SHU Looks for Second Straight Win Over First Place Team at Wagner
1/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Sacred Heart (4-14, 3-4 NEC) at Wagner (12-6, 5-2 NEC)
Saturday, January 23, 2016 - 4:00 pm - Spiro Sports Center (2,067) - Staten Island, N.Y.
Game Notes | Video | Live Stats
Sacred Heart looks to move to .500 in Northeast Conference play with its first back-to-back wins of the year, as it travels to first place Wagner on Saturday afternoon for a 4 pm tip.
Scouting Wagner... The Seahawks entered Northeast Conference play with the best non-conference mark in the league finishing 7-4. After dropping their NEC opener to Saint Francis U, they have won four of their past five, the lone loss being a one point defeat to LIU Brooklyn, and are now in a three way tie atop of the conference standings at 5-2. They most recently defeated St. Francis Brooklyn, 83-59, on Thursday night. Wagner is the top defensive team in the conference, leading the league by holding opponents to 63.6 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting. The Seahawks are also the top rebounding team in the league, averaging 38.9 per contest and outrebounding foes by an average of 7.7 rebounds per game. The only categories in which they rank in the bottom half of the league are three pointers per game (6.2), turnovers per game (14.3) and field goal percentage (.414). Corey Henson leads Wagner in both points and assists per game, with averages of 13.0 and 3.3 respectively, both in the top nine of the NEC. His 2.9 three pointers per contest, .480 three point percentage and 2.1 assist to turnover ratio also are atop the conference. Dwaun Anderson also scores in double figures, averaging 11.5 points per game, and ranks in the top 20 of the league in six categories. Michael Carey leads the rebounding attack, pacing the conference with an average of 8.9 per game, while also chipping in 10.2 points.
Series History... These two teams first took the court together back in 1974. After meeting again two years later, the series went on a hiatus until SHU joined the Northeast conference in 1999-2000. Sacred Heart snapped a five-game losing streak last season, but after losing 76-59 just two weeks ago on January 9, the Pioneers now trail in the all-time series 20-13. Wagner's five game winning streak had been the second longest in the history of the series, behind only the seven unanswered the Seahawks put together from 2000-2003, which came after the Pioneers had won the first ever three meetings. Winning those first three is tied for the longest unbeaten stretch for SHU, who also won three straight 2008-10. Wagner holds the strong advantage in Staten Island, where they are 11-5, including winners of three in a row. With the win on January 9, the Seahawks now also hold the edge in the William H. Pitt Center, 9-8. Sacred Heart's lone edge in the series is an important one. The Pioneers were victorious in both postseason meetings, first in the 2007 NEC Quarterfinals and then again the next year in the semifinals.
Last Meeting… After a back and forth first half, a second half scoring drought destined the Sacred Heart men's basketball team to a 76-59 loss to Wagner in Northeast Conference basketball action just two weeks ago on January 9 at the William H. Pitt Center. Down by as much as ten in the first half and trailing 39-32 heading into the locker room, Sacred Heart came out of the break with a 7-3 run in the first 2:51 to pull within three, 42-39, on a Sean Hoehn three-pointer. That would be as close as the Pioneers would get though, as minutes later they went through a severe scoring slump. After Matej Buovac hit a jumper to make the score 47-43 with 15:32 remaining, SHU would go scoreless for 7:26. Wagner took advantage with 14 unanswered to effectively clinch the game, taking a 61-43 lead on Dwaun Anderson's layup with 8:23 to go. It was all part of a 31.8 percent shooting second half, which brought Sacred Heart's field goal percentage to 39.2 for the game. The Pioneers also made just 5-16, 31.3 percent, from three-point range. Meanwhile Wagner made 49.2 percent from the field and 8-16 from beyond the arch. The Seahawks also hit the glass for a 38-28 rebounding advantage, and turned 15 SHU turnovers into 24 points for a 24-9 edge in points off turnovers. Cane Broome led Sacred Heart with eleven points, four steals and two assists. Eyimofe Edukugho and Matej Buovac each added ten, while Jordan Allen had nine. Quincy McKnight led the Pioneers with six rebounds. Romone Saunders and Anderson each poured in 22 points for Wagner on a combined 18-29 shooting. Saunders also led the Seahawks with eight rebounds and made 5-8 from beyond the arch. Mike Aaman was the only other Seahawk in double figures with 12 points, while JoJo Cooper dished out a game-high four assists.
Career Numbers vs. Wagner...
NAME (GP-GS) PPG RPG APG MPG
Tevin Falzon (6-0) 5.3 5.5 0.5 17.3
Cane Broome (3-3) 13.0 2.0 2.7 34.3
Jordan Allen (3-1) 10.0 2.7 1.3 26.0
Eyimofe Edukugho (3-0) 3.7 5.0 0.7 14.3
Filip Nowicki (2-2) 3.0 2.0 - 11.0
Chris Robinson (2-0) 4.0 1.0 - 10.0
Cole Walton (1-1) 2.0 2.0 - 9.0
Quincy McKnight (1-1) 4.0 6.0 2.0 34.0
Sean Hoehn (1-1) 7.0 - 1.0 23.0
Matej Buovac (1-0) 10.0 5.0 - 25.0
Jermaine Ukaegbu (1-0) - - - 3.0
First Place… With Wagner currently in a three-way tie for first place, this will be Sacred Heart's second straight game against a first place team in the conference, as the Pioneers defeated Mount St. Mary's on Thursday.
Back on the Road... Playing just its fourth home game of the year on Thursday, Sacred Heart returns to the road for its 14th away game of the season. The Pioneers come into the game winning two of their previous four games on the road against Robert Morris and Central Connecticut State to begin the NEC schedule. The last time SHU won three road games in January was 2011.
On a Tear at the Line... Shooting at least 79.3 percent from the line in three straight games, Sacred Heart had eclipsed that percentage just twice in the previous 53 games dating back to the 2013-14 season. The three performances are the first, second and fourth best percentages of the season.
-Sacred Heart has eclipsed 73 percent from the line in five of seven NEC games so far this season, something the Pioneers did just once in 11 non-conference games.
-Fifth in fifth in the league shooting 66.0 percent as a team from the line, in conference play that percentage has gone all the way up to 73.1 percent, third in the league.
Starting Five... Sacred Heart's starting lineup in the previous three games, Cane Broome, Quincy McKnight, Jordan Allen, Sean Hoehn and Tevin Falzon, are the five Pioneers who have started the most games this season. Those five are 2-2 together, as opposed to every other lineup going 2-12.
Hitting the Boards... For the first time this season, Sacred Heart has outrebounded its opponent in three straight games. Recording just 28 rebounds in the previous two games, SHU has averaged 38.3 in its last two contests.
Three-Point Land... SHU shot a season best 44.4 percent from beyond the arch, making eight of 18 in Thursday's win over Mount St. Mary's. The Pioneers had failed to make more than five three-pointers in any of its six NEC games prior.
