Pictured Above: Senior
Elijah Ford (photo courtesy of Bryant Athletics)
Smithfield, RI – Seniors
Elijah Ford and
Alex Morales each contributed double-doubles, but it wasn't enough, as the Wagner College men's basketball team dropped its Northeast Conference (NEC) opener 74-62 at Bryant on Wednesday night.
With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 0-2 on the year and 0-1 in NEC play, while the Bulldogs improve to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in conference action.
In a physical matchup, head coach
Bashir Mason's defense held the high-scoring Bryant offense 24 points below its season average while grabbing 24 offensive rebounds, holding a 45-29 overall advantage on the glass, and outscoring the Bulldogs 42-24 in the paint.
Ford led all scorers with 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double, while Morales added a game-high 12 rebounds along with 10 points on the afternoon. Freshman
Elijah Allen was the third Seahawk in double figures, adding 15 points for his second double digit performance in as many games.
In a close first half, Ford scored the first eight Wagner points before a layup by freshman
DeLonnie Hunt made it a 12-10 game in favor of the Bulldogs with 14:29 to play.
After an 8-2 Bryant run, the Seahawks answered back and two baskets by Ford, a layup by Morales and a bucket by Allen closed the gap to 24-23 with 8:19 to play in the first period.
Bryant led 40-34 at the half and extended its lead to 14 midway through the second half, but the Seahawks fought back on three-pointers by senior
Nigel Jackson and Allen. A Morales layup with 3:53 to play cut the deficit to seven points at 65-58, but that's as close as Wagner would get, as the Bulldogs pulled away for the 74-62 win.
On the afternoon, redshirt junior
Justin Brown scored his first points in a Wagner uniform.
The Seahawks and Bulldogs return tomorrow for the second game of the series, with tip-off set for 2:00 pm on NECFrontRow.
