Pictured Above: Redshirt senior
Romone Saunders
Box Score
Smithfield, RI – The Wagner men's basketball team stormed back from a 13-point halftime deficit to take the lead but it was Bryant who put together the game's final run in eking out a 67-65 win as the Seahawks' three-game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night in a game that was televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
With this hard-fought defeat, the Seahawks fall to 13-13 on the season, 8-7 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play, while the Bulldogs gain a regular season sweep of Wagner and break a five-game losing streak in improving to 9-17 overall and 6-10 in league.
Wagner, who entered the game in a five-way tie for second place in the NEC standings, saw its hopes of securing a top-four seed and accompanying quarterfinal round home game in next month's tournament dim. Bryant, meanwhile, kept its hopes alive of gaining a berth in the eight-team field. Following tonight's five NEC games played, the Seahawks find themselves in a three-way tie for fifth, along with Sacred Heart and St. Francis Brooklyn, while the Bulldogs jump into a tie for seventh with LIU Brooklyn.
The Bulldogs had their way in opening a 38-23 halftime bulge before the Seahawks exploded out of the second-half gate with a 12-0 surge, as part of larger 21-6 run, capped by a three-pointer by redshirt senior guard
Romone Saunders that tied it at 44-44 with 11:15 left.
Each team then answered the other's points for the next seven minutes as this game would be tied six more times down the stretch, the final time at 59-59 on a jumper by Bryant's Adam Grant. The Bulldogs then took the lead for good on a pair of Juan Cardenas free throws at the 2:07 mark that triggered a made it 61-59. Another pair of Cardenas free throws with 1:42 to go have Bryant a four-point lead at 63-59.
On Wagner's ensuing possession, Saunders was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws, slicing the Bulldogs' lead to one at 63-62. A Cardenas layup with 1:05 remaining, followed by a pair of free throws by Joe Kasperzyk with 30 ticks left, gave the Bulldogs a two-possession lead at 67-62.
But senior guard
Devin Liggeons came up with a big steal which was followed by a Seahawk timeout with 16 seconds to play. During the timeout, Seahawk head coach
Bashir Mason came up with a well-designed play that freed sophomore forward
Nigel Jackson who, after receiving a long inbounds pass from Liggeons just left of the circle, drained a rainbow three-pointer that gave the Seahawks life at 67-65 with 13 seconds left.
Following a Wagner timeout, the Seahawks' smothering defense forced a turnover as the Bulldogs were unable to inbound the ball for a five-second violation. With one final possession to either tie or win it, Freeman came up short on a jumper, which was followed by missed put-backs in traffic by senior guard
Elijah Davis and Saunders, as Bryant survived the wild finish in pulling out the 67-65 win.
Davis led four Seahawks in double figures with 16 points, Saunders finished with 15, while Jackson and freshman guard
Jonathan Norfleet added 10 apiece. Redshirt senior forward
AJ Sumbry made his presence felt in the low post throughout, contributing eight points, five rebounds and three steals.
Grant led all scorers with 17 points of the Bulldogs, while Cardenas and Townes supplied 13 points apiece.
After opening the game a hot 5-of-6 from the field, the Seahawks were a lackluster 6-of-20 shooting the rest of the half as Bryant seized a 38-23 lead at the break.
Norfleet paced the Seahawks in scoring with seven points while Sumbry and Saunders hit for six points apiece in the opening 20 minutes.
Wagner then opened the second half on that 12-0 run to make it 38-35, buoyed by six consecutive points by from Davis. At the same time, defensively, Wagner was busy forcing Bryant into 0-of-6 shooting and three turnovers as Bryant's first t bucket following the break came 4:07 into the second half.
The Seahawks will now make the short trek across the Hudson River to meet Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, February 23 with tip-off between the Seahawks and the Knights set for 4:30 pm.
Follow Us:
Wagner Athletics
Men's Basketball:
Head Coach
Bashir Mason:
