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Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's basketball team will wrap up non-conference play on Saturday, December 30, at Manhattan. Tip-off between the Seahawks and Jaspers is scheduled for 7:00 pm on ESPN+. 
 
Last Time Out
 
Behind a number of offensive superlatives, the Seahawks team earned a 98-49 victory over Division III member Gwynedd Mercy last week.
 
The Seahawks never trailed throughout the contest and led by as much as 52 points late in the second half while hitting on 15-32 (46.9%) shots from long range, the most threes made by a Wagner team since connecting on 18 threes against Wesley on November 12, 2019.
 
Wrapping Up Non-Conference Play
 
A win against Manhattan would give the Seahawks a 6-6 overall record in non-conference play. Going into Friday's games, no Northeast Conference (NEC) team is at .500 or better during non-conference action, giving the Seahawks a chance to finish with the best win percentage in the conference heading into league play.
 
The Season Of Giving
 
Wagner combined for 32 assists against Gwynedd Mercy, as seven of eight players had three or more assists in the contest. This marks the first time Wagner has had more than 30 assists in a game since 2007 and ranked 15th in the nation for a game at the time. The team's 32 assists were the most since Wagner had 33 assists in 2000 against Brown.
 
Wagner DNA On Display
 
The Wagner brand of defense and toughness is on full display. The Green and White ranks first in the NEC and 26^th in the country in scoring defense at 63.4 points per game. Wagner holds opponents to 28.8 percent from long distance, good for 41^st in the country. On the offensive glass, Wagner ranks 60^th in the country and first in the conference with 12.82 offensive rebounds per game.
 
Taking Care Of The Basketball
 
Wagner's 9.5 turnovers per game are now up to 14^th in the country and first in the NEC. The Seahawks' turnover margin of 3.8 has climbed up to 26^th in the nation.
 
Council Continues To Impress
 
Junior Melvin Council Jr. was once again named an NEC Prime Performer after his big outing against Gwynedd Mercy. Council contributed 28 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, and 4 steals, while shooting 11-20 from the field against the Griffins. The first-year Seahawk leads Wagner and has moved up to fifth in the NEC in scoring at 14.1 points per game on the season. He's also fifth in the circuit in assists (3.3), seventh in steals (1.7), and eighth in FT percentage (.750). Council's assist/turnover ratio of 3.6 leads the NEC and is good for 13^th nationally.
 
The Series
 
Saturday's game marks the 50^th all-time meeting between the Seahawks and Jaspers and first since the 2007-2008 season. The last Wagner win over Manhattan came in 1993.  
 
Scouting The Jaspers
 
Manhattan enters Saturday's game with a 4-6 record, most recently falling at Monmouth. The Jaspers' four wins on the season came against Bryant, Felician, Mount St. Mary's, and fellow NEC school Central Connecticut.
 
Next Up
 
The Seahawks will open NEC play on January 4 at LIU, with tip-off set for 7:00 pm.