WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College men's basketball team will host Central Connecticut on Friday night, with tip-off set for 7:00 pm on NECFrontRow.
Last Time Out
After a Jordan Minor layup gave Merrimack a 54-49 lead with 5:36 to play, Wagner closed the game on a 13-4 run to earn a 62-57 road victory at Merrimack on Monday night, with
Brandon Brown scoring nine points during the run, which included two traditional three-point plays.
Hunt Leads The Way
Junior
DeLonnie Hunt was once again Wagner's leading scorer with 19 points on 7-13 shooting against Merrimack, including a memorable first half dunk. For his efforts, Hunt was recognized as an NEC Prime Performer.
On the season, Hunt is Wagner's leading scorer with 12.1 points per game and leads the NEC with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.48, which is also among the top-50 in the country.
Brandon Brown Continues To Impress
Brown scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in Monday night's victory and was the second Seahawk to earn NEC Prime Performer honors.
The first-year Seahawk leads the conference with 8.9 rebounds per game, good for 47
th in the country.
Honoring John DiMaggio '65
As part of Sunday's game against Sacred Heart, Wagner will honor former Seahawk great John DiMaggio '65. DiMaggio, who passed away at the age of 82 last March following a brief bout with cancer, will be acknowledged during halftime of Wagner's game against the Pioneers.
DiMaggio, a member of the Wagner Athletics Hall of Fame and Staten Island native, played three years of basketball at Wagner scoring 1,088 points and was a versatile player able to play guard or forward. He finished his career by averaging 18.5 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game in leading the Green & White to a 14-12 record as a senior in 1964-1965.
He capped his final campaign by earning first-team Tri-State Basketball League and All-Met Basketball in the college division. Additionally he was named Team MVP and honored as Wagner's Most Outstanding College Athlete and was coached by Wagner Hall of Fame coach Herb Sutter and Chester Sellito.
DiMaggio was a part of Wagner's historical 77-76 overtime defeat against top-ranked NYU during the 1963-64 season.
Dominating The Glass
Wagner ranks 19
th in the country with 13.12 offensive rebounds per game. The Seahawks also pace the NEC with a rebounding margin of 3.9.
Wagner DNA On Display
The Seahawks rank first in the NEC in scoring defense (62.9 ppg), which is good for 33
rd nationally. Wagner is also first in the conference in field goal percentage defense (43%).
The Series
Wagner holds a 34-21 lead in the all-time head-to-head series, which began in 1939, and includes six wins over the Blue Devils in the last eight matchups between the two teams.
Last season, the Seahawks swept the season series with a 54-52 victory for the Seahawks in New Britain and a 78-68 win at the Spiro Sports Center.
Scouting The Blue Devils
CCSU enters the matchup with a 2-3 conference mark and 4-15 overall record. Most recently, the Blue Devils fell to Fairleigh Dickinson and Stonehill.
Next Up
Wagner will take on Sacred Heart on Sunday at 1:00 pm on NECFrontRow.
