Staten Island, NY -  Northeast Conference (NEC) play commences as the Wagner men's basketball team welcomes the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils to the Spiro Sports Center on Thursday, December 29. The Seahawks will look for back-to-back wins for the first time this season after posting a 94-42 victory over CSI on December 22. The Blue Devils are looking to stop a six-game losing skid after dropping their final non-conference contest back on December 21, an 83-60 setback at Fordham. 

Series History:  Tonight's contest is the 43rd all-time meeting between the Seahawks and the Blue Devils with Wagner leading the head-to-head series, 23-19. Wagner is 16-5 all-time hosting Central Connecticut and has won the last eight meetings at the Spiro Sports Center against the Blue Devils, including taking season's matchup, 70-46, on January 16, 2016. The last time CCSU defeated the Seahawks on Staten Island came on February 20, 2010 when the Blue Devils earned a 62-60 victory. Overall, Wagner is 4-1 in its last five meetings and 8-2 over the past ten games in the series.  Fifth-year Wagner head coach Bashir Mason holds a 7-3 record against the Blue Devils while first-year CCSU head coach and former NBA veteran, Donyell Marshall, will be squaring off against the Seahawks for the very first time in his career as this will be his first game against a Northeast Conference (NEC) opponent. 

Scouting The Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils: There has been a changing of the guard at Central Connecticut with longtime head coach Howie Dickenman retiring after a 21-year stint that included three NEC titles, the door opened for former UConn star and 15-year NBA veteran Donyell Marshall to take over the reigns in New Britain.  Entering tonight's contest with the Seahawks, CCSU is 2-9 after dropping its sixth straight game, falling to Atlantic 10 member, Fordham, 83-60 on Wednesday night at Rose Hill Gymnasium. Sophomore guard Austin Nehls is the team's leading scorer at 14.6 ppg while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and a team-best 46.2 from long range. Senior guard Khalen Cumberlander, the team's second-leading scorer at 11.3 a contest, is second on the squad in minutes played at 31.2 while converting on 45.0 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Tidell Pierre is the Blue Devils' leading rebounder at 6.0 caroms a contest while Eric Bowles is dishing out a team-high 3.6 assists per game. 

Last Time Against CCSU: Wagner earned an emphatic 83-57 wire-to-wire victory at Central Connecticut. Forward Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan [University of Rhode Island]) was one of three Seahawks to finish in double-figures as he finished with a team-high 12 points in 18 minutes of action. Guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac [Mt. Zion Prep]) and teammate Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto College]) each tallied 11 points with Saunders dishing out six assists.  Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) added nine points and a team-leading seven assists. Wagner had a balanced scoring attack on the afternoon, as 11 different Seahawks found the scoring column in the win. Central had three players post double-digit performances, led by Evan Phoenix, who poured in a team-high 12 points in 26 minutes of play off the bench.  Kevin Seymour added 11 points while Brandon Peel recorded his ninth straight double-double, finishing with ten points and 11 rebounds. 

Milestone Win For Coach Mason: Fifth-year Wagner head men's basketball coach Bashir Mason recorded his 75th career win this past Thursday when his Seahawks defeated local rival, CSI, 94-42.  It was a case of deja vu for Mason, who earned his 50th career victory against the same Dolphins program last season in which the Seahawks were victorious, 83-59. 

Henson Closing In On 1,000 Career Points: Junior guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic) is closing in on becoming the 43rd member of the 1,000 career points club as he enters the Monmouth contest with 845 career points. After averaging 9.1 ppg in his freshman year (273), Henson has netted a total 572 points between his sophomore and eight games of his junior campaign, which translates to 13.3 ppg over that span. The last member to join the Wagner 1,000 point club was guard Marcus Burton ['14].

500 Caroms And Beyond For Aaman:  Against the Providence College Friars at the Dunkin' Donuts Center back on December 17, Wagner big man Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan [URI] recorded his 500 and 501 collegiate rebound.  As a member of the Green & White, the 6-8 left-handed has tallied 401 rebounds as a member of the Seahawks as he corralled four boards in Wagner's win over Staten Island last Thursday. 

Back-To-Back #NECPrimePerformers For Wagner: Freshman Connor Ferrell (Conyers, GA/Rockdale County [DME Sports Academy]), whose father Duane was an 11-year NBA veteran from 1988-99, exploded for a career-high 20 points in Wagner's win over neighboring College of Staten Island on Thursday. He made 4-6 shots from three-point territory and also pulled down a personal-best nine rebounds, all in 23 minutes of play off the bench. Sophomore guard/forward Elijah Davis (Bronx, NY/Lincoln [Odessa College [TX]) made his third straight start against Providence (12/17) and set career-highs with 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds. 

 

Largest Margin Of Victory In Wagner Basketball History
(Note: Bold and Italics Represent Games Prior To Division I)

DATE	OPPONENT	SCORE	MARGIN OF VICTORY
1957	Merchant Marine Academy	109-44	+65
2/22/00	vs. Sacred Heart	116-63	+53
12/22/16	vs. Staten Island	94-42	+52
2/23/63	Lycoming	107-57	+50
2/17/75	@ Stony Brook	108-59	+49
2/9/63	Wilkes	116-67	+49
1/13/69	Washington College	116-68	+48
12/2/86	Lehman	95-48	+47
1959	Wilkes	100-54	+46
11/19/05	vs. John Jay	86-44	+42
12/15/06	vs. Union	105-64	+41
1/31/81	vs. Hunter	119-78	+41
12/3/11	vs. St. Francis Brooklyn	90-50	+40
11/23/99	vs. Staten Island	95-55	+40
12/27/86	vs. Medgar Evers	81-41	+40

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