Pictured Above: Junior guard Michael Carey (Dave Saffran)

Carey's Career-High 26 Points Help Wagner College Get Back Into First Place (Staten Island Advance Sports Desk)

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Emmitsburg, MD – Led by a career-high 26-point performance from junior guard Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/ Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto College]), the Wagner men's basketball team weathered an early second-half run by Mount St. Mary's in earning a 73-63 victory on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, Wagner (14-7; 7-3 NEC) moved into a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Mount St. Mary's (10-13; 7-3 NEC) and Fairleigh Dickinson (11-10; 7-3 NEC), who defeated LIU Brooklyn, 88-85 on Saturday.

Playing in front of a loud, boisterous sellout crowd of 3,121 on Winter Homecoming Weekend at Knott Arena, the Seahawks played a textbook first in racing out to a 43-21 halftime lead.  Mount led 3-0 as Junior Robinson began the day's scoring with a three-pointer which was quickly answered by Carey.

The junior's trey kick-started a well-executed 22-9 run that quieted the capacity crowd. Carey led the way with six points during the outburst, including a layup at the 9:18 mark which capped the run and made it a 22-12 game.

After the Mountaineers clawed back to within six at 24-18 on a Taylor Danaher layup at the 6:18 mark, the Seahawks countered with a 10-1 run, capped by a pair of free throws from sophomore guard JoJo Cooper (Wilmington, DE/Concord) to make it 34-19. Cooper's free throws at the 3:19 mark capped the 10-1 burst and were part of a larger 19-3 half-ending run that carried Wagner to its 43-21 halftime lead.

The Seahawks' defensive effort was on full display at the outset, limiting Mount to a 1-of-8 start from the field and 6-of-25 for the half (24 percent) shooting while connecting a hot 53.3 percent (16-of-30) themselves. The Seahawks committed just one turnover in the frame and held a +12 advantage on the boards (24-12) while dominating the defensive glass, 18-8.

En route to a career afternoon, Carey tallied 14 points in the opening stanza, converting on 6-of-7 from the field.  Sophomore guard Aaren Edmead (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) continued his scoring prowess, chipping in eight first-half points on 3-of-3 shooting, including 2-of-2 effort from three-point range.

When play resumed for the second half, the Mountaineers created "mayhem" of its own, erupting on a 23-5 run, to draw the Mountaineers within five, 48-43, after BK Ashe drilled a corner three-pointer with 11:41 to play. Carey converted an old-fashioned three-point play to extend the lead back to eight, 51-43, with 11:08 left.

With 7:26 remaining, the Mount got within six, 57-51 after Gregory Graves sank a right elbow jumper.  Wagner, again, had an answer, as sophomore guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) hit a driving layup to increase the lead to 59-51 at the 6:44 mark.

Mount would get the lead back down to single digits, 63-55, with 3:39 in regulation after Ashe found a seam in the lane and converted on the right-handed layup. It would be the closest the Mountaineers found themselves as Wagner scored eight of the final 15 points to secure the 10-point road victory.

Henson finished with 14 points, the 16th time this season and 29th occurrence for second-year guard has scored in double-figures. Edmead and Cooper supplied eight points apiece, with Cooper pulling down a career-high nine rebounds as well. Redshirt senior forward Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan [University of Rhode Island]) chipped in six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Ashe paced the Mountaineers with 21 on 6-of-16 shooting from the field while converting 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Graves added 14 points in 21 minutes of play. The Seahawks held a 42-32 edge on the boards, which included a 33-19 advantage on the defensive end.

The Seahawks are next in action on Thursday, February 4 when they host fellow first-place member FDU with tip-off at the Spiro Sports Center set for 7:00 p.m.
 
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.