Jamaica, NY - The Wagner men's basketball team takes on its second Big East opponent of the season when the Seahawks travel to St. John's on Sunday for a 4:30 p.m. tip at Carnesecca Arena that will be televised live to a national audience on FoxSports1 (FS1).
Back on November 9, the Seahawks played at Big East member Seton Hall. In the season opener that night both teams in South Orange, in a game that was nationally televised on FS2, the Pirates came away with 89-49 victory.
About the Seahawks
*Wagner enters the St. John's game on a two-game winning streak, having run past Division III College of New Rochelle (12/9) 105-57 at the Spiro Sports Center, which came on the heels of a 64-58 comeback win at American (11/30).
*The Green & White are guided by two-time and reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Coach of the Year
Bashir Mason (113-83, .576), the fastest coach to win 100 games in Seahawk history, who has developed 12 All-NEC selections during his tenure.
*In his seventh season at the helm of the Seahawk ship, Mason was the youngest head coach at the Division I level when he was named the 18th head men's basketball coach in school history on March 26, 2012. At age 34, he remains one of the nation's youngest head coaches, checking in as the sixth-most youthful head coach heading into the 2018-19 campaign.
*The Seahawks, who were picked fourth in the 2018-19 NEC Preseason Poll, are paced in scoring by redshirt senior guard, and captain,
Romone Saunders who checks in with a 17.6 points per game average, a figure that ranks 4th in the NEC.
*Additionally, the 6-3 Temple Hills, MD native enters Sunday's play having scored 982 career points. An 18-point or more effort vs. the Johnnies will allow Saunders to become the 45
th player in Seahawk history to join the 1,000-point club.
*Physical 6-8, 230-pound redshirt senior
AJ Sumbry mans the post for the Seahawks and, in addition to quarterbacking the Wagner defense, is averaging career-best numbers with 11.3 ppg. and a team-high 7.6 rpg. (4th in NEC).
About St. John's
*St. John's is off to a 9-0 start under the direction of former Redstorm all-time great Chris Mullin, who is in his third season at the helm, who led the Johnnies to records of 8-24 and 16-1 in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively.
* In his two-plus seasons as a head coach, Mullin is 33-41 (.446).
* St. John's placed fourth in the 2018-19 Big East Preseason Poll, one point behind Providence.
*The Johnnies' most recent victory was an 89-74 win over Princeton on Dec. 9 in the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival.
*The Red Storm have five players averaging in double figures led by junior guard Shamorie Ponds, who led the Big East in scoring in all games with a 21.6 average a year ago.
*This season, the 6-1 Ponds averages that same 21.6 ppg. in all games, which ranks 30
th nationally, and a team-high 4.9 assists per game Redstorm team that ranks 38
th nationally in scoring at 83.1 ppg.
*The second-leading scorer for St. John's through nine games is 6-5, 220-pound junior guard Mustapha Heron, a transfer from Auburn, who checks in at 16.2 ppg.
*6-6 sophomore guard LJ Figueroa averages 15.3 points per game.
*The fourth and fifth double-digit scorers for the Redstorm are 6-7 senior forward Marvin Clark II and 6-5 junior guard Justin Simon, who check in at 10.9 ppg. and 10.0 ppg., respectively.
*Wagner is the second NEC opponent that St. John's will face this season as the Redstorm earned an 85-71 win over pesky Mount St. Mary's back on December 5.
Fun Facts
*It has been 283 days since St. John's last lost a game. The last time the Redstorm tasted defeat was on March 8, 2018 when St. John's dropped an 88-60 decision to Xavier in the quarterfinal of the Big East Tournament at MSG.
*St. John's has a campus on Staten Island that is located 0.4 miles away from Wagner, on Howard Avenue.
*The distance between the St. John's Jamaica campus and Wagner's Staten Island campus is 27 miles.
The All-Time Series
*These schools have met on the hardwood 19 times with St. John's leading the series, 17-2.
*Wagner is looking to end a nine-game losing streak to their Queens counterparts, last
picking up a victory back over St. John's on February 14, 1956, a 92-90 triumph.
*The Seahawks' other win over St. John's was a 59-51 victory on February 22, 1954.
Last Time Out
*Redshirt senior guard
Romone Saunders tossed in a game-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and redshirt senior forward
AJ Sumbry added a career-high 17 points on 7-of-7 accuracy to lead six players in double figures as the Wagner men's basketball team cruised to a 105-57 victory over the College of New Rochelle on Sunday afternoon at the Spiro Sports Center.
*With Saunders and Sumbry combining for 16-of-18 shooting, the Seahawks evened their season record at 4-4.
*Senior guard
Elijah Davis added 15 points, sophomore guard
Chase Freeman matched his career high with 12, while dishing out a career-best nine assists.
*Freshman forward
Tyrone Nesby IV and senior guard
Devin Liggeons contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Nesby's 11 points marking a career high while Liggeons' eight rebounds were one shy of a career high.
*Wagner was one point out away from having seven players hit for double figures as sophomore forward
Nigel Jackson finished with nine points, to go with a career-high five assists.
*The Seahawks shot 59. 5 percent in jetting out to a 56-32 halftime lead and were even hotter following intermission as Wagner connected on a blazing 69.2 percent in the second half en route to the victory. For the game, the Green & White finished with a season-best 63.5 percent from the field.
*Following a week off for final exams, the Seahawks are back at it on Sunday, December 16 when they make the short trek to Jamaica, Queens to meet undefeated St. John's of the Big East Conference. Tip-off between Wagner and the Red Storm is set for 4:00 p.m. and the contest will be seen live by a national audience on FoxSports 1 (FS1).
*The next time that Wagner plays in the friendly environs of the Spiro Sports Center will be on Saturday, December 22 when the Hartford University Hawks of the America East Conference come knocking in a 2:00 p.m. tip.
Career Highs Set vs. New Rochelle:
Points:
AJ Sumbry (17),
Chase Freeman 12 - ties),
Tyrone Nesby IV (11)
Rebounds:
Tyrone Nesby IV (5)
Assists:
Chase Freeman (9),
Nigel Jackson (5)
FG Made:
AJ Sumbry (7 - ties),
Devin Liggeons (5 - ties)
Season Highs Set vs. New Rochelle:
Points:
AJ Sumbry (17),
Chase Freeman (12 - ties),
Tyrone Nesby IV (11)
Rebounds:
Romone Saunders (6),
Tyrone Nesby IV (5)
Assists:
Chase Freeman (9),
Nigel Jackson (5)
Steals:
Romone Saunders (3)
FG Made:
Romone Saunders (9 - ties),
AJ Sumbry (7 - ties),
Devin Liggeons 5 - ties),
Tyrone Nesby IV (4)
3-PT FG Made:
Romone Saunders (4)
Seahawks Break Century Mark
*The 105 points scored vs. New Rochelle mark the first time that Wagner has hit the century mark, and are the most points scored by the Seahawks, since November 21, 2017 when Wagner earned a 107-64 win over the College of Staten Island at the Spiro Center.
*This also marked the last time that the Seahawks had placed six players in double figures.
Sumbry Climbing All-Time Blocks List
*Redshirt senior forward is up to sixth all time on the Wagner career blocked shots list.
All-Time Blocks
1. Naofall Folahan (2010-2014) 230
2. Frantz Pierre-Louis (1994-1999) 176
3. Miladin Mutavdzic (1991-1993) 135
4. Jermaine Hall (1999-2003) 124
5. Durell Vinson (2003-06/07-08) 118
6. AJ Sumbry (2013 – pres.) 115
Wagner Picked Fourth in NEC Preseason Poll
*The Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason coaches' poll was announced on October 24 at the league's Social Media Day at Barclays Center, and the defending regular season champion Wagner men's basketball team was predicted to finish fourth by the coaches for the upcoming 2018-19 season.
*Saint Francis U was tabbed the preseason favorite, securing eight first-place votes. Fairleigh Dickinson was predicted to finish second while defending league champion LIU Brooklyn was picked third, with both the Knights and Blackbirds securing one first-place preseason vote apiece.
*Wagner checked in at fourth, Robert Morris was chosen fifth, with Central Connecticut and St. Francis Brooklyn taking the sixth and seventh spots, respectively. Bryant (8th), Sacred Heart (9th) and Mount St. Mary's round out the 10-team poll.
Up Next: Wagner will host Hartford University of the America East Conference on Saturday, December 22. Tip-off between the Seahawks and the Hawks at the Spiro Sports Center is 2:00 p.m.
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Wagner Athletics
Men's Basketball:
Head Coach
Bashir Mason:
