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Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's basketball team will compete in its first Northeast Conference (NEC) road games of the season against preseason favorite CCSU on Friday, January 10. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm at Detrick Gymnasium.

It Takes A Village

The Seahawks' second, third, and fourth highest scorers come off the bench for Wagner. R.J. Greene averages 8.7, graduate student Ja'Kair Sanchez adds 8.5, and graduate student Zae Blake chips in 8.5 per contest. The three have started a combined nine games out the possible 39 they have appeared in. Only senior guard Zaire Williams scores more points as a starter with 12. 

Wagner DNA

The Seahawks have been ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense since December 3.

Currently, Wagner is third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 58 points per game, trailing only Houston and Tennessee in the category. Williams sits atop the conference in steals per game with 2.2. The Brooklyn native has earned 11 steals over his past three games. The Green & White ranks 49th in the nation in forced turnovers per game with 14.87, putting them in the top 14% percentile nationally. 

Seahawks Among The NEC

Williams and Blake are ranked seventh and ninth, respectively, in points per game against conference opponents. WIlliams was named an NEC Prime Performer for his weekend statline, averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebound, 2.0 assist, and 3.5 steals per game while shooting 81.8% from the charity stripe. Blake averaged 16 against Chicago State and FDU, including a season-high 20 against the Knights. Senior Javier Ezquerra earns four assists per game in NEC play, third in the category in the circuit. Overall, Ezquerra averages five assists across his 15 overall games played, good for first in the league. The San Juan native is also ranks first in overall AST/TO with 2.6. Greene ranks fifth in rebounding overall, grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game. Greene is tied for first in offensive rebounds per game with 2.3. As a team, the Seahawks averaged 6.5 steals per game over the weekend, finding themselves second in the NEC in the category. On the season, Wagner leads the NEC in scoring defense (58), rebounding offense (36.3), rebounding defense (31.1), rebound margin (5.1), defensive rebound percentage (79.4%).

Last Time Out

Wagner fell to 0-2 in NEC play on January 5 as the Seahawks were defeated by the FDU Knights, 71-59, behind sophomore guard Terrence Brown's 28 points. Blake led Wagner with 20 points as Williams followed with 16 points. As a team, Wagner outscored FDU on points off turnovers, 21-6. The Seahawks bench also outscored the Knights, 29-20. However, the Knights outscored the Seahawks, 50-32, in points in the paint. 

The Series

The Seahawks hold a 27-17 advantage over the Blue Devils in all-time meetings, marking this game the 45th matchup between the two programs. Last season, CCSU defeated Wagner in both regular season games, but the Green & White emerged victorious in the conference's postseason semifinal round, 66-56, en route to the Seahawks' NCAA Tournament run. Wagner has won six out of the last 10 games against CCSU. Wagner holds a 10-12 road record against CCSU, with its last road victory occurring at the NEC Semifinals. Junior Keyontae Lewis scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds the last time at Detrick Gymnasium.

Scouting The Blue Devils

CCSU possesses an 11-4 record. Defeating Mercyhurst, 62-50 last time out behind 17 points and 10 rebounds from senior forward Abdul Momoh. Senior guard Jordan Jones leads the Blue Devils scoring 13 points per game, he is closely followed behind by junior guard Devin Haid who scores 12.5 per contest. CCSU had one of the most successful non-conference campaigns in NEC history and led the NEC in both the NET (136) and KenPom (209). At 9-4 outside of NEC play, CCSU tied the conference record for most regular season non-conference wins currently shared with five other teams. The Blue Devils led the conference in offensive efficiency for the weekend at 1.09 points per possession. 

Next Up

Wagner will return to Grymes Hill for a game against conference newcomer Mercyhurst on Saturday, January 18. Tip-off is set for 1:00 pm.