Pictured Above: Junior guard Michael Carey, who posted his first-career double-double in the win over American this afternoon (Dave Saffran)

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Staten Island, NY – The Wagner men's basketball extended its win streak to four straight, holding off the American University Eagles, 55-48, on Sunday afternoon at the Spiro Sports Center.

In improving to 4-2 on the season, the Green & White conclude their season-high four game homestand by going 4-0, with wins over Maine, the College of Staten Island, Morgan State and American.  The Eagles fell to 2-6 with today's defeat.

Three Seahawks finished in double figures, led by sophomore guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) who tallied 14 points in 32 minutes of action.  Junior guard Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto College]) posted his first career double-double in the victory, recording 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting, while connecting on a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, in addition to pulling down a game, and career-best, 11 rebounds in the victory.

For the sixth consecutive contest, redshirt senior guard Dwaun Anderson (Suttons Bay, MI/Suttons Bay [Michigan State]) scored in double digits, ending the game with 11 points in 34 minutes of action. 

American was led by Delante Jones, who scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, while also grabbing a team-leading seven rebounds in defeat.  Charlie Jones added eight points while Jesse Reed chipped in seven points and seven rebounds.

Wagner raced out to a 17-5 lead over the first nine minutes of the contest, a stretch where the Seahawks' defense limited American to just 1-of-9 shooting while forcing five turnovers.  The Seahawks were 7-of-12 (58.3% FG) from the field during the run.

Neither team could find an offensive rhythm down the stretch in the first half, as Wagner took a 21-18 lead at the break.  The Green & White held American to just 16.7 shooting from the floor in the opening stanza (4-for-24) while the teams combined to shoot  2-of-15 from beyond the arc.

When play resumed for the second half, Wagner opened on an 11-4 run, taking a 32-24 lead with 12:36 remaining in the contest as Anderson was able to muscle in a contested layup opportunity.  The visitors then began to mount a comeback of their own, however, answering back with a 13-5 outpour, tying the game at 37 as Delante Jones connected for three off a feed from Charlie Jones.

Henson put Wagner back up, 39-37, with 7:27 showing on the clock, before American scored the next five points in taking a 42-39 lead with 5:37 left in regulation. This would mark the last time the visitors would hold on to the lead as the Seahawks closed out the game by scoring 16 of the game's final 22 points in securing the gritty, defensive-minded victory.

Wagner was held to 31.6 percent shooting from the floor while connecting on a season-high 94.4 percent from the charity stripe (17-of-18).  The Seahawks scored 30 of their 55 points in the paint while converting 23 points off 21 Eagle turnovers. American held a slim 38-36 edge on the glass.

Wagner plays it first of four consecutive road games on Tuesday, December 8 when the Seahawks travel to Lawrenceville, NJ to take on Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe, Rider University.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Facebook (facebook.com/WagnerAthletics), Twitter (@wagnerathletics), Instagram (@wagnerathletics) and YouTube (@WagnerSeahawks) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department. Follow Wagner MBasketball on Twitter (@Wagner_MBB) for the latest news and updates on the 2015-16 Wagner Men's Basketball team and head coach Bashir Mason (@BashirMason) for news on the fourth-year head coach.