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Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's basketball team will play against Northeast Conference (NEC) newcomer Mercyhurst at the Owen McCormick Court on Friday, January 24. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm.
Last Time Out
The Seahawks defeated the Saint Francis U Red Flash in double overtime by a score of 70-68 to improve to 2-3 in conference play. Graduate student guard Ja'Kair Sanchez led the Seahawks with a season-high 24 points, including going 11-12 from the foul line and 15 in the second half alone. Senior guard Zaire Williams scored 15 points as well as the game-winning layup with 1.9 second remaining. Junior Keyontae Lewis posted his first double-double of the season and third of his career, finishing with 10 points and a career-high tying 12 rebounds in Monday's double overtime win over SFU. Wagner shot 18-25 (72%) from the free throw line while Saint Francis U put up a 15-17 (88.2%) success rate from the charity stripe. The Seahawks shot 60% from three in the overtime periods, compared to that of the Red Flash who shot 16.7% from beyond-the-arc in both overtime periods. For Wagner, this match marked the first overtime game the Green & White have been a part of during their 2024-25 campaign.
The Emergence Of Zaire Williams
Williams has scored at least 15 points in his last seven appearances, including scoring double-digits in nine out of his last 10 games. Williams has played a minimum of 32 minutes in each of his last six games. For three consecutive weeks, the Brooklyn native has been named an NEC Prime Performer for his output on the court. At 2.07 steals per game across the entire season, Williams ranks 42nd nationally in the category.
It Takes A Village
Junior R.J. Greene and graduate student Zae Blake average the third and fourth most points on the Seahawks roster, respectively, with only four total starts among the duo.
Greene averages 8.8 while Blake scores 8.2 per contest. R.J. Greene has scored crucial buckets in close wins for Wagner - Boston U and UMES - leading the Seahawks in scoring in both of those games as well as against Mercyhurst. Blake has scored double-figures in five out of his last seven appearances, including a 20-point performance against FDU on January 5.
Since The New Year
Zaire Williams is third in the NEC in points per game with 16.4 points per game, second in steals per game with 2.4, and third in three pointers made with 2.2 per game across his last five outings. Senior Javier Ezquerra is fourth in assists with 4.4 per game. Blake ranks first in three-point percentage in the conference, shooting 55.6% from downtown on 5-9 shooting. As a team, the Seahawks are second in the NEC circuit in free throw percentage, shooting 77-99 from the charity stripe for a mark of 77.8%.
Wagner DNA
The Seahawks have been ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense since December 3. Currently, Wagner is tied for fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 59.1 points per game. The Green & White ranks in the top 16% in the country in rebound margin at +5.2 and in the top 18% in turnovers forced per game with 14.
The Series
Mercyhurst is 1-0 all-time against Wagner. Back on Saturday, January 18, the Seahawks and Lakers competed in their first game against one another. Aidan Recihert led the Lakers with 22 points and eight rebounds on 7-13 from the floor. Shemar Rathan-Mayes added 14 as Jeff Planutis chipped in 12 and Blunt scored 10. Most recently, Mercyhurst joined the NEC as a full-time member on July 1, 2024, after spending over a decade in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Scouting The Lakers
Mercyhurst comes into Friday's game with an 8-13 record overall and a 2-4 conference mark. The Lakers defeated Stonehill in their first ever NEC game on January 3 in Easton, MA. Mercyhurst dropped three straight games before defeating Wagner at the Spiro Sports Center.
Most recently, LIU took down Mercyhurst, 63-72, in Brooklyn. Individually, the Lakers have three starters who average north of 10 points per game - Planutis (14.2), Reichert (12.5), and Blunt III (10.8).
Next Up
Wagner will travel southeast to Loretto, PA for a matchup with Saint Francis U on Sunday, January 26. Tip-off is set for 2:00 pm at DeGol Arena.
