Pictured Above: Junior guard/forward Elijah Davis (Credit: Dave Saffran)
Hackensack, NJ - The Wagner College men's basketball team, winner of seven consecutive games, embarks on a two-game road trip beginning on Sunday afternoon as the Seahawks square off with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
- This year, coaches from around the country will be raising money for autism through Coaches Powering Forward for Autism benefiting Autism Speaks.
- Coaches will also be wearing the blue puzzle piece pin on their suit jackets during the games this weekend.
- This is part of college basketball's autism awareness weekend, an effort started by Towson head men's basketball coach Pat Skerry and University of South Florida assistant men's basketball coach Tom Herrion.
- It has since gone national with support from the NABC and Autism Speaks.
Seahawk Three-Pointers:
- The Seahawks are one of 19 teams nationwide yet to lose a game on their home court as Wagner extended its win streak to 13 with a 96-76 victory over Bryant on Thursday night on CBS Sports Network.
- Wagner will look to get to .500 on the road this season as the Green & White enter this afternoon's contest with a 5-6 road mark while averaging 71.5 ppg, 36.7 rpg and 12.4 apg as compared to averaging 78.5 ppg at home, 42.7 rpg and 15.0 apg at the Spiro Sports Center.
- As of 2/8/18, Wagner ranks 11th in the NCAA in FG% Defense (39.5%), among the top-20 in Rebounds Per Game (17th | 39.96). among the top-50 in Total Rebounds (43rd | 959) and is among the top-75 in both Scoring Defense (55th | 67.1 ppg), Total Blocks (57th | 108).
Last Time Out For Wagner: vs. Bryant (February 8, 2018):
- Sophomore guard Blake Francis poured in a career-high 29 points and redshirt junior guard Romone Saunders added 24 to lead the Northeast Conference (NEC)-leading Wagner men's basketball team past Bryant, 96-76, for its seventh straight win on Thursday night in a game that was televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
- The Seahawks set a host of superlatives in this one. Individually, Francis went 6-of-11 from three-point range, with the six treys setting a career high. This was the second straight game that the Seahawks have placed four players in double figures as senior guard JoJo Cooper and junior wing Elijah Davis joined Francis and Saunders in double-digits with 15 and 11 points, respectively.
- With Francis and Saunders hitting for 29 and 24 points, respectively, this marks the second time this season that Wagner has had two players go for 20 or more in a game as the combination of Francis (22) and Saunders (career-high 30) accomplished this in a 91-61 win at Saint Francis U (1/26).
- Team-wise, Wagner set season highs in three-pointers made with 16, which ties for the most by an NEC team this season, as well as three-pointers attempted (37), while the 33 made field goals tie for a season high (at Saint Francis U, 1/26). In addition, the 16 made trifectas ties a program-high, with the last coming against Robert Morris back on January 5, 2002 and the one previous occurring on November 17, 2000 against Brown University.
- The 37 three-point field goal attempts are a new school-record, surpassing the 36 set back on December 1, 1996, in which Wagner attempted 36 against Florida International. Efficient on the offense end throughout, the Seahawks were credited with 21 assists tied a season-best (Mount St. Mary's, 12/29), en route to shooting 50 percent (33-of-66) for the game. In addition, Wagner turned the ball over just 10 times on the evening which ties for a season-low effort.
- The 96 points scored are the most by the Seahawks vs. a Division I opponent this season and second-most overall, as Wagner cracked the century mark in a 107-64 win over Division III College of Staten Island (11/21). Wagner forced 17 turnovers tonight, which helped translate into a 38-15 advantage in points off turnovers. The Seahawks also out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 37-30, led in points in the paint (28-24), second-chance points (14-5) and fast-break scoring (13-5). Thanks in large part to Francis' 29-point outing, Wagner held an overwhelming 46-8 advantage in bench scoring.
- For Bryant, Carroll led three Bulldogs in double figures with 25 points, while Ndugba and Tanner Johnson added 21 and 13 points, respectively.
All-Time Series Against The Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights:
- The contest marks the 108th all-time meeting between the two schools with Wagner holding a 55-52 edge in the head-to-head series.
- Wagner has won four of the last five meetings against the Knights, which include the first meeting of the 2017-18 season at the Spiro Sports Center (January 6).
- Despite being seven games over .500 at the Spiro Sports Center against Fairleigh Dickinson (29-22), Wagner is just three games under .500 at Stratis Arena, as the Seahawks enter play with a 25-28 overall record despite winning the last six matchups in Hackensack.
