MOUNT ST. MARY'S (2-10, 0-1 NEC) at WAGNER (3-9, 1-0 NEC)
Monday, Jan. 5, 2015 | 4 p.m.
Spiro Sports Center | Staten Island, N.Y.
LIVE VIDEO: NECFrontRow.com
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | @MountAthletics
MOUNT UPDATE: The Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team treks across Pennsylvania and into New York for Monday's showdown versus Northeast Conference opponent Wagner. After falling to Robert Morris by a 66-44 final score in the NEC opener on Jan. 3, the Mount returns to the Spiro Sport Center, which is the site of the team's last road win on March 1, 2014. In the Mount's 12 games this season, six different players have led or tied for the team lead in scoring.
GAME DETAILS: For the second time in three days, the Mount St. Mary's basketball programs will play a road doubleheader. The women's team plays first followed by the men's team on Monday. Both games can be viewed online for free on NECFrontRow.com.
LAST TIME OUT: Mount St. Mary's was handed a 66-44 road loss at NEC preseason favorite Robert Morris on Jan. 3 in Moon Township, Pa. Sophomore Kathleen Belanger-Finn scored a team-high 11 points to pace the Mount's offense, which shot 29.8 percent (14-for-47) in the game. Robert Morris, the defending NEC Champion, held a 54-35 rebounding edge led by Megan Smith's eight rebounds to go with 11 points. Junior Sarafina Arthur-Williams led the Mount's effort on the glass with nine boards.
ABOUT WAGNER: Riding a three-game winning streak, Wagner knocked off reigning Northeast Conference runner-up Saint Francis U, 76-60, in the conference opener on Jan. 3. Jasmine Nwajei ranks second in the NEC with 22.6 points per game. Combining with Jordyn Peck (15.2 ppg), the high-scoring backcourt accounts for 59.0 percent of the team's offense. Nwajei is also the team's leading rebounder with 6.6 boards per game for the Seahawks, which are outrebounded by an average of 9.7 rebounds per game.
LAST SEASON VS. WAGNER: Mount St. Mary's defeated Wagner in all three matchups in 2013-14, the final one coming in the Northeast Conference Quarterfinals at Knott Arena by a 75-66 final score. In regular season matchups, the Mount locked up an 89-78 win on Jan. 18 at Knott Arena before adding a 64-52 road victory on March 1. Wagner was the only team the Mount beat three times last season.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. WAGNER: The Mount has won eight-consecutive games versus the Seahawks and holds a 37-15 lead in the all-time series. Eighth-year Head Coach Bryan Whitten is 10-5 versus Wagner since taking over the program prior to the 2007-08 season. In road games in the series, the Mount is 17-7 at Wagner.
OFF THE BENCH: The Mount has increased its offensive production from bench players over the last two games. In a road loss at Niagara on Dec. 30, the Mount's bench produced 34 of the team's 60 points. The bench contributed 23 of the Mount's 44 points at Robert Morris on Jan. 3. In the last two games, the Mount's bench has scored 54.8 percent of the team's points.
BELANGER-FINN'S EMERGENCE: After playing in just 11 games last season as a freshman, Kathleen Belanger-Finn has been a contributor throughout her sophomore season. The 5-7 guard from Quebec, Canada has scored in double figures three times this season, including the Mount's last two games. In her last two games, Belanger-Finn is averaging 12.0 points per game while shooting 58.3 percent (7-for-12) from the floor.
UP NEXT: Mount St. Mary's returns to Knott Arena for a pair of Northeast Conference games next week. The Mountaineers will host St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 4:30 p.m. before taking on Central Connecticut State on Monday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m.
