WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College men's basketball team will look for the regular season sweep over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, with tip-off set for 4:00 pm.
Last Time Out
Wagner cut a 14-point deficit to just one point before falling 58-57 in a dramatic finish at Central Connecticut on Thursday evening.
The Seahawks used a 16-5 run to get back into the game after trailing 44-30 with 8:06 to play, as a bucket by junior
DeLonnie Hunt made it 49-46 with 3:45 to play. Down 57-52 with under a minute to play, a three by sophomore
Javier Ezquerra got the Seahawks within two at 57-55 with 17 seconds to play. Central's Kellen Amos made one of two free throws on the ensuing possession, keeping the Seahawks alive with 11 seconds to play, but consecutive attempts at a game-tying three missed the mark as CCSU survived the late Wagner rally.
Comeback Kids
Thursday night's loss marked the fifth time this season that the Seahawks cut a double digit deficit to one possession or less in the second half. Against Temple in the season-opener and in the first matchup against FDU this season, Wagner completed the comeback to earn the victory
Just like Wagner, FDU also faced a 14-point deficit in Thursday night's game against Sacred Heart. The Knights forced overtime before falling 94-86 in overtime.
The Season Series
Despite trailing by 11 points just six minutes into the game, Wagner stormed back to earn a thrilling 83-79 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in the first meeting between the two teams.
The Knights, who converted on 15 threes throughout the contest, jumped out to an early 20-9 lead six minutes into the game. Late in the second half,
Brandon Brown stepped up with a clutch traditional three-point play to give the Seahawks an 81-79 advantage with 39 seconds to play.
Lewis Earns Rookie Of The Week Honors
Freshman
Keyontae Lewis was named the NEC Co-Rookie of the Week on Monday. The 6-9 freshman was tied for the team lead with 12 points in Wagner's 58-46 victory over LIU on Saturday. Two days earlier, Lewis added six points at St. Francis Brooklyn. Additionally, Lewis grabbed seven rebounds apiece in both games while finishing the week shooting 8-14 (.571) from the field.
Among conference freshmen, Lewis ranks second with 4.0 rebounds per contest and he's also seventh overall in blocks (0.9).
Dominating The Glass
With 12.74 offensive rebounds per game, Wagner entered the week ranked 19
th nationally. Wagner also leads the NEC with a rebounding margin of 4.6, good for 44
th in the nation. The Seahawks pace the NEC with 35.96 rebounds per game.
Brandon Brown Continues To Impress
Against Central Connecticut,
Brandon Brown scored 12 points while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
Brown entered the week as the NEC leader with 9.0 rebounds per game, good for 41
st in the country. Additionally, Brown is the 3rd leading rebounder nationwide among players 6'5" or shorter.
Scouting The Knights
Fairleigh Dickinson enters Saturday's matchup with a 15-13 overall record and 8-5 mark in NEC action. The Knights are 1-2 since the last meeting between the two teams, including an overtime loss against Sacred Heart on Thursday.
Wagner DNA On Display
The Seahawks entered the week ranked 23
rd in the nation in scoring defense at 62.3 points per game. Wagner also leads the NEC in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 42.8% from the field throughout the season.
Hunt's Spectacular Shot
After a wild rally that saw Wagner erase a 19-point deficit with under 12 minutes remaining and nine-point hole with under three minutes to play, junior guard
DeLonnie Hunt completed the comeback by sinking a 35-foot runner at the buzzer to send the game into overtime at St. Francis Brooklyn last Thursday.
The play was named number four on ESPN's SportsCenter Top10.
Up Next
Wagner's regular season will conclude with a Senior Day matchup against Stonehill on Thursday night, followed by a road game at Saint Francis U next Saturday.
