Game 26 
Wagner College Seahawks (16-9; 9-5 NEC)
@
Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights
(13-12; 9-5 NEC) |
| Game Details | Thursday, February 18, 2016 | Hackensack, NJ
7:00 p.m. | Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center (5,000) |
| Game Coverage | Live Stream: NEC Front Row
TV: None
Radio: None
Twitter: @WagnerAthletics
Twitter: @Wagner_MBB
Twitter Hashtag: #CHAOSonthehill |
| Wagner Links | Media Guide | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule |
Staten Island Advance Preview (Cormac Gordon) |
| Fairleigh Dickinson Links | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule |
Hackensack, NJ - In what has been a tight race for the Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season crown, the Wagner men's basketball team will look to stay atop of the league standings as they travel to Hackensack, NJ to tangle with a fellow first-play team, Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Seahawks (16-9; 9-5 NEC) are in the midst of a season-high four-game road trip, in which they secured a dominant 79-55 victory at Bryant this past Saturday. Fairleigh Dickinson (13-12; 9-5), is currently 0-1 on its current three-game homestand, as the Knights dropped a 72-70 decision at the Rothman Center against defending league champions, Robert Morris, on Saturday evening.
Tonight's contest is the second matchup of the season between the Seahawks and Knights, as Fairleigh Dickinson took the first meeting, 82-79 in overtime, thanks to a corner three-pointer from Earl Potts Jr., with 1.1 seconds back on February 4.
2015-16 Northeast Conference (NEC) Standings (through games 2/15/16)| School | Overall | Pct. | NEC Record | Pct. | Streak |
| 1. WAGNER | 16-9 | .640 | 9-5 | .643 | Won, 1 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | 13-12 | .520 | 9-5 | .643 | Lost, 1 |
| Saint Francis U | 13-12 | .520 | 9-5 | .643 | Lost,1 |
| Mount St. Mary's | 12-15 | .444 | 9-5 | .643 | Won, 2 |
| 5. Sacred Heart | 9-16 | .360 | 8-6 | .571 | Won, 1 |
| 6. LIU Brooklyn | 13-12 | .520 | 7-7 | .500 | Won, 2 |
| St. Francis Brooklyn | 11-16 | .407 | 7-7 | .500 | Lost, 1 |
| 8. Robert Morris | 8-19 | .296 | 6-8 | .429 | Won, 1 |
| 9. Bryant | 7-20 | .259 | 4-10 | .286 | Lost, 9 |
| 10. Central Connecticut | 3-22 | .120 | 2-12 | .143 | Lost, 3
|
BY THE NUMBERS
3: The margin of points Wagner was defeated by against Fairleigh Dickinson back on February 4 on Staten Island.
7: Sophomore guard
Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac [Mt. Zion Prep]) hit a career-best seven three-pointers in Wagner's 79-55 road victory at Bryant this past Saturday.
9-1: Wagner's record over Fairleigh Dickinson in the last ten meetings against the Knights.
98: All-time meeting against Fairleigh Dickinson.
329: Straight game that the Seahawks have made a three-point basket.
INSIDE THE SERIES:- Tonight's contest, pitting two first-place programs against each other, marks the 98th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Wagner holding a 49-48 edge in the head-to-head matchup.
- The Seahawks are 9-1 against the Knights in the last ten matchups, as FDU was able to escape the Spiro Sports Center with a 82-79 overtime victory back on February 4.
SCOUTING THE FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS:- Fairleigh Dickinson, who was predicted to finish ninth in the preseason coaches' poll, has improved upon its 8-21 record from a year ago, enters tonight's game at 13-12 and 9-5 in league action and is one of four teams tied for first, along with Wagner, Saint Francis U (13-12; 9-5) and Mount St. Mary's (12-15; 9-5).
- This transformation, under third year head coach Greg Herenda, features four players scoring in double-figures, led by sophomore guard Darian Anderson, who is pouring in 14.6 ppg, good for fifth in the league.
- In NEC-only contests, Anderson is fourth in scoring at 15.1 ppg. The Washington, D.C. native is logging 32.2 minutes per game while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 91.2 percent from the free-throw line while dishing out 3.72 assists per game, good for fifth in the conference.
- Sophomore Marques Townes is the team's second-leading scorer at 13.1 ppg while logging 31.8 minutes a game. Additionally, Townes is a career 50.0% shooter from the field.
- Sophomore guard/forward Earl Potts, Jr. is the team's third leading point producer at 12.6 a contest, which ranks him eighth among all-NEC players. An efficient shooter himself, Potts is converting on 50.4 percent of his shot attempts, ranking him eighth in the NEC.
- Stephan Jiggetts, a sophomore guard from Forestville, MD, has also averaged double-figures, tallying 11.3 ppg while logging 30.5 minutes a contest.
WAGNER ALL-TIME VS. NEW JERSEY DIVISION I SCHOOLS:- This evening's game marks the 272nd time that Wagner will be facing a Division I school from "The Garden State."
- All-time, the Seahawks are 105-166. Wagner holds a winning record against just one NJ school, Fairleigh Dickinson (49-48).
- The Green & White have faced all eight New Jersey Division I schools: Fairleigh Dickinson (49-48), Monmouth (26-34), NJIT (1-2), Princeton (2-3), Rider (5-17), Rutgers (1-9), Saint Peter's (16-35), and Seton Hall (5-23).
UP NEXT FOR WAGNER:- Wagner concludes its season-high four game road trip when the Seahawks head to New Britain, CT to tangle with the Central Connecticut Blue Devils at Detrick Gymnasium.
- Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm and will be broadcasted on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
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.
