Pictured Above: Freshman
Elijah Allen (photo courtesy of Bryant Athletics)
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Staten Island, NY – The Wagner men's basketball team will look for its first win of the season on Monday and Tuesday, as the Seahawks welcome Sacred Heart to the Spiro Sports Center for their first home Northeast Conference (NEC) games of the season. Monday's game at 7 pm will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and SNY. Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 4 pm.
Ford's Career Week
Senior
Elijah Ford led the NEC in scoring last week with 52 points in two games, including a career-high 29 points in Wagner's loss to Bryant on Thursday. One day earlier, Ford led all scorers with 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double. The athletic senior converted on 21-29 shots from the field in two games, including an efficient 10-13 mark in game two of the series. Overall, Ford is now averaging 21.7 points and seven rebounds per contest.
Morales Doing It All
Senior
Alex Morales is showing his versatility early on in the season. Just 0.7 rebounds per game away from averaging a double-double per contest, Morales leads the team with 9.3 caroms a game while checking in third on the team at 11.3 points per game. The senior also leads the Seahawks in assists with 14 on the year.
Elijah Squared Leading The Way
Through three games, Wagner's two leading scorers share a first name in
Elijah Ford and freshman
Elijah Allen. While Ford is averaging 21.7 points per contest, Allen checks in at 13 points per game. In the last decade, Wagner has not had two players with the same first name on the roster in the same season. Allen and Ford join
Elijah Davis as the only players in Seahawk history with the first name Elijah.
Starting Consistency
Following an injury-plagued 2019-20 season, head coach
Bashir Mason has used the same starting five in each contest so far this season, trusting Ford, Allen, Morales, freshman
DeLonnie Hunt and sophomore
Ja'Mier Fletcher to lead the way.
Freshmen Making an Impact
Head coach
Bashir Mason featured two freshmen in the starting lineup in
Elijah Allen and
DeLonnie Hunt in every game this season. The Seahawks' season-opening loss to Seton Hall marked the first time ever that Mason has started two first-year players in Wagner's season-opener. Allen and Hunt also became the first freshmen to start a season-opener since
Nigel Jackson made his Seahawk debut in 2017. Apart from Allen, Hunt, and Jackson, former Seahawk great
JoJo Cooper is the only freshman to ever start a season-opener under Mason.
The Series
Monday's contest marks the 42nd all-time meeting between the schools, with Wagner holding a 25-16 edge in the head-to-head series. In the last eight meetings, Wagner is 6-2 against Sacred Heart, but the Pioneers have won the last two meetings, including an 81-74 victory in the lone game between the two schools a season ago.
Home Opener
Monday's matchup marks Wagner's home opener of the 2020-21 season. The Seahawks have won three straight home openers, including last year's 97-67 victory over Wesley.
Scouting The Pioneers
Sacred Heart enters the series with a 1-2 overall record and 1-1 conference mark. The Pioneers earned their first win of the season on Thursday, an 87-72 victory over LIU.
National Audience
Monday night's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3 and SNY as part of the Northeast Conference's 18-game basketball television package for the 2020-21 season. Last year's matchup between the Seahawks and Pioneers was also broadcast on SNY.
Next Up For Wagner
Following this week's series against Sacred Heart, the Seahawks are scheduled to open the 2021 calendar year on January 7 at Fairleigh Dickinson.
Visitor Information
Fans will not be allowed to attend this week's games at the Spiro Sports Center
