Game Notes: Central Connecticut | Wagner

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For Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Mike Babul, January 31 ALS Awareness Day Holds Special Meaning
 
Staten Island, NY - The men's basketball team will look to avenge last weekend's heart-breaking defeat to Central Connecticut as this afternoon's contest comes exactly a week to the day after the Blue Devils'  Brandon Peel hit a game-winner at the buzzer, propelling CCSU to a halted the Seahawks' modest two-game win streak al Connecticut.

Peel's buzzer-beater came right after Wagner senior guard Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler) drained a 26-foot three-pointer that tied the game at 50-50 with 1.0 seconds left to play.



THE COACHES
Wagner:                     
Bashir Mason:
45-37, Third Season
Overall Record at Wagner: Same
All-time against CCSU: 4-3
 
Central Connecticut:
Howie Dickenman
Overall Record: 276-279, 19th Season
Overall Record at Central Connecticut: Same
All-time against WC: 18-16
 

• The Wagner College men's basketball team secured a pivotal Northeast Conference (NEC) victory, pulling away by a count of 75-64 at the Spiro Sports Center on Thursday evening.
• In notching their third win in the last five games, the Seahawks improve to 5-4 in the NEC and 7-13 on the season, while the Pioneers, who were coming off of an impressive 83-66 victory at Bryant, fall to 3-6 in league play and 9-13 overall.
• Senior guard and reigning NEC Player of the Week, Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/ David W. Butler), inched closer to becoming the 42nd member of the Wagner 1,000 point club, as he netted 26 points, including a stretch in which he connected on 10 straight points. He is now up to 979 career points and needs just 21 points to reach the milestone.
• A pair of freshmen guards, Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) and JoJo Cooper (Wilmington, DE/Concord), scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Cooper pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out a team-best four assists.
• Junior forward Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Hazlet (Rhode Island)), who last played at Cincinnati back on December 23, made his presence felt, scoring nine points and grabbing a team-leading 14 caroms in 19 minutes of action.

• This is the 41st meeting between the two programs with the head-to-head matchup tied 20-20 after CCSU defeated the Seahawks, 53-50, on Brandon Peel buzzer-beat three-pointer.
• Wagner won two of three meetings last season including the NEC Tournament game and the game in New Britain.
• Wagner has won six of the last 10 in the series.

• The Blue Devils, who secured their first Northeast Conference (NEC) victory over the Seahawks last Saturday, enters this afternoon's contest looking to bounce back from a 67-55 defeat to LIU Brooklyn on Thursday evening. Faronte Drakeford led the way for the Blue Devils with a game-high 20 points while pulling down 11 rebounds in 36 minutes of play. Khalen Cumberlander added 11 points in defeat.
• Matt Mobley is the team's scoring leader at 16.4 ppg while averaging 14.2 in conference games. Brandon Peel is the team's leading rebounder at 8.7.

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.