Staten Island, NY – The Wagner men's basketball team will travel to Central Connecticut for a two-game series on Thursday and Friday, looking to extend its record-setting nine-game winning streak in the final weeks of the Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season. Tip-off on Thursday is scheduled for 7:00 pm, with Friday's game set for 4:00 pm.
History In The Making
With sweeps over Mount St. Mary's and Saint Francis U last week, Wagner extended its winning streak to nine games, tying the longest winning streak under head coach
Bashir Mason. Under Mason, the 2013-14 Seahawks also won nine straight games. Wagner becomes the 18
th team in the NEC since the 1999-2000 season to win nine straight. A win on Thursday would give the Seahawks their longest winning streak since the 1978-79 season.
Three In A Row For Hunt
Freshman
DeLonnie Hunt picked up his third consecutive NEC Rookie of the Week award earlier this week. Hunt becomes the first NEC freshman since LIU's E.J. Reed during the 2012-13 season to win three consecutive Rookie of the Week selections.
Hunt continued his quest for Rookie of the Year last week, as the freshman averaged 10.5 points in Wagner's four wins over Mount St. Mary's and Saint Francis U, which pushed the Seahawks' winning streak to nine games.
In Sunday's victory over SFU, Hunt scored 15 points, including two clutch field goals in the final minutes of the contest. The Upper Marlboro, MD product tied the game at 66 on jumper with 2:26 to play, and his steal and transition layup put Wagner up 70-66 with 55 seconds remaining.
Clinching Scenario
In a tight Northeast Conference playoff race, the Seahawks are sitting in first place with a 10-4 conference mark. With two wins over the Blue Devils, Wagner will punch its ticket to the NEC tournament, which will only feature four teams this season.
Built Ford Tough
Senior
Elijah Ford continues his strong offensive campaign, which earned him NEC Prime Performer honors and a spot on the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Honor Roll. Ford averaged 7.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest across the four victories last week and crowned his stellar week with a career-high 31 points on 13-19 shooting in Sunday's victory over the Red Flash.
Morales Adds Another Weapon
Already one of the most versatile players in the country, senior
Alex Morales has added another weapon to his arsenal. After starting the year 4-30 from long range, Morales has connected on 11 of his last 15 attempts from distance (.733).
Calm At The Line
In Wagner's four-game sweep last week, the Seahawks converted 43-50 free throws, an 86% success rate.
The Series
Wagner holds a 31-20 lead in the all-time head-to-head series, which began in1939, and includes three wins over the Blue Devils in the last four matchups between the two teams.
Scouting The Blue Devils
CCSU enters the series with a 4-15 overall record. The Blue Devils have lost their last five games. The two-game set against the Seahawks will be CCSU's final games of the season.
Next Up For Wagner
Following this week's series at Central Connecticut, Wagner is scheduled to close out the regular season against Merrimack on March 2-3 at the Spiro Sports Center.
