SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Wagner College men's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 69–67 decision to Le Moyne on Friday night at Ted Grant Court in NEC action.
Le Moyne (10–10, 5–2 NEC) opened the game by scoring the first seven points, but Wagner (6–12, 1–6 NEC) responded with an 18–2 run capped by a three-pointer from junior
Eddie Placer to take an 18–9 lead with 11:14 remaining in the opening half. The Dolphins continued to chip away, tying the game at 18 before briefly pulling ahead, 27–21, with 4:04 left in the half. A three-pointer from junior
John Awoke swung momentum back in Wagner's favor, as the Seahawks reclaimed the lead and carried a 34–29 advantage into the locker room after shooting 50.0 percent from the field and knocking down four three-pointers in the opening period.
Le Moyne opened the second half with a pair of free throws before Syracuse native graduate student
Travis Gray answered with a three-pointer. After the Dolphins responded from beyond the arc, Gray found junior
Nick Jones for a basket and then drilled another triple on the ensuing possession. A layup from junior
Bryan Akanmu with 14:15 remaining gave Wagner a seven-point cushion, 46–39.
Following a three-minute scoring drought for both teams, junior
Michael Cooper broke the silence with a pair of free throws. Le Moyne answered with an 11–3 run to knot the game at 50, but Wagner pushed back and rebuilt its lead to eight when Akanmu found Jones cutting to the rim for a dunk. The Seahawks took their largest lead of the second half at 64–55 after Placer connected on a three-pointer with 4:41 remaining.
Le Moyne stayed within striking distance and trimmed the margin to one, 67–66, following an and-one conversion. Wagner was unable to score on its next possession, and after three offensive rebounds, the Dolphins converted a putback layup to take a 68–67 lead with 40 seconds remaining. The Seahawks were unable to answer, and Le Moyne sealed the victory at the free-throw line to hold on for the 69–67 win.
Jones led Wagner with 13 points, adding five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Placer provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, connecting on all four of his three-point attempts. Gray finished with 11 points and three triples, while Akanmu recorded his first double-double of the season with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
Wagner shot 49.1 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from beyond the arc but was limited to 7-of-12 shooting at the free-throw line. Le Moyne capitalized at the stripe, converting 24-of-34 attempts, and held a narrow 35–34 rebounding edge, including 15 offensive boards.
The Seahawks will look to bounce back as they conclude their four-game NEC road trip with a matchup at LIU in Brooklyn, N.Y.
