Game Notes: Wagner | Saint Francis U

Watch Free Live Webstream: (NEC Front Row)

Live Stats

Staten Island Advance Game Preview
 
Loretto, PA- Northeast Conference play commences on Saturday, January 3 as the Wagner College men's basketball team squares off against the Saint Francis University Red Flash at DeGol Arena in a 4:00 pm tip in the second game of a doubleheader with the Seahawk women meeting the Red Flash at 1:00 p.m.

When the Wagner and SFU men meet, it will mark the 64^th all-time contest between the two schools with the Red Flash holding a scant 32-31 lead in the head-to-head series. The Seahawks have won the last four meetings, including last season's sweep, 56-50 on January 18 and 74-45 on February 27.THE COACHES
Wagner:          Bashir Mason: 40-33, Third Season
Overall Record: Same
All-time against SFU: 3-0
 
Saint Francis U:  Rob Krimmel: 21-50, Third Season
Overall Record: Same
All-time against WC: 0-3
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR WAGNER…

• Freshman guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Mt. Zion Prep) tossed in a career-high 20 points, capped off by two four-point plays, to lead three Wagner players in double figures but it was not enough to overcome a 25-point outing by Rider's Jimmie Taylor as the Broncs held off a furious Seahawk comeback effort in posting a 76-71 victory at the Spiro Sports Center on Monday evening (December 29).
• In addition to Saunders' career-night, senior guard Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler) finished with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, to go with three rebounds, three steals and two assists in 32 minutes, while freshman point guard JoJo Cooper (Wilmington, DE/Concord) supplied 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with recording team highs with seven rebounds and four assists, during an active 33-minute stint.

 
SCOUTING THE RED FLASH…

• Saint Francis U, winners of three of their last four contests, had its three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, December 30 when the Red Flash dropped a 77-65 decision on the road at NJIT
• Three Red Flash players tallied double-figures in the contest, led by 2014-2015 Preseason All-Northeast Conference selection Earl Brown's 21 points, which came on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Malik Harmon, the 2013-14 NEC Rookie of the Year, added 17 points, while Ollie Jackson also hit for double figures, hitting for 10 points.
• The Red Flash and the Seahawks had one common opponent during non-conference play, as both teams traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Bearcats. Saint Francis U. opened the season with a 52-37 defeat while the Green & White closed out their road non-conference in the "Queen City" with a 72-48 setback to the American Athletic Conference member.
• Brown is the team's leading scorer at 15.6 points per game while logging a team-best 33.8 minutes per contest while Harmon is the team's second-leading scorer at 11.0 points. Ronnie Drinnon has pulled down a team-leading 7.1 rebounds (53 on the defensive glass) while Greg Brown has dished out 3.2 assists per contest.

 
ALL-TIME AGAINST SAINT FRANCIS U…

• This afternoon's contest is the 64th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Saint Francis U. holding a one-game lead, 32-31.
• Wagner has defeated the Red Flash in four contests, including last season's season sweep, 56-50 on January 18 and 74-45 on February 27.

 
ROMONE THE CONQUEROR...

• Freshman guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Mt. Zion Prep) has been on a tear over his last three-games.
• With a total of five freshmen on the rosters, Saunders has been stepping into the spotlight of late, averaging 15.3 points per game while connecting on 46.9% from the floor and 44.4% from beyond the arc.
• Saunders, who tallied a then-career best 18 points at home against Monmouth University (12/20/14), garnered his second career start against another Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member, Rider University on 12/29/14, recorded two-four point plays in the contest enroute to a team-leading 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor.
• For the season, he is averaging 8.3 points per game and logging close to 22 minutes a contest.

COUNTDOWN TO 1,000 FOR BURTON...

• Senior guard Marcus Burton is 227 points away from becoming the 42nd member of the Wagner College 1,000 point club
• Burton, who has amassed 773 career points, would become third player under coach Mason to reach the plateau.

 
SABERMETRIC PERSPECTIVE...

•  In the age of the Sabermetrics, the 2014-15 Seahawks had had all their players in the + column, as all 11 players that played against SUNY Old Westbury were in the positive category, with JoJo Cooper and Marcus Burton each finishing at a +27..

GUARD PLAY...

• Through the first 11 games of the season, 68.4% of the teams total points have been scored by the guards, led by Burton, who has accounted for 20.0% of the teams total points this season.

#40 IS THE NEW 30...

• Third year Wagner head coach Bashir Mason picked up career victory number 40 in a thrilling 64-61 triumph over Ivy League member, Pennsylvania, back on November 29th at Spiro Sports Center.
• Mason (born 2/11/84), who is the second-youngest Division I Men's Basketball coach (Tennessee State's Dana Ford is the youngest, born 6/9/84), has the fourth-highest win percentage among the nine youngest coaches at .548 (40-33).

 

Nine Youngest NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches (sorted by age)

School	Coach	Birthday	Experience	Record/Winning Percentage
Tennessee State Tigers	Dana Ford	6/9/1984	First Season	3-12/.200
Wagner College Seahawks	Bashir Mason	2/11/1984	Third Season	40-33/.548
UNC Greensboro Spartans	Wes Miller	1/28/1983	Fourth Season	39-60/.394
Chattanooga Mocs	Will Wade	11/26/1982	Second Season	26-21/.553
Minnesota Golden Gophers	Richard Pitino	9/16/1982	Second Season	54-30/.643
Brown Bears	Mike Martin	7/4/1982	Third Season	35-36/.494
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers	Jamion Christian	4/18/1982	Third Season	38-39/.494
IUPUI Jaguars	Jason Gardner	11/14/1980	First Season	4-10/.286
Robert Morris Colonials	Andrew Toole	9/11/1980	Fifth Season	94-57/.618

 
UP NEXT...

• After returning from Loretto, PA, Wagner will embark on a three-game homestand that vs. the 2014 NEC Tournament Champions (Mount St. Mary's), the 2014 NEC Runner-Ups (Robert Morris), and local rival (LIU Brooklyn).
• The Seahawks welcome Mount St. Mary's on Monday, January 5 at 7:00 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the women's contest preceeding at 1:00 p.m.
• On Thursday, January 8, the Seahawks-Colonials contest will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 9:00 p.m. This marks the second time that the Green & White will be featured on CBS Sports having defeated Bryant last season.
• On Saturday, January 10, the contest between the Blackbirds and Seahawks will be streamed live on ESPN 3, marking third time this season that Wagner will be featured on the ESPN family of networks.
• All other NEC games are streamed live on NEC Front Row, the online digital network of the Northeast Conference.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and on the men's basketball program and head coach Bashir Mason (@BashirMason) for news on the third-year head coach.