STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Wagner College men's basketball team earned a thrilling 79–78 NEC victory over the Le Moyne Dolphins on Thursday night inside the Spiro Sports Center.
Wagner (8–13, 3–7 NEC) was led by a standout performance from junior
Nick Jones, who scored a game-high 24 points while playing all 40 minutes. Jones delivered in the clutch, converting the game-winning basket in the paint with one second remaining to secure the Seahawks' third NEC win of the season.
The teams battled early on, as Wagner held a slim 18–13 advantage midway through the opening half. Le Moyne (11–13, 6–5 NEC) answered and flipped it to a five-point lead of its own, 27–22, with 6:23 left in the first half. The Seahawks then caught fire, draining three consecutive triples to take a 40–35 lead into the locker room.
Le Moyne responded after halftime, using a strong second-half surge to keep the contest tight throughout the final 20 minutes. The Dolphins briefly grabbed the lead midway through the half, 60–58. With 3:11 remaining, Jones knotted the game at 71 before junior
Bryan Akanmu sank a pair of free throws to put Wagner back in front.
Down the stretch, Le Moyne connected on a jumper to take a two-point lead with 55 seconds to go, but redshirt senior
Jaden Baker answered with a clutch three-pointer to give Wagner a one-point edge. The Dolphins went back on top with 24 seconds remaining, setting up the dramatic finish. On Wagner's ensuing possession, Jones dribbled down the clock, attacked the lane, and finished through traffic with one second left to give the Green & White the lead for good. Wagner then held on through the final possession to seal the victory.
Baker provided a spark from beyond the arc, finishing with 19 points on four made threes, while Akanmu added 11 points off the bench.
Wagner finished the night shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three-point range, while also converting 16-of-20 attempts at the line. The Seahawks held a 38–34 edge in points in the paint and received 16 points from their bench.
Wagner returns to action as NEC play continues on Saturday, Feb. 7, traveling to face the Central Connecticut Blue Devils at 1 p.m. in New Britain, Conn.
