Fairfield, CT - Senior guard Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas / Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto] tallied 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while freshman guard Connor Ferrell (Conyers, GA / Rockdale County [DME Sports Academy]) added 12 points, which included two clutch free throws with 21 seconds left to play as Wagner recorded a 67-62 Northeast Conference (NEC) victory at Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon. 

With the win, the Seahawks, who have now swept the season series from SHU, improve to 8-10 and 4-4 in league play while the Pioneers fall to 8-13 and 3-5 in league action. 

"A hard-fought, very tough battle against a really talented, explosive offensive scoring team in Sacred Heart," said Seahawk fifth-year head coach Bashir Mason. "I'm proud of our guys for sticking with who we are for 40 minutes and coming out with a great road win, our first (road win) in the conference and I'm excited about it."

For Carey, 14 of his game-high 22 points came in the second half.  His performance marks the sixth double-double of the season and third in the last four game. The 6-5 versatile wing now has 21 career double-doubles after shooting 8-of-13 from the field while converting 6-of-7 from the free-throw line in his 37 minutes of action. 

In addition to Carey's tenth-career 20-point performance, two other Seahawks finished in double figures as freshman Connor Ferrell (Conyers, GA/Rockdale County [DME Sports Academy] scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting while hitting on 4-of-5 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes of play. Redshirt senior forward Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan [University of Rhode Island]) chipped in 11 points, seven of which coming from the charity stripe in 26 minutes. 

Sacred Heart also had three in double-digits, led by Joseph Lopez, who poured in a team-high 14 points in 30 minutes. Lopez hit on 6-of-10 from the floor and pulled down six rebounds and swatted three shots.  Matej Buovac contributed 13 points off the bench while Sean Hoehn netted 12 points in reserve. 

The Seahawks jumped out to an early 5-2 lead after sophomore guard Devin Liggeons (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) was able to soar to the hoop for the layup. Sacred Heart embarked on an 18-9 run over an eight-minute stretch, taking a 20-14 lead, as the Pioneers went 7-of-12 during the run while holding the Green & White to just 3-of-10 shooting, capped by Charles Tucker completing the conventional three-point play. 

The Seahawks put forth a valiant comeback attempt of their own over the next nine minutes, outscoring SHU, 13-9. At the 5:42 mark, Carey missed a running layup in the lane, but junior forward Shack Scott (Paterson, NJ/The Robinson School [Monrore College]) was able to soar into the lane and put down an emphatic two-hand slam which brought the Seahawks withing five, 26-21.




Redshirt sophomore forward AJ Sumbry (East Windsor, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep [Quinnipiac]) was able to use his 6-7 frame to muscle in a layup chance that cut the SHU lead to two, 29-27.  

The Pioneers closed out the first half on a 5-2 run to take a 34-29 lead at the intermission. Wagner was held to 39.3 percent shooting from the floor in the opening frame while holding a 19-16 edge on the boards. Sacred Heart shot 44.4 percent from the field and beyond-the-arc while converting 85.7 percent from the free-throw line. 

When play resumed, the Seahawks erupted on a 12-5 to start the second half, tying the game at 41 after freshman guard Blake Francis (Herndon, VA/Westfield) found Sumbry in the paint for two. The Pioneers increased their lead to six, 49-43 after Buovac hit back-to-back three-pointers with 11:38 left in regulation. 

From that point, the Seahawks began their comeback attempt, thanks to an 8-2 run in which they only made one field goal, but converted six of seven from the line. The one made field goal came from Carey, who was able to find space in the lane and bank home the runner. Both teams traded baskets over the next 5:23 in which the game was tied three times over this stretch. SHU's De'von Barnett hit a baseline jumper that evened the contest at 60 with 2:13 left to play. 

On the ensuing Seahawk possession, Aaman was able to draw the contact while banking in the layup to give the Green & White a 62-60 with 1:48 to go. After a missed layup from Hoehn, the Pioneers were forced to foul, sending Aaman back to the line. The veteran bigman was able to make one-of-two, giving the Seahawks a 63-60 edge before SHU called for time. 

Lopez was able to hit both from the charity stripe, trimming Wagner's lead to one, with 26 seconds. After failing to get the inbounds pass, SHU's Mario Matasovic fouled Ferrell, who hit both freebies, extending the Wagner lead to 65-62 with 21 ticks showing on the game clock. The Pioneers had two chances to tie the contest, as Buovac misfired from the leftwing, but were able to get the loose ball. Matasovic also hit back iron before Carey leaped up the rebound, ensuring the first road conference win for the Seahawks this season. 

Wagner held a 31-30 edge on the boards while scored 36 of its 67 points from inside the paint. The Seahawks shot 45.1 percent from the field and 72.0 percent from the line. 

The Seahawks return home to the Spiro Sports Center to begin a brief two-game homestand in which they welcome a pair of Franciscan schools, starting Thursday, January 26 as they welcome the Saint Francis U Red Flash. The Green & White conclude the two-game home stint by welcoming inter-borough rival, St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, January 28. 

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