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Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College men's basketball team will take the road on Friday night to take on LIU, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm on NECFrontRow.
Fast Start To Conference Play
On Monday, Wagner earned a dominant 95-64 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. With the victory, the Seahawks improved to 10-2 on the season, 6-0 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play, extend their win streak to seven games and remain undefeated at the Spiro Sports Center with a 6-0 mark at home.
Seahawks Flying High In The Rankings
The Seahawks sit at #20 in the latest Mid-Major Top-25 Poll, released by collegeinsider.com.
After entering the poll at #25 last week, the Seahawks jumped up five spots this week to improve to #20.
Wagner remains the lone Northeast Conference (NEC) team to be ranked in the poll. The Seahawks are also the only undefeated team in NEC play. In Wagner's last appearance in the poll, the Seahawks reached #14 on November 14, 2016.
The last NEC team to end a year ranked was Robert Morris, which finished 25th in the final 2012-13 poll.
In the national rankings, Wagner has improved to 116
th in the KenPom rankings while also sitting 83
rd in the NET rankings.
Last Time Out
Four Seahawks scored in double figures, led once again by graduate student
Alex Morales, who contributed 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, as the Seahawks earned a dominant 95-64 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night.
Graduate student
Elijah Ford finished with 16 points on 8-9 shooting, while redshirt-senior
Raekwon Rogers and graduate student
Will Martinez finished with 16 points apiece.
Morales Continues To Dominate
Alex Morales continues to dominate. Last week, Morales was named to the 2022 Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List.
The award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Morales is the only Northeast Conference (NEC) player featured on the list.
The reigning NEC Player of the Year is the only player in the conference to have earned three NEC Player of the Week awards so far this season after picking up the honor once more last week.
The Paterson, NJ native is the only player in the nation this season averaging at least 16.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg. There has not been a single DI player in the last three decades to finish with 16.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg and also achieve 50/40/80 shooting splits.
Last week he stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 13.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.5 spg while shooting 62.5 percent from the field in a Wagner sweep that left them as the lone unbeaten team in league play.
Toughness Wins
Wagner's style of play has been rewarded many times this season and reflects well by the numbers.
Wagner ranks 15
th nationally in field goal percentage (.49.2), 16
th in scoring margin (+14.9), 18
th in rebounding margin (+7.7), 18
th 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.2%), and 24
th in assists per game (16.6).
The Series
Wagner has won four out of its last six games against LIU, including a dramatic last-second 76-74 win last season. In game two of the season-series,
Alex Morales' game-winner gave the Seahawks the win and kick-started Wagner's historic 10-game win streak. Head coach
Bashir Mason holds a career record of 12-9 against LIU after splitting the season series last season.
Scouting The Sharks
LIU enters Friday's matchup with a 7-9 record, but is coming into the contest with a four-game win streak. Most recently, the Sharks earned wins over St. Francis Brooklyn, CCSU, Saint Francis U, and Mount St. Mary's.
Mason's Milestone Victories
Wagner's win over Fairleigh Dickinson marked the 100
th career victory in conference play for head coach
Bashir Mason, who became the 11
th coach in NEC history to reach the century mark.
Earlier this season, Mason earned his 150
th overall victory against Fairfield. Mason is already Wagner's winningest coach in the Division I era and reached the milestone in 276 games, winning more than 54% of his games
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
Following Friday's game at LIU, the Seahawks will travel to Merrimack on Sunday, with tip-off scheduled for 3:00 pm.
