigh Dickinson holding a 247 ranking.
* FDU assistant coach Dwayne Lee was a member of the Seahawk coaching staff last season.
* Under first-year head coach Greg Herenda, the Knights have already doubled their NEC win total from a year ago and defeated both Rutgers and Seton Hall in non-league play.
* Despite featuring a roster of seven newcomers (six freshmen), Fairleigh Dickinson is led by senior guard Sidney Sanders, who is second in the NEC in scoring at 19.7 points per game to go along with 5.8 assists (3rd NEC) and a league-best 2.1 steals each time out while posting a 2.56 assist/turnover ratio (4th NEC).
* A big factor in Thursday night's match-up will be the three-ball as FDU is second in the circuit during NEC play with 8.0 triples per game while the Green & White is eighth with just 5.6 each time out. Additionally since converting on 12 in its NEC opener, Wagner is averaging just 4.7 each time out.
* Senior
Kenneth Ortiz had a big week against LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn, averaging 13.0 points, 5.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. Against the Terriers, he paced all players with 19 points and six rebounds after collecting a career-high six steals with seven assists, seven points and five rebounds vs. the Blackbirds The Southern Mississippi transfer ranks among the league leaders in scoring (12.4-14th), assists (4.3-7th), steals (1.7-3rd) and free throw percentage (.717-15th) while posting a 1.52 assist/turnover ratio (9th NEC).
* In four career games against the Knights, Ortiz is averaging 14.0 points, 5.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game with an impressive 3.83 assist/turnover ratio. For his career, the Garden State native has notched 909 points, 412 assists, 386 rebounds and 161 steals over four collegiate seasons while helping the Seahawks to a 54-29 mark.
* Over three career seasons on Grymes Hill, Ortiz has handed out at least seven assists on 18 occasions with the Seahawks going 15-3 in those games.
* Also notching double-figures against St. Francis Brooklyn with 18 was junior
Jay Harris after scoring all 10 of his points in the final 10 minutes at LIU Brooklyn in helping close out the Blackbirds. He ranks among the NEC leaders in scoring (9.8-25th), assists (2.8-11th), three-point percentage (.398-7th) and three-pointers/game (2.1-8th).
* Despite scoring a season-low matching five points at St. Francis Brooklyn, senior
Latif Rivers continues to pace the squad in scoring while ranking 10th NEC with 14.1 points per game and among active players ranks fourth with 1,395 points. He is also among the league leaders in field goal percentage (.469-11th) and free throw percentage (.786).
* The Garden State native has also notched double-figures in scoring on team-best 16 occasions and 77 times in his 100-game career and is just five points away from becoming the third 1,400-point scorer at Wagner since the turn of the century. His team-best 18 points in the win at LIU Brooklyn also marked the 33rd time in his career that he has paced the Seahawks in scoring.
* Junior
Marcus Burton continues to lead the bench in scoring and is second among NEC reserves with 10.3 points per game (24th NEC) while pacing the circuit at the line with a 88.7 percent (47-of-53) conversion rate. During league play, his scoring average jumps to 11.9 points each time out.
* In games decided by 10 points or less Burton and Harris have each gone 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. Additionally, in the second half of games Harris is 20-for-21 (.952) and Burton is 33-for-37 (.892) from the line
* Thanks to the aforementioned quartet of Ortiz, Rivers, Harris and Burton the Green & White guards have accounted for 68.4 percent (1038/1517) of the team's scoring.
* Despite only recording just two points last week, senior
Naofall Folahan still managed to block eight shots while helping to anchor the Wagner defense in the paint and leads the NEC while ranking 32nd nationally with 2.6 blocks per game.
* Folahan broke Frantz Pierre-Louis' 14-year school-record for blocks at CCSU and has 196 for his career. He has also has rejected four or more on 14 occasions with the Seahawks going 11-3 in those games.
* Since rejoining the starting line-up four games ago, senior
Orlando Parker is averaging 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
* Folahan, Ortiz, Parker and Rivers comprise the Green & White senior class, which has registered 67 wins since descending on Grymes Hill and has accounted for 48.3 percent (733-of-1517) of the team's offense this year.
* Rounding out the double-figure scorers for Wagner is junior
Mario Moody, who is among the NEC leaders in scoring (9.5-27th), rebounding (6.5-4th) and blocks (1.3-8th). During league play, his numbers go up to 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game to go along with an impressive 59.1 percent (39-of-66) shooting clip.
* Thanks to Burton and Moody, the Seahawk bench has outscored its counterparts in six of the Green & White's eight NEC games by an average of 14.5 points each time out. The reserves are averaging 32.9 points per game on 47.5 percent (95-of-200) shooting from the field, including 38.2 percent (26-of-68) from deep.
* The 67 victories are the second-most by a senior class at Wagner since the college moved to Division I for the 1976-1977 season and just two off the school-record of 69 set by the Class of 2005, which claimed the 2003 NEC Title while advancing to the 2005 Championship tilt. The Class of 1969 has the all-time record of 72 victories.
* Freshman
Greg Senat was the unsung hero at St. Francis Brooklyn, pulling down a career and game-high seven rebounds in just 10 minutes off the bench. Coming into the game, he had just 12 in the first 11 games of the year.
* 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 28 of the Seahawks' 52 games. Additionally, Wagner 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 29-23 in this his second year.
* For the second season in a row, Mason, who is 29 years and 360 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 54-29, including 31-13 during conference play and 21-14 in non-conference action. Additionally, the Seahawks are 28-16 in games decided by less than 10 points or in OT, 49-2 when leading with five minutes remaining, 41-2 when limiting opponents to less than 70 points, 36-9 when scoring at least 70, 40-3 when leading at the half and 32-4 when shooting 45 percent or higher.
* Wagner has been solid on defense this season, leading the NEC in rebounding (38.4), blocks (5.7) (24th NCAA) and field goal percentage defense (.405) (56th NCAA).
* The Seahawks are next in action on Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 pm when the Green & White travels to Sacred Heart.
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 for news on the second-year coach.
