WATCH | Live Stats | Game Notes
Loretto, PA – The Wagner College men's basketball team will close out the regular season on Saturday, when the Seahawks travel to Saint Francis U. Tip-off between the Seahawks and Red Flash is set for 4:00 pm on NECFrontRow.
Last Time Out
The Seahawks earned a 54-44 win over Stonehill on Senior Day at the Spiro Sports Center on Thursday night.
Junior
DeLonnie Hunt and sophomore
Javier Ezquerra led the Seahawks with 13 points apiece, with
Brandon Brown adding nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Postseason Picture
Going into Saturday's regular season finale, the Seahawks still have a chance to host an NEC tournament quarterfinal game, but can also enter the postseason as low as seventh.
The Seahawks snag the #4 seed with a win at SFU paired with a St. Francis Brooklyn loss against Fairleigh Dickinson and Central Connecticut win over Sacred Heart.
Wagner will not be lower than the #5 seed with a win and will be the #6 or #7 seed with a loss on Saturday.
Dominating The Glass
Wagner held a dominant 34-20 advantage on the glass in Thursday night's win against Stonehill.
The Seahawks continue to be among the best teams in the nation in offensive rebounds, entering the week 20
th with 12.6 offensive rebounds per game. Wager also leads the NEC with a rebounding margin of 3.9, good for 62
nd nationally.
Wagner DNA On Display
The Seahawks entered the final week of the regular season ranked 20
th in the country in scoring defense at 62.3 points per game and held Stonehill to 44 points on Thursday night. Wagner also leads the conference in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 42.8% from the field.
Brandon Brown Continues To Impress
Brandon Brown once again led the Seahawks with 11 rebounds against the Skyhawks while also contributing nine points offensively. He entered the week as the NEC's second-leading rebounder at 8.8 per game. Brown ranks 47
th nationally in rebounds per game and paces the conference at 2.8 offensive rebounds per game, good for 66
th nationally.
Mason's Senior Night Splash
Earning the start on Senior Day,
Jordan Mason made the most of the opportunity, scoring Wagner's first six points of the contest.
The Seahawks honored Mason,
Jahbril Price-Noel, and
Ja'Mier Fletcher prior to tip-off.
The Season Series
In the first meeting between the two teams, SFU earned a 68-63 victory on January 7 at the Spiro Sports Center. The deciding sequence came in the final minute of the contest. A
Brandon Brown layup and a free throw by Hunt got the Seahawks within one at 57-56 with one minute to play.
Following three consecutive Red Flash free throws, Hunt once again found the basket to make it a two-point game at 60-58 with 35 seconds to play.
On the ensuing Wagner possession, Brown made it a one-point contest with a three. The Red Flash once again made both free throws, before Hunt came through again on the fastbreak to make it 64-63 with 17 seconds to play, but Saint Francis U survived in a wild finish to earn the victory.
Scouting The Red Flash
Saint Francis U enters Saturday's matchup with a 12-16 overall record and 9-6 conference mark. SFU has clinched a quarterfinal home game and will be either the #2 or #3 seed in the NEC tournament.
Up Next
The NEC quarterfinal is set for March 1, with the semifinals to be played on March 4
th and 7
th, respectively.
