Pictured Above: Freshman guard Tyler Plummer (Credit: Dave Saffran)
 
Game 24 | NEC Game 13: February 8, 2018 | 5:05 PM
Wagner College Seahawks (17-6; 10-2 NEC) vs.
Bryant University Bulldogs (2-23; 1-11 NEC)
Staten Island, NY | Spiro Sports Center (2,100) |
| Gameday Info |
 : CBS Sports Network (CBSSN)
 : Channel Finder
 : Play-by-Play - Dave Popkin
: Color Analyst - Tim Capstraw
: Sideline Reporter: Paul Dottino
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Roster | Schedule I Stats | News |
| Game Notes |
Wagner | Bryant |
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Wagner Athletics    
Men's Basketball:
Head Coach Bashir Mason:
Wagner Gameday: |
Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's basketball team closes out its three-game homestand as Seahawks welcome the Bryant University Bulldogs to the Spiro Sports Center live on CBS Sports Network on Thursday evening.
- 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 27 teams nationwide yet to lose a game on their home court as Wagner enters tonight's contest 12-0 at home and is one of five teams tied at that mark: Clemson (ACC), Arizona (Pac-12), UC Santa Barbara (Big West) and Gardner-Webb (Big South). Cincinnati (AAC) currently holds the nation's longest home win streak at 38 straight games.
- Wagner is 2-0 all-time against Bryant on CBS Sports Network, last defeating the Bulldogs, 65-56, back on January 7, 2016.
- As of 2/5/18, Wagner ranks 8th in the NCAA in FG% Defense (39.0%), and is among the top-20 in Rebounds Per Game (16th | 40.09). while placing in the top-50 in Scoring Defense (66.7 ppg), Total Blocks (50th | 106) and Total Rebounds (50th | 922).
Last Time Out For Wagner: vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (February 3, 2018):
- The Northeast Conference (NEC)-leading Wagner men's basketball team became the first team to punch its ticket to the 2018 NEC Tournament as they improved to 12-0 at home, defeating the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers, 79-61, for its sixth straight victory at the Spiro Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.
- The win avenges an 82-75 setback in Brooklyn back on New Year's Eve in a game that Wagner led most of the way. The Seahawks are now 17-6 on the season, 10-2 in the NEC. The Terriers, meanwhile, saw their overall mark fall to 10-14 and are now 7-5 in league play.
- Sophomore guard Blake Francis, the reigning Metropolitan Writers Association Player of the Week, led five players in double figures with 15 points, 12 of which coming in the second half of action. Senior guard JoJo Cooper stuffed the stat sheet by adding 14 points, eight assists, six rebounds and a steal, in 37 minutes of action. Redshirt junior guard Romone Saunders had 12 points, while junior guard Devin Liggeons and redshirt junior forward AJ Sumbry added ten apiece.
- In addition to his 10-point outing, the 6-8 Sumbry pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to finish with his third double-double of the season in just 19 minutes of action. Since being inserted into the starting lineup six games ago, freshman guard Chase Freeman continues to give Wagner solid play, finishing with seven points on 2-of-3 shooting, with four rebounds while playing turnover-free in 25 minutes of play. Junior guard Elijah Davis, who led Wagner with 15 points in Thursday night's 72-59 win over Central Connecticut, also hit for seven points this afternoon.
- Wagner's NEC-best defense delivered its usual effort throughout, holding the Terriers to 33.9 percent on 19-of-56 shooting.
- From three-point range, SFBK couldn't find its stride, hitting on 6-of-21 for 28.6 percent.
- Chauncey Hawkins paced the Terriers with 18 points of the bench while Glenn Sanabria and Rasheem Dunn added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
All-Time Series Against The Bryant University Bulldogs:
- This evening's contest is the 16th all-time meeting between the schools with Wagner holding a 10-5 edge in the head-to-head series.
- With tonight's game being nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, this game will mark the third time that Wagner-Bryant has faced off on the network, with the Seahawks winning both contests, at home, most recently, a 65-56 decision back on January 7, 2016.
- The Green & White are 4-1 in its last five meetings with Bryant while holding a 5-2 mark against the Bulldogs in games played at the Spiro Sports Center.
- Wagner is looking for the season sweep of Bryant, the third team that the Seahawks would go 2-0 against this season (Robert Morris & Saint Francis U), as the Green & White earned a 71-62 triumph over Bryant back on January 11 at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, RI.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
| Overall Series Record |
Wagner 10, Bryant 5 |
| Last Five Games |
Wagner 4, Bryant 1 |
| Last Ten Games |
Wagner 6, Bryant 4 |
| Most Points Scored By Wagner |
89: February 16, 2013 - Bryant 75, Wagner 89 |
| Fewest Points Scored By Wagner |
51: February 18, 2010 - Bryant 53, Wagner 51 |
| Wagner's Largest Win Margin |
24: February 13, 2016 - Wagner 79, Bryant 55 |
| Most Points Scored By Bryant |
82: January 19, 2013 - Wagner 59, Bryant 82 |
| Fewest Points Scored By Bryant |
53 - February 18, 2010 - Bryant 53, Wagner 51 |
| Bryant Largest Win Margin |
23: January 19, 2013 - Wagner 59, Bryant 82 |
| Current Wagner Streak Against Opponent |
Won, 2 |
| First Meeting |
February 12, 2009 - Wagner 72, Bryant 60 |
| Last Meeting |
January 11, 2018 - Wagner 71, Bryant 62 |
| Last Wagner Win |
January 11, 2018 - Wagner 71, Bryant 62 |
| Last Bryant Win |
January 12, 2017 - Wagner 66, Bryant 77 |
All-Time vs. the Current Members of the Northeast Conference:
- Against current members of the Northeast Conference (NEC), Wagner is 250-230 (.521).
- Under head coach Bashir Mason, the Seahawks are 66-34.
Wagner All-Time Record vs.
Northeast Conference Schools
(Includes Postseason)
| SCHOOL |
RECORD |
LAST MEETING |
W/L |
| Bryant |
10-5 |
1/11/2018 |
Won, 71-62 |
| 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 2/3/2018)
| SCHOOL |
NEC |
PCT |
OVERALL |
PCT |
STREAK |
| 1. WAGNER * |
10-2 |
.833 |
17-6 |
.739 |
W6 |
| 2. Mount St. Mary's |
8-4 |
.667 |
14-11 |
.560 |
W4 |
| 3. Saint Francis U |
7-5 |
.583 |
13-10 |
.565 |
L1 |
| Robert Morris |
7-5 |
.583 |
13-12 |
.520 |
L3 |
| LIU Brooklyn |
7-5 |
.583 |
12-13 |
.480 |
W3 |
| St. Francis Brooklyn |
7-5 |
.583 |
10-14 |
.417 |
L1 |
| 7. Central Connecticut |
5-7 |
.417 |
12-13 |
.480 |
L3 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson |
5-7 |
.417 |
8-15 |
.348 |
W1 |
| 9. Sacred Heart |
3-9 |
.250 |
8-17 |
.320 |
W1 |
| 10. Bryant |
1-11 |
.083 |
2-23 |
.080 |
L8 |
* Clinched NEC Tournament berth
Scouting The Bryant University Bulldogs:
- The Bulldogs, who are playing their first road game since January 20, is looking to stop a long eight-game losing streak, after falling most recently to LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, 84-71, this past Saturday.
- Three Bryant players - Ikenna Ndugba, Adam Grant and Tanner Johnson each scored in double-figures, led by Ndugba, who tallied 18 in a losing effort.
- On the season, four Bulldogs are averaging double-digits, led by Grant, who is pouring in 17.7 (fourth in the NEC) ppg in 37.0 minutes of action. In league-only games, Grant is averaging 19.2 ppg, which is fourth among all-NEC players.
- Ndugba, who is among the top-15 scorers in the league, paces the Bulldog squad on the boards, pulling down 4.2 rpg game while dishing out 4.6 apg in 25 contests.
- Sabastian Townes and Bosko Kostur are netting 12.1 and 10.3 ppg, respectively.
- As a team, Bryant is shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 33.8 from long range.
Last Time Out Bryant (January 11, 2018 - Won, 71-62)
- Senior guard JoJo Cooper poured in a career-high 23 points, on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor, to lead four Seahawks in double figures as the Wagner men's basketball team won its third straight game, running past Bryant by a count of 71-62 at the Chace Athletic Center.
- Cooper's hot shooting night, which included a perfect 3-of-3 effort from three-point range, came on the heels of a career-tying 20-point performance in Wagner's last outing, a 73-65 home win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. The 6-0 Delaware native pulled down five rebounds, dished out three assists and came up with one steal in a productive 27-minute stint.
- Sophomore guard Blake Francis added 16 points, three assists and three steals, redshirt junior guard Romone Saunders recorded his second career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while junior guard Devin Liggeons provided 10 points off the bench.
- Bryant had two players in double figures with Adam Grant's 23 matching Cooper for game-high honors, while Sabastian Townes added 10.
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 Saturday 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. Winners of six straight, the Green & White are a combined 6-2 against the pack of five teams that directly trail the Seahawks in the standings.
- 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 six opponents is just .403.
48th Season Of Being At .500 Or Better:
- At 17-6 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 has 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 enters play this week at #89 in the country standings.
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 |
5.6 |
6.6 |
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 12-0 home record this season, Wagner is one of 27 teams nationwide yet to lose in their own gym.
- Wagner is tied with Clemson (ACC), Arizona (Pac-12), UC Santa Barbara (Big West) and Gardner-Webb (Big South) for the 18th longest home winning streak in the nation this season. Cincinnati (AAC) currently holds the nation's longest win streak at 38 straight home victories.
- The 12 straight wins at the Spiro Sports Center is a program-record and now the Seahawks, who have two more regular season home contests (Bryant on Feb. 8 and 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 |
12-0 |
17-6 |
??? |
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 |
104-75 |
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 12th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (15.2) and 13th in the country in block percentage (12.27).
- Sumbry is the NEC leader with 2.1 bpg on the year and leads a Wagner team that ranks eighth nationally in field goal percentage defense (.390).
- On the boards, the Seahawks are 21st nationally in offensive rebounding (13.04/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 468 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 86 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 games, averaging 9.2 apg over the span.
- 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 12th nationally with 6.6 apg. Cooper is also the conference leader and 11th in DI with a 38.8 assist rate.
Wagner On Thursday's
- The Seahawks are a perfect 4-0 on Thursdays.
- Averaging 71.2 points per games, Wagner is outscoring their opponents by a margin of 9.3 points per game (71.2-62.0).
- On the boards, the Green & White are pulling doing 40.5 caroms a contest while boxing out their opponents by a 5.8 advantage (40.5-34.8).
- JoJo Cooper, Romone Saunders and Blake Francis are all in double-figures on Thursdays, with Cooper leading the bunch at 17.0 ppg. Cooper is dishing out 7.4 assists per game on Thursday while grabbing 4.5 rebounds a contest.
- Saunders is netting 16.0 ppg to go along with a team-best 8.3 rebounds in 33.0 minutes.
- Francis is tallying 14.0 points while logging 32.7 minutes a contest.
Ten-Game Recap:
- The Seahawks are 9-1 in their last ten games.
- The team is averaging 73.4 ppg, shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from three-point range and 64.4 percent from the free-throw line.
- Wagner is holding opponents to 61.7 points per game, 37.7 percent from the field, 32.0 from beyond-the-arc and 68.0 percent from the charity stripe.
- The Green & White are a +5.8 on the boards, outmuscling opponents 40.0 to 34.2.
- Three Seahawks are averaging a minimum of 15.0 ppg, led by Blake Francis, who is averaging 15.9 ppg over his last ten contests while playing in 31.7 mpg and making four starts while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from beyond-the-arc.
- JoJo Cooper is chipping in 15.5 ppg over his last ten games, while dishing out 7.4 apg, and grabbing a 5.3 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 7.8 caroms per contest.
- Wagner embarks on a pair of road contests, beginning on Sunday, February 11, as the Seahawks make the short trip to Teaneck/Hackensack, NJ to tangle with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff.
- The Seahawks-Knights contest will be nationally-televised on CBS Sports Network as Dave Popkin and Tim Capstraw have the call with Paul Dottino working the sidelines.
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