Dec. 9, 2006

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College men's basketball team started out their Northeast Conference schedule with a 72-60 win over visiting Robert Morris at the Spiro Sports Center today. The Seahawks start out 1-0 in the NEC for the first time since the 2002-03 season while improving to 3-6 on the year. Robert Morris a preseason contender for the NEC crown falls to 0-2 in the league and 5-3 on the season.

Junior guard Mark Porter (Atlantic City, NJ / St. Augustine's Prep) led the way for Wagner with a career high 26 points and added eight rebounds and five assists in the process. Sophomore Joey Mundweiler (Olathe, KS / Olathe East) also contributed to the offensive punch as he hit four three pointers for Wagner and ended the game with 16 points.

Down 25-19 in the first half, the Seahawks blitzed Robert Morris with a 15-0 run that included eight points and a pair of threes from Mundweiler. The Wagner defense was superb holding the Colonials without a field goal in the final 8:31 of the half as a pair of free throws in the closing minute left the Seahawks up 34-27 at halftime. For Wagner it marked their first half time lead of the season.

In the second half six straight points by Robert Morris brought them back in the game as Wagner held on to a narrow 34-33 lead with 16:58 left. Up just two points (38-36) a minute and a half later, the Seahawks would seize control of the game behind a 14-2 run that was capped off by a three-pointer from Porter, one of his three on the day. The comfortable lead would hold up as the rowdy crowd that packed the stands for the MSG TV broadcast helped fuel the Wagner emotion.

Porter hit 7-10 from the foul line in the final two minutes to clinch the 72-60 win.

Sophomore Jamal Smith (Baltimore, MD / Towson Catholic) was also in double figures for the Seahawks with 13 points to go with his eight rebounds and three steals. Wagner grabbed over 40 rebounds for the fifth time in nine games this year equaling up RMU with 42 on the glass. Shooting .455 percent from the field, the Seahawks also handed out a season high 17 assists.

The Colonials hit a mere 34.8 percent for the game and were led by 17 points and seven rebounds from Tony Lee. AJ Jackson who entered the game leading the NEC in scoring and rebounding totaled 13 points on 5-18 from the field and 3-10 from three while hauling in a game high 11 rebounds. Coleman rounded out the double figure scorers with 13 points of his own.

The Seahawks winners of two straight at home square off against Union at the Spiro Sports Center next Friday.