Smithfield, RI – The Wagner College men's basketball team led 41-35 at the half, but it wasn't enough, as the Seahawks dropped a 78-70 decision at Bryant on Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.
With the loss, the Seahawks will now enter the Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament as the #2 seed and will host Saint Francis U on Wednesday, March 2.
Graduate student
Alex Morales led all scorers with 24 points on 10-23 shooting while also grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds and dishing out five assists. Sophomore
DeLonnie Hunt added 19 points, while graduate student
Will Martinez contributed 15 points.
In a closely contested game that featured 11 ties and four lead changes, the Seahawks erased an early 7-0 deficit with a 13-2 run, capped by a Martinez bucket that gave the Green and White a 16-11 lead with 13:44 to play.
The Seahawks closed out the first half on a 6-0 run, as a basket by Hunt following an offensive rebound made it 41-35 at the midway mark.
Both teams went back and forth to start the second half, as a thunderous dunk by Morales with 14:07 to play gave Wagner a slim 52-49 lead.
After the Bulldogs re-took the lead, Wagner fought back and cut the deficit down to three on a three by freshman
Javier Ezquerra with 1:38 to play, but the Bulldogs pulled away for the 78-70 victory.
Bryant held a 43-36 advantage on the glass, while the Seahawks held a 36-32 edge in points in the paint.
As a team, Wagner converted on 27-68 (39.7%) of shots throughout the afternoon.
This marks Wagner's seventh time as the #2 seed in the NEC Tournament and first since 2014. The Seahawks and Red Flash will meet in the postseason for the third time and first time since 2017, with the all-time postseason series tied at 1-1.
Tip-off between the Seahawks and Red Flash is set for 7:00 pm at the Spiro Sports Center. For tickets, visit wagnerathletics.com/tickets.
