Feb. 14, 2008

Final Stats

STATEN ISLAND, NY - Mark Porter scored finished with a game-high 28 points, 13 of those coming from the free throw line, as the Wagner College Seahawks outlasted the Sacred Heart University Pioneers 100-92 in double overtime in a battle for first place in the Northeast Conference Thursday night.

Wagner took a 17-10 lead midway through the first half, but the Pioneers used a 10-0 run to regain the lead at 20-17, sparked by consecutive three-pointers from senior Luke Granato and sophomore Ryan Litke.

A Mehmet Sahan layup with 3:05 left in the half gave SHU a 28-25 lead. Wagner then used an 8-0 run to take a 33-28 lead into the intermission. Doug Elwell canned a three from the left corner that gave the Seahawks a 31-28 lead and then hit two free throws with :31 to go for the five-point edge.

Foul trouble was a big problem for SHU in the period. Junior Ryon Howard finished the half with three fouls, while Brice Brooks and Chauncey Hardy both spent significant time on the bench with two fouls. The Pioneers shot just 31 percent from the field in the first half (11-35) and 2-15 from three-point range.

Wagner, now 18-6 overall and 11-2 in the NEC, took a nine-point lead early in the second half at 47-38. The Pioneers battled back and got within a point, 56-55 with 8:10 remianing on a Corey Hassan layup. SHU took a 62-61 lead on a pair of Gene Pettway free throws with 6:25 to go.

The teams traded the lead back and forth down the stretch. Shubik had a chance to win the game in regulation. He was fouled with :04 left with the Pioneers trailing 72-71. He hit the first, but the second rolled off the rim to send the game to overtime.

In the first overtime period, Wagner scored the first seven points in :52 and the Pioneers appeared to be on the ropes. SHU climbed back and a three by Litke, followed by a layup by Brooks tied the game at 79-79 with 2:55 left. Porter put the Seahawks up 84-81 with a pair of free throws with 1:02 left buy Corey Hassan tied it with a trey with :46 to go. Porter missed a jumper on the next Wagner possession and the Pioneers had a chance to win it but a three by Shubik at the buzzer clanged off the rim sending it to the second OT.

A layup by Brooks and a free throw by Hassan in the first :30 of the second extra frame gave SHU an 87-84 lead. Porter tied the game the next time down with a straightaway three. After a SHU turnover Durell Vinson converted a layup to give the Seahawks the lead. After a Shubik miss, Porter converted and Wagner led 91-87 with 2:31 left. Another Pioneer turnover resulted in a Porter free throw after a foul. Brooks tried to keep the Pioneers in it with a layup to cut the gap to 92-89, but they would get no closer.

Brooks led SHU with 21 points, including 11 of 12 from the free throw line. Hassan finished with his first career double-double for the Pioneers with 15 points and ten rebounds. Pettway finished with a season-high 13 points. The loss dropped the Pioneers into second place with a 14-11 overall record and an 11-3 mark in the NEC.

Vinson finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Seahawks.