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Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's basketball team will travel to Fairfield for its final non-conference game of the season on Thursday, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Last Time Out
Wagner picked up its second consecutive home victory, earning a wire-to-wire 93-51 win over Delaware State on Monday night at the Spiro Sports Center.
Sophomore
DeLonnie Hunt led a once again balanced Seahawk attack 17 points, while reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Year
Alex Morales contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman
Zaire Williams and redshirt senior
Raekwon Rogers added 14 points apiece, while graduate student
Will Martinez was the fifth Seahawk in double figures with 11 points and a game-high five assists.
Sharp Shooters
As a team, Wagner is converting on 48.3% of field goal attempts, which leads the Northeast Conference and is good for 33
rd in the country.
Program DNA
Through seven games, the Seahawks are playing true to their program DNA. Wagner ranks first in the NEC in field goal percentage defense at 39%, which ranks 46
th nationally, and rebounding margin at 10.1, which ranks 12th in the nation. The Seahawks are also first in the conference in scoring defense at 58.3 points per game, which is good for 19
th nationally.
Calm At The Line
As a team, the Seahawks' free throw percentage of 78.8% is not only first in the Northeast Conference, but also good for 14
th in the nation.
Morales Shines Again
Graduate student
Alex Morales is proving once again why he is one of the best players in the nation. Morales' field goal percentage of 62.9% is currently number one in the nation among guards, first in the NEC, and 11
th overall nationally.
Against Immaculata, Morales contributed 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Against Delaware State, Morales contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.
Sharing The Basketball
The Seahawks average 17.4 assists per game, which is first in the NEC and 18th nationally. In freshman
Javier Ezquerra, Morales, graduate student
Will Martinez, freshman
Zaire Williams, sophomore
DeLonnie Hunt, and junior
Ashton Miller, six Seahawks have double digit assists on the season.
Across the last four games, Wagner is averaging 20.25 assists per contest.
Williams' Career Day
Against Delaware State, freshman
Zaire Williams produced a career-high 14 points, including a career-high three three-pointers. Along with graduate student
Elijah Ford and redshirt-senior
Raekwon Rogers, Williams is one of three Seahawks to start every game.
It's Miller Time
Junior
Ashton Miller scored his first points in a Seahawk uniform against Stony Brook. Against Immaculata, Miller scored a career-high 10 points while grabbing a game-high seven rebounds, giving the Seahawks another athletic option off the bench.
Statement Victories
The Seahawks started the second half with a 22-2 run on their way to a dominant 78-49 victory over Stony Brook two weeks ago.
On November 13, Wagner earned a 58-44 victory over VCU. The two wins mark the first time since 2011-12 that the Seahawks have earned two non-conference victories over NCAA Tournament teams in the same season.
Wagner is currently ranked 128
th in the KenPom rankings, more than 100 spots clear of the second-best NEC team in Bryant at 238.
In the NCAA's NET rankings, the Seahawks are 57
th in the country, good for second in the state of New York and first across New York City's five boroughs.
Scoring Machines
Wagner has recorded consecutive commanding victories. Throughout the season, Wagner is 21
st in the country with a scoring margin of 17.0.
Bashir Mason Closing In On 150 Wins
Wagner's win over Delaware State was the 149
th of
Bashir Mason's head coaching career, as he continues to inch closer to 150 career wins.
Mason was named to the Athletic's "40 Under 40 – Rising Stars In Men's College Basketball" list.
According to the article, which features Mason at #15, Mason "has established himself as one of the top mid-major coaches in America."
Last season, Mason entered elite territory, becoming just the second coach in the conference's 40-year history to win three Jim Phelan Coach of the Year honors, joining NEC Hall of Fame coach Howie Dickenman, who earned the distinction four times in his storied career at CCSU.
Following the 2020-21 season, Mason was also a finalist for the 2020-21 Hugh Durham Award, which is presented annually to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball.
Wagner's head coach was also a finalist for the Ben Jobe award, which is presented annually to the top Division I minority coach.
Mason was the youngest head coach at the Division I level when he was named the 18th head men's basketball coach in school history on March 26, 2012 and is the fastest coach to win 100 games in Seahawk history.
The Schedule
Thursday's game closes out Wagner's non-conference schedule.
The Seahawks will open conference play on December 29 at Saint Francis U.
