Hackensack, NJ – The Defending Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season champion Wagner Seahawks, who have qualified for the league tournament in each of head coach Bashir Mason's seven seasons, are the No. 7 seed in this year's championship and will play at No. 2 seed Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday, March 6 in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off at the Rothman Center.
Romone Saunders Named Second-Team All-NEC
Wagner redshirt senior guard
Romone Saunders was named Second-Team All-NEC, one year after being tabbed to the league's Third Team, as the league office announced its All-Conference teams and major award winners on Tuesday. In 2018-19, the 6-3, 210-pound team captain from Temple Hills, MD led the Seahawks in scoring (16.7 ppg./4th in NEC), rebounding (7.2rpg./4th in NEC) assists (3.7/9th in NEC), steals (1.52/T4th in NEC), FT% (84.6/7th in NEC/4th all-time Wagner single season), 3-PT Made/Game (2.14/8th in NEC), and minutes played (34.6mpg/4th in NEC). In addition, Saunders hit for double figures in 26 games with six games of 20 or more points, headlined by a season-high 27-point outing vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (1/5). On January 14, Saunders was named Co-NEC Player of the Week when he was in the midst of a particularly electric all-around stretch, averaging 24.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.5 spg, while notching 52.6/51.6/87.5 shooting splits in a Wagner home sweep. He became one of four players nationally to finish with at least 25 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in a game to sparking Wagner to a 66-60 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (1/12), two days after dropping 24 points in a 76-73 victory over Sacred Heart (1/10).
All-Time Series Against The FDU Knights
Wednesday's NEC quarterfinal round contest marks the 111th all-time meeting between the schools with Wagner holding a slim 56-54 edge in the long and competitive head-to-head series between schools separated by just 31 miles. These teams split their two meetings this season, each holding serve on its own home court. On January 12, the Seahawks earned a 66-60 win at the Spiro Sports Center. In the second meeting between these teams, on February 12 at the Rothman Center, the Knights defeated the Seahawks by a 74-66 count.
Bashir Mason a Perfect Seven Straight NEC Berths
Wagner head coach
Bashir Mason has led the Seahawks to berth in the NEC Tournament in each of his seven seasons at the helm of the Seahawk program. As a program, the Green & White have qualified for nine consecutive NEC appearances.
10th All-Time NEC Tournament Meeting Between Seahawks and Knights
Wagner and FDU will are meeting for the 10
th time in NEC Tournament play, and the Knights hold a 7-2 edge in the previous nine matchups. This will be just the third time these teams will square off at the Rothman Center in NEC Tourney play and the first on FDU's home floor since 2003-04.
Third NEC Tournament Meeting Between Mason and Herenda
Wednesday's contest marks the third time that
Bashir Mason and Greg Herenda will meet in NEC Tournament play. The most notable of the previous two tourney meetings between these coaches was in the 2016 NEC Championship game when the Knights claimed the title with an 87-79 victory at the Spiro Sports Center. In their second meeting, Wagner came away with a 72-70 quarterfinal round win in 2017.
Seahawks Looking to End Three-Game Slide, Knights Looking to Extend Winning Streak
Wagner enters NEC quarterfinal play having dropped its last three games of the regular season while FDU enters this year's league tournament riding a five-game winning streak.
Team-By-Team Capsules
#7 Wagner (13-16, 8-10 NEC)
• Wagner is back in the NEC Tournament for the ninth straight year, the last seven under
Bashir Mason. The Seahawks have been seeded first twice (2016 & 2018), second twice (2013 & 2014), third (2017), sixth (2019) and seventh (2015).
• Wagner is 5-9 in the NEC Tournament in nine appearances as the #6 seed. The Seahawks made a run to the 2005 NEC title game as a #6 seed.
• Wagner's nine-year streak of qualifying for the postseason is currently the second longest in the league behind RMU's 16 straight appearances.
• The Seahawks have earned a #3 or higher seed in six of the last eight years and have advanced to the semis in six of the last seven seasons.
• Wagner is 7-6 in the NEC Tournament under head coach
Bashir Mason.
• When playing in Staten Island, the Seahawks are 16-12 in NEC Tournament play, including going 12-10 in the Spiro Sports Center (opened February, 1999). Wagner is 7-18 in the postseason in road and neutral sites.
• The Seahawks are 16-13 all-time in NEC quarterfinal games.
• Wagner's has been ousted from the NEC Tournament at home in six of the last seven years, with four coming in the semis and two in the 2016 and 2018 title games.
• The Seahawks won their lone NEC championship in 2003, and reached the NEC final in 1993 (losing to Rider), 2005 (losing to FDU), 2016 (losing to FDU) and 2018 (losing to LIU).
• Wagner has posted a 2-7 postseason mark against FDU, with the last win coming in the 2017 quarterfinals.
• Wagner has compiled an all-time NEC Tournament record of 23-30 in 30 trips.
#2 Fairleigh Dickinson (17-13, 12-6 NEC)
• Fairleigh Dickinson is back in the postseason for the fifth time in six years under Greg Herenda.
• The Knights have now qualified for 31 of the 38 NEC Tournaments. FDU has made 19 semifinal ap-pearances and ten championship game appearances.
• FDU won NEC Tournaments in 1985, 1988, 1998, 2005 and 2016.
• FDU has won its last three NEC titles and four of its five championships as the #2 seed. The Knights are 18-6 all-time as a #2 seed.
• FDU is 31-25 all-time in the NEC Tournament and has reached the finals ten times (5-5).
• The Knights are 7-2 all-time vs. Wagner in the NEC Tournament, including a 87-79 road win as the #2 seed over the top-seeded Seahawks in the 2016 title tilt.
• FDU is 16-10 all-time in NEC quarterfinal/first round games, 10-9 in the semifinals, 5-5 in championship games and 0-1 in outbracket games.
• The Knights are 13-5 at home in the NEC Tournament.
• FDU's five NEC Tournament championships ties the Knights with Mount St. Mary's for third all-time be-hind RMU's eight titles and LIU Brooklyn's six crowns.
• The Knights have posted four straight .500 or better NEC seasons for the first time since a five-year run from 2002-07.
• FDU is 4-3 in the NEC Tournament with Herenda as head coach.
• FDU enters the postseason on a five-game win streak and has won 11 of its last 13 contests.
• FDU qualified for a league record 18 straight NEC Tournaments from 1984-01. The Knights also hold the NEC mark with nine consecutive semifinal appearances from 1983-91.