- In Wagner's six-game win streak at Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center, the Seahawks are outscoring the Knights by nearly 15.0 ppg (14.7) as Wagner is averaging 80.5 points per game while limiting the Knights to just 65.8 ppg.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
| Overall Series Record |
Wagner 55, Fairleigh Dickinson 52 |
| Last Five Games |
Wagner 4, Fairleigh Dickinson 1 |
| Last Ten Games |
Wagner 8, Fairleigh Dickinson 2 |
| Most Points Scored By Wagner |
102: February 23, 1987 - Wagner 102, Fairleigh Dickinson 90 |
| Fewest Points Scored By Wagner |
39: January 31, 1976 - Fairleigh Dickinson 55, Wagner 39 |
| Wagner's Largest Win Margin |
28: February 24, 2007 - Fairleigh Dickinson 63, Wagner 91 |
| Most Points Scored By Fairleigh Dickinson |
112: March 3, 1969 - Wagner 93, Fairleigh Dickinson 112 |
| Fewest Points Scored By Fairleigh Dickinson |
50: February 28, 1978 - Fairleigh Dickinson 50, Wagner 48 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson Largest Win Margin |
29: February 27, 1998 - Wagner 49, Fairleigh Dickinson 78 |
| Current Wagner Streak Against Opponent |
Won, 3 |
| First Meeting |
December 16, 1955 - Fairleigh Dickinson 68, Wagner 83 |
| Last Meeting |
January 6, 2018 - Fairleigh Dickinson 65, Wagner 73 |
| Last Wagner Win |
January 6, 2018 - Fairleigh Dickinson 65, Wagner 73 |
| Last Fairleigh Dickinson Win |
January 5, 2017 - Fairleigh Dickinson 70, Wagner 69 |
All-Time vs. the Current Members of the Northeast Conference:
- Against current members of the Northeast Conference (NEC), Wagner is 251-230 (.521).
- Under head coach Bashir Mason, the Seahawks are 67-34.
Wagner All-Time Record vs.
Northeast Conference Schools
(Includes Postseason)
| SCHOOL |
RECORD |
LAST MEETING |
W/L |
| Bryant |
11-5 |
2/8/2018 |
Won, 96-76 |
| Central Connecticut |
26-19 |
2/1/2018 |
Won, 72-59 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson |
55-52 |
3/1/2017 |
Won, 72-70 |
| LIU Brooklyn |
45-60 |
1/13/2018 |
Lost, 69-67 |
| Mount St. Mary's |
37-21 |
12/29/2017 |
Won, 76-57 |
| Robert Morris |
29-44 |
1/28/2018 |
Won, 77-64 |
| Sacred Heart |
22-14 |
1/21/2017 |
Won, 67-62 |
| St. Francis Brooklyn |
44-51 |
12/31/2017 |
Lost, 82-75 |
| Saint Francis U |
36-36 |
1/26/2018 |
Won, 91-61 |
2017-18 Northeast Conference (NEC) Standings (including contests through 2/8/2018)
| SCHOOL |
NEC |
PCT |
OVERALL |
PCT |
STREAK |
| 1. WAGNER * |
11-2 |
.846 |
18-6 |
.750 |
W7 |
| 2. Mount St. Mary's * |
9-4 |
.692 |
15-11 |
.577 |
W5 |
| 3. LIU Brooklyn |
8-5 |
.615 |
13-13 |
.500 |
W4 |
| St. Francis Brooklyn |
8-5 |
.615 |
11-14 |
.440 |
W1 |
| 5. Saint Francis U |
7-6 |
.538 |
13-11 |
.542 |
L2 |
| Robert Morris |
7-6 |
.538 |
13-13 |
.500 |
L4 |
| 7. Fairleigh Dickinson |
6-7 |
.462 |
9-15 |
.375 |
W2 |
| 8. Central Connecticut |
5-8 |
.385 |
12-14 |
.462 |
L4 |
| 9. Sacred Heart |
3-10 |
.231 |
8-18 |
.380 |
L1 |
| 10. Bryant |
1-12 |
.077 |
2-24 |
.077 |
L9 |
* Clinched NEC Tournament berth
Scouting The Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights:
- The Knights, who close out a two-game homestand against the Seahawks, are looking for their second three-game winning streak of the season after picking up a 77-67 victory over Sacred Heart to split its season series with the Pioneers.
- In that contest, five Knights netted double-figures, led by Noah Morgan, who scored a team-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from long range. Darnell Edge and Jahlil Jenkins combined to score 33 points on 13-of-30 shooting from the field with Edge finishing with 17 points. Kaleb Bishop (12 points, team-high 11 rebounds) and Mike Holloway, Jr. each finished with 12 points in the victory.
- On the season, Holloway Jr., is leading the team at 13.2 ppg and 7.1 rpg per contest. Edge has also chipped in 13.1 ppg in a team-high 33.4 mpg.
- FDU is 4-3 and averaging 72.4 ppg over its last seven games with the services of Darian Anderson, who sustained a season-ending foot injury prior to FDU's January 18 contest at Central Connecticut.
Last Time Out Against FDU (January 6, 2018 - Won, 73-65)
- In the first meeting between these two teams back on January 6, Wagner had four players in double-figures, led by senior guard JoJo Cooper who turned in a 20 point, eight rebound, seven assist performance while playing the full forty as the Seahawks defeated FDU, 73-65.
- Redshirt junior forward AJ Sumbry registered 12 points while matching Cooper's eight rebounds while rejecting four shots on the afternoon. Sophomore guard Blake Francis and freshman forward Nigel Jackson added 13 and 11 points, respectively on a combined 8-of-16 while hitting on 5-of-9 from the outside.
- The Knights were led by Darian Anderson's game-high 21 points. The senior guard struggled to find his rhythm as Wagner held him to just 3-of-11 shooting from beyond-the-arc. Darnell Edge was the only other Knight in double-figures as he finished with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting and added four three-pointers in his 33 minutes of action.
Wagner Clinches NEC Tournament Berth:
- Wagner became the first team to clinch an NEC Tournament berth and did it just 12 games into the 18-game conference season. The Seahawks punched their ticket to the eight-team NEC tourney on February 3 with a 79-61 win over St. Francis Brooklyn. Wagner has now qualified for the postseason eight straight years and 11 of the last 12 seasons.
- Along with clinching a playoff bid, Wagner extended its lead on the field to two games.
- Looking ahead, as Wagner looks to lock up the NEC regular season crown and accompanying top seed in the NEC Tournament, the combined conference winning percentage of its next five opponents is just .445.
48th Season Of Being At .500 Or Better:
- At 18-6 overall on the season, the Seahawks have ensured that they will finish with a .500 record or better for the 48th time in program history.
- For Coach Mason, it marks the fifth time in his six seasons that he will finish at .500 or better.
Seahawks Soaring In RPI:
- On the heels of a six-game win streak that bumped its record to 17-6 overall and 10-2 in NEC play, Wagner has made a move up the RPI rankings.
- The Seahawks recently cracked the top-100 and entered the week at #89 in the country standings. As of 2/9, Wagner is 104th.
Cooper Keeping Good Company:
- JoJo Cooper's terrific all-around numbers for first-place Wagner this season has elevated him to quite the lofty perch.
- Cooper is currently one of only two players in the nation this season averaging at least 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game on the year. Jon Elmore of Marshall has also reached these minimums.
- If the senior guard maintains those statistical plateaus for the remainder of the season, he would be just the 10th player in the last 25 years to end the year as a 14p/5.5r/6a/1.5s man.
- How exclusive is this list?
- Of the nine players who have achieved this statistical feat, seven have played in the NBA, including current ballers Kyle Anderson (Spurs), Lonzo Ball (Lakers) and Kyle Collinsworth (Mavericks). The list also includes former NBA All-Stars Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway, and former NBA players Luke Walton and Eddie Gill.
| Player |
Class |
Season |
Position |
School |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
| Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway |
Junior |
1992-93 |
Guard |
Memphis |
22.8 |
8.5 |
6.4 |
2.4 |
| Jason Kidd |
Sophomore |
1993-94 |
Guard |
California |
16.7 |
6.9 |
9.1 |
3.1 |
| Eddie Gill |
Senior |
1999-00 |
Guard |
Weber State |
16.3 |
6.4 |
6.9 |
3.2 |
| Sean Kennedy |
Senior |
2001-02 |
Guard |
Marist |
14.7 |
5.5 |
7.9 |
1.9 |
| Luke Walton |
Junior |
2001-02 |
Forward |
Arizona |
15.7 |
7.3 |
6.3 |
1.6 |
| Kyle Anderson |
Sophomore |
2013-14 |
Guard |
UCLA |
14.6 |
8.8 |
6.5 |
1.8 |
| Alex Hamilton |
Senior |
2015-16 |
Guard |
Louisiana Tech |
19.8 |
5.7 |
6.2 |
2.0 |
| Kyle Collinsworth |
Senior |
2015-16 |
Guard |
Brigham Young |
15.3 |
8.2 |
7.4 |
2.0 |
| Lonzo Ball |
Freshman |
2016-17 |
Guard |
UCLA |
14.6 |
6.0 |
7.6 |
1.8 |
| JoJo Cooper |
Senior |
2017-18 |
Guard |
Wagner |
14.0 |
5.5 |
6.4 |
1.8 |
Serious Home Cooking:
- The Spiro Center has turned into a house of horrors for opponents this season, and Wagner head coach Bashir Mason and his players want to keep it that way. With a perfect 13-0 home record this season, Wagner is one of 19 teams nationwide yet to lose in their own gym.
- Wagner is tied with Clemson (ACC) and Boise State (MWC) for the 13th longest home winning streak in the nation this season. Cincinnati (AAC) currently holds the nation's longest win streak at 39 straight home victories.
- The 13 straight wins at the Spiro Sports Center is a program-record and now the Seahawks, who have one more regular season home contest(LIU Brooklyn on Feb. 17), will have a chance to match the record for most home wins in a season, 14, set by the 2002-03 squad, that posted a 14-1 home record.
- Since the Spiro Sports Center opened on February 20, 1999, the Green & White have had nine seasons in which the team has posted double-digit victories, and the first since the 2015-16 season, when that squad, coached by Coach Mason, finished 13-4.
| Season |
Home Record |
Overall Record |
Result |
Coach |
| 2000-01 |
11-8 |
16-13 |
NEC Quarterfinals |
Dereck Whittenburg |
| 2001-02 |
13-5 |
19-10 |
NEC Quarterfinals
NIT Participant |
Dereck Whittenburg |
| 2002-03 |
14-1 |
21-11 |
NEC Regular Season Champions
NEC Tournament Champions
NCAA Tournament Participant |
Dereck Whittenburg |
| 2007-08 |
13-3 |
23-8 |
NEC Semifinals |
Mike Deane |
| 2011-12 |
12-3 |
25-6 |
NEC Semifinals |
Dan Hurley |
| 2012-13 |
11-3 |
19-12 |
NEC Semifinals |
Bashir Mason |
| 2013-14 |
10-3 |
19-12 |
NEC Semifinals |
Bashir Mason |
| 2015-16 |
13-4 |
23-11 |
NEC Regular Season Champions
NIT Participant |
Bashir Mason |
| 2017-18 |
13-0 |
18-6 |
??? |
Bashir Mason |
- How rare would it be for the Seahawks to go undefeated at home for the entire season? In the history of the NEC, only five teams have posted unblemished home records with LIU Brooklyn being the most recent. The Blackbirds went 15-0 at the Steinberg Wellness Center en-route to winning the second of three straight NEC championships.
- In fact, the five teams that went unbeaten at home all won the NEC regular-season championship and four of the five captured NEC Tournament titles.
NEC Teams With Perfect Home Records
| Team |
Record |
Year |
Result |
| LIU Brooklyn |
15-0 |
2011-12 |
NEC Champion |
| Monmouth |
13-0 |
2003-04 |
NEC Champion |
| LIU Brooklyn |
12-0 |
1996-97 |
NEC Champion |
| Fairleigh Dickinson |
15-0 |
1990-91 |
NEC Runner-Up |
| Robert Morris |
12-0 |
1982-83 |
NEC Champion |
Milestone For Coach Mason:
- Head coach Bashir Mason, who is currently the sixth-youngest active head coach in Division I, reached a coaching career milestone on Saturday, January 20.
- In Wagner's 62-49 home victory over Robert Morris back on January 20th, Coach Mason earned his 100th career coaching victory.
- In the process, Coach Mason became just the third Seahawk bench boss to eclipse the 100 career wins, joining former coaches Herb Sutter (352) and Tim Capstraw (117).
- Additionally, Coach Mason and Capstraw are the only two Seahawk coaches to reach 100 wins in the Division I era, which began in 1976-77, under Wagner Hall of Famer and 3x-time NBA Champion, P.J. Carlesimo
| Wagner Coach |
Career Record |
Years Coached |
| Herb Sutter |
352-252 |
1937-1965 |
| Tim Capstraw |
117-164 |
1989-1999 |
| BASHIR MASON |
105-75 |
2012-present |
| Chester Sellitto |
97-89 |
1965-1972 |
| Mike Deane |
95-113 |
2003-2010 |
| Neil Kennett |
81-115 |
1982-1989 |
| Dereck Whittenburg |
67-50 |
1999-2003 |
| P.J. Carlesimo |
65-93 |
1976-1982 |
| Dan Hurley |
38-23 |
2010-2012 |
| Bill Keegan |
29-25 |
1934-1937 |
| John C. Goodwin |
26-73 |
1972-1976 |
| Elmer Ripley |
23-22 |
1922-1925 |
| Ray Kirschmeyer |
16-36 |
1929-1934 |
| Joseph Flotten |
10-4 |
1925-1926 |
| John Futchs |
8-10 |
1926-1927 |
| John Morris |
7-19 |
1927-1929 |
| Erastus LaRue Ely |
1-4 |
1920-1921 |
| Walter B. Peterson |
1-6 |
1921-1922 |
Wagner's Sultan Of Swat:
- Redshirt junior forward AJ Sumbry has made his presence felt in the paint on both sides of the ball.
- Sumbry is ranked 7th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (15.8) and 15th in the country in block percentage (12.2).
- Sumbry is the NEC leader with 2.0 bpg on the year and leads a Wagner team that ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.395).
- On the boards, the Seahawks are 20th nationally in offensive rebounding (13.08/gm).
Seahawks Received More Votes In The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll:
- In the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll, the Wagner Seahawks have earned 31 votes, trailing just Toledo (68), Grand Canyon (50) and Utah Valley (43).
- The Seahawks doubled their amount of votes from the Week 13 poll, in which they garnered 15 votes.
Pair of Seahawks Moving Up The Career Charts:
- Senior guard JoJo Cooper moved into sole possession of eighth place on the Wagner all-time career assists list, as he has dished out 469 career helpers, passing Tony Rice (1992-96). Next up for Cooper is Seahawk Hall of Famer, Billy Kurisko (1987-91), who stands at 496.
Wagner All-Time Career Assists List
5. Arvie Powell 520
6. Billy Kurisko 496
9. Kenneth Ortiz 429
- Redshirt junior forward AJ Sumbry has moved up on the Wagner all-time career blocks list, as the East Windsor, NJ native now has 87 rejections as a member of the Wagner basketball program.
- Sumbry is in sole possession of 10th-place and has a chance to move into eighth over the next two games, by surpassing the likes of Mark Porter (84), and Dave Smolka (86).
Wagner All-Time Career Blocks List (min. 75)
6. Nick Frederick 105
7. Nigel Wyatte 94
10. Mark Porter 84
11. Largest Agberhemsin 79
Cooper's Dishes:
- JoJo Cooper has been on assist spree as of late for league-leading Wagner.
- Cooper has registered at least eight dimes in each of the last six of his last seven games (8.1 over the last seven games)
- Cooper now has 11 games with 8+ assists on the year, tying him for third nationally behind only Saint Mary's senior Emmett Near (18) and Oklahoma freshman Trae Young (17).
- He leads the NEC and ranks 14th nationally with 6.4 apg. Cooper is also the conference leader and 17th in DI with a 37.2 assist rate.
Ten-Game Recap:
- The Seahawks are 9-1 in their last ten games.
- The team is averaging 76.1 ppg, shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range and 66.0 percent from the free-throw line.
- Wagner is holding opponents to 63.0 points per game, 39.1 percent from the field, 33.5 from beyond-the-arc and 65.5 percent from the charity stripe.
- The Green & White are a +5.9 on the boards, outmuscling opponents 39.1 to 33.2.
- Three Seahawks are averaging a minimum of 15.0 ppg, led by Blake Francis, who is averaging 17.7 ppg over his last ten contests while playing in 31.1 mpg and making three starts while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 49.3 percent from beyond-the-arc.
- JoJo Cooper is chipping in 15.6 ppg over his last ten games, while dishing out 7.1 apg, and grabbing a 5.0 rebounds.
- Romone Saunders is the third Seahawk to pour in double-figures over the last ten games, adding 15.0 ppg while leading the squad at 7.4 caroms per contest.
- Wagner closes out its two-game road trip as they travel to Fairfield, CT to take on the Sacred Heart University Pioneers.
- Tipoff from the Pitt Center is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and will be streamed on NEC Front Row.
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