Pictured Above: Senior
Elijah Davis
Box Score
New Britain, CT – Senior guard
Elijah Davis responded to his first start of the season by pouring in a season-high 19 points to lead a balanced Wagner effort as the Seahawks earned an 80-58 road victory at Central Connecticut State in the Northeast (NEC) Conference opener for both teams on Thursday night at Detrick Gymnasium.
In addition to getting off to a 1-0 start in league play by posting the league's lone road win on this night, the Seahawks even their season record at 6-6 while the Blue Devils fall to 6-8 and 0-1 in the NEC.
Davis' 19-point effort was one shy of his career high and was highlighted by 3-of-6 accuracy from three-point range. Four different Seahawks hit a trio of three-pointers as Wagner knocked down a season-high 15 three-pointers, a figure that is one shy of the all-time single-game record.
Senior guard and captain
Romone Saunders (3-of-8 from three-point range) matched his average of 17 points while also equaling his career-high of six assists on the evening, in addition to tying for team-high honors in rebounding with six.
Sophomore
Chase Freeman played a steady floor game, finishing with 10 points (3-of-5 from three-point range), to go with five assists, while playing 30 minutes of turnover-free basketball from his point guard spot. Sophomore forward
Nigel Jackson added nine points, all coming in the first half on three long-range jumpers, while senior guard
Devin Liggeons chipped in with eight points and six rebounds.
Entering the game as the NEC's top team in field goal percentage defense and turnover margin, Wagner was solid in both of those areas tonight, limiting the Blue Devils to 37.3 percent shooting while holding a 36-30 edge on the glass.
Joe Hugley had a double-double for CCSU with 14 points and 11 rebounds while Kaushaun Hicks also hit for 14 points for the home team.
After Wagner took a 41-32 halftime lead, the Blue Devils got as close as seven points on two occasions in the second half, the last coming with 12:49 left to play on a pair of Hugley free throws that made it a 54-47 game. The Seahawks responded with a 16-7 run, capped by a Saunders fallaway baseline jumper with 4:40 left to make it 70-54 and Wagner never looked back.
This game was tight at the outset with Wagner on top by a 12-11 count, before the Seahawks embarked on a 13-0 run in building a 25-11 lead en route to seizing that 41-32 halftime advantage. The Green & White had it going from deep early, led by 3-of-7 marksmanship from Jackson, while Saunders and Freeman added a pair of three-pointers apiece.
Saunders paced Wagner with 10 points at the break, while Jackson and Freeman added nine and seven points, respectively.
The Seahawks are now 20-18 all-time in NEC openers and 29-19 overall vs. Central Connecticut.
Wagner is right back at it on Saturday, January 5 when the Seahawks host St. Francis Brooklyn in a 4:00 p.m. tip at the Spiro Sports Center.
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Wagner Athletics
Men's Basketball:
Head Coach
Bashir Mason:
