MOUNT ST. MARY'S (8-7, 7-4 NEC) vs. WAGNER (6-5, 6-4 NEC)
Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 7 pm | Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 4 pm
Emmitsburg, Md. | Knott Arena

WATCH:  NEC Front Row | LIVESTATS | GAME NOTES

Mount St. Mary's welcomes Wagner for a key two-game Northeast Conference series on February 16-17 at Knott Arena.  It is the beginning of a busy week for the Mount that will end with a two-game series at Fairleigh Dickinson on February 20-21.

Mount Update:  Mount St. Mary's swept its two-game set with LIU last week to improve to 7-4 in the Northeast Conference and 8-7 overall.  In the first game against the Sharks, Damian Chong Qui scored the final seven points of the game to lift the Mount to a 66-60 victory.  His floater with 1:29 remaining pushed the Mount ahead, 61-60, and he followed with a three-pointer from the left wing on the next possession to stretch the lead to 64-60.  Chong Qui finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win while Malik Jefferson (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Nana Opoku (14 points, 11 rebounds) each added double-doubles.  In the second game, the Mount held LIU without a field goal for a span of over 12 minutes in the second half to secure the victory.  After LIