Game 22 Wagner College Seahawks (14-7; 7-3 NEC) vs.  Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights  (11-10; 7-3 NEC)
Game Details	Thursday, February 4, 2016 | Staten Island, NY 7:00 p.m. | Spiro Sports Center (2,100)
Game Coverage	Live Stream: NEC Front Row TV: None  Radio: None Live Stats: Click Here Twitter: @WagnerAthletics  Twitter: @Wagner_MBB Twitter Hashtag: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Links	Media Guide | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule
Fairleigh Dickinson Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule

Big Spiro Center date Thursday with Wagner College - FDU battling for NEC lead (Cormac Gordon, Staten Island Advance)

Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College Seahawks (14-7; 7-3 NEC) host the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights (11-10; 7-3 NEC) on this evening in a pivotal contest between teams that are tied for first place in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Seahawks enter play winners of four of their last five after picking up a crucial road victory, 73-63, against Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, MD this past Saturday. As for FDU, who are winners of three of its last five games, the Knights are looking for their third consecutive victory after picking up a close 88-85 road victory at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.  

Both teams will also keep an eye on Mount St. Mary's, which is in a three-way tie for first with the Seahawks and Knights. The Mount travels Brooklyn to square off against the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds at the Steinberg Wellness Center this evening.

 

2015-16 Northeast Conference (NEC) Standings (through games 1/30/16)

School	Overall	Pct.	NEC Record	Pct.	Streak
1. WAGNER	14-7	.667	7-3	.700	Won, 2
Fairleigh Dickinson	11-10	.524	7-3	.700	Won, 2
Mount St. Mary's	10-13	.435	7-3	.700	Lost, 1
4. Saint Francis U	10-11	.476	6-4	.600	Won, 1
5. St. Francis Brooklyn	9-14	.391	5-5	.500	Won, 1
Sacred Heart	6-15	.286	5-5	.500	Won, 1
7. LIU Brooklyn	10-11	.476	4-6	.400	Lost, 1
Bryant	7-16	.304	4-6	.400	Lost, 5
Robert Morris	6-17	.261	4-6	.400	Lost, 2
10. Central Connecticut	2-19	.095	1-9	.100	Lost, 1

 

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INSIDE THE SERIES:

• Tonight marks the 97th all-time meeting between the Seahawks and the Knights with Wagner holding a slim 49-47 edge in the head-to-head matchups.
• Wagner has controlled the series as-of-late, winning nine of the last 10 meetings, including sweeping last season's matchups.

 

SCOUTING THE 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, entering tonight's game at 11-10 and 7-3 in league action.
• This transformation, under head coach Greg Herenda, features four players scoring in double-figures, led by sophomore guard Darian Anderson, who is pouring in 15.5 ppg, good for fourth in the league so far. In NEC-only contests, Anderson is the conference's second-leading scorer at 17.3 ppg.
• The Washington, D.C. native is logging a team-high 34.0 minutes per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line.
• Sophomore guard/forward Earl Potts, Jr. is the team's second-leading scorer at 13.8 ppg while pulling down a team-high 5.9 rpg.  Among the NEC-leaders, Potts, Jr. is ninth in scoring and eighth in field-goal percentage.
• Fellow classmate Marques Townes, who is averaging 11.4 ppg and is third on the team in that department, is tenth in the league in steals, averaging 1.43 swipes a contest.
• Stephan Jiggetts, a sophomore guard from Forestville, MD, has also averaged 11.4 ppg while logging close to 30.0 minutes a contest.

 
WAGNER ALL-TIME VS. NEW JERSEY DIVISION I SCHOOLS:

• This evening's game marks the 271st time that Wagner will be facing a Division I school from "The Garden State."
• All-time, the Seahawks are 105-165.
• Wagner holds a winning record against just one NJ school, Fairleigh Dickinson (49-47).
• The Green & White have faced all eight New Jersey Division I schools: Fairleigh Dickinson (49-47), 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).
• Tonight, Wagner will face its third Jersey school this season, after opening on the road at Seton Hall (Lost, 69-59) and a dramatic 65-64 win back on December 8 at Rider.

 

NEXT UP FOR WAGNER:

• Wagner looks for the season sweep of Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, February 6, as they welcome the Mountaineers for a 4:00 p.m. tipoff at the Spiro Sports Center.

THE (MICHAEL) CAREY SHOW:

• Over a nine-year stretch, "The Drew Carey Show" was a mainstay on national television. For the Seahawks, a "Carey" is shining for the Green & White.
• Junior guard Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto College]) has a team-leading eight double-doubles on the season, the last coming on January 24 when he went for 14 points and 12 rebounds against Sacred Heart.
• Carey ranks second in the Northeast Conference (NEC) in double-doubles, trailing Saint Francis U's Ronnie Drinnon, who has 10 on the season.

 
 
CAREY TABBED NEC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK & MBWA HONORABLE MENTION:

• On Monday, February 1, the Northeast Conference (NEC) announced that Wagner men's basketball junior guard Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas/Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto College]) has been named NEC Co-Player of the Week along with Martin Hermannsson of LIU Brooklyn.
• On Tuesday, February 2, Carey was included on the Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association (MBWA) Honorable Mention list.
• In earning his first career NEC Player of the Week honor, the 6'5" Carey delivered his biggest game of the season, when it counted most on Saturday, in leading Wagner to a 73-63 road win over league leader, Mount St. Mary's. The victory improved Wagner's NEC record to 7-3 and gained the Green & White a share of first place in the conference with the Mount and Fairleigh Dickinson.
• The Nassau, Bahamas native finished with a career-high 26 points vs. the Mountaineers on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from the three-point range.  He added six rebounds, two blocks, and a steal as Wagner improved to 14-7 overall.
• Over the two games this past week, the athletic guard averaged 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals while converting 51.7 percent of his shot attempts and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.

 

ONE MORE ACCOLADE FOR CAREY:

• Lastly, along with junior Katja Claesson (Fullerton, CA/Troy) of the women's swimming & diving team, Carey was named the Walsh Electric Student-Athletes of the Month for January.
• Carey started in nine of 10 games in January, averaged 13.6 ppg and 8.9 rpg with five double-doubles for the month. Additionally, the physical 6-5 Nassau, Bahamas native converted on 52.8 percent from the field and 80.9 percent from the charity stripe.  

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME:

• The Seahawks have the most home wins in the Northeast Conference (NEC) this season with eight victories at the Spiro Sports Center against just two defeats.
• Three Seahawks are scoring in double-figures at home, led by sophomore guard Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, MD/DeMatha Catholic), who is pouring in 14.7 ppg in 30.1 minutes a contest.  The second-year guard is shooting 47.6% from the field and 41.8% from beyond the arc while converting 77.4% from the free-throw line.
• Junior guard Michael Carey is averaging a double-double, scoring 11.9 ppg and pulling down a team-leading 10.3 caroms in nine games at home.  The junior transfer guard has amassed 103 total rebounds at the Spiro Sports Center.     
• Under fourth-year head coach, Bashir Mason, the Seahawks are 37-13 at the Spiro Sports Center.
• All-time, Wagner is 148-78 since the Spiro Sports Center opened on February 20, 1999, in which the Seahawks played Fairleigh Dickinson to a 78-56 victory.

WAGNER EARNS VOTE IN COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR POLL:

• The Seahawks, who stand at 14-7 on the year and 7-3 in the Northeast Conference, earned a vote in the recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.

OVER THE LAST 10 GAMES:

• Wagner has posted a 7-3 record, 3-2 at home and 4-1 on the road.
• The Seahawks are outscoring their opponents by seven points (69.6-to-62.6).
• The Green & White are a +9.5 on the boards (40.7-to-31.2), which includes a +4.3 on the offensive glass (14.0-9.7).
• Michael Carey is pouring in 13.6 ppg and a team-leading 8.9 rebounds over his last ten games while logging 31.8 minutes and shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and 80.9 from the free-throw line.  
• Corey Henson is averaging 13.2 ppg over his last ten games while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from beyond-the-arc.
• Second-year guard, Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac [Mt. Zion Prep]), who has missed the last four games due to injury, was averaging 15.6 ppg in five games while shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and pulling in 5.8 rpg over those contests.

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.