CHICAGO, Ill. — The Wagner College men's basketball team opened NEC play with a hard-fought 79–72 road victory over Chicago State on Friday evening inside the Jones Convocation Center.
Wagner (6–6, 1–0 NEC) built early momentum behind strong perimeter shooting in the first half. Graduate student
Travis Gray knocked down his first of four first-half three-pointers with 15:29 remaining to give the Seahawks an 11–7 lead. After a back-and-forth stretch, a pair of free throws from sophomore
Zavier Fitch pushed Wagner's advantage to 34–23 with 4:24 left in the half. Chicago State (2–12, 0–1 NEC) trimmed the margin late, but Wagner carried a 41–35 lead into the break.
Redshirt senior
Jaden Baker opened the second half with a three-pointer that was answered by the Cougars on the other end. A steal and breakaway dunk by junior
Nick Jones, followed by a contested layup from Gray, extended Wagner's lead to 68–61 with 5:27 remaining. Chicago State cut the deficit to three on several occasions in the second half, but Wagner responded each time and sealed the victory at the free-throw line.
Four Seahawks scored in double figures, as Wagner's bench accounted for 49 of the team's 79 points. The win marked Wagner's fifth straight overall and its first NEC opening victory since the 2022–23 season.
Gray and Jones led Wagner with 17 points apiece. Gray went 4-of-5 from behind the arc, while Jones added five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Fitch and Baker chipped in 10 points each, with Fitch also pulling down seven rebounds.
Wagner shot 47.2 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range, converted 22 free throws, and held a 40–33 rebounding advantage while finishing with 16 second-chance points.
Wagner will return home for its NEC home opener on Sunday, January 4, hosting Stonehill inside the Spiro Sports Center at 4:00 p.m.
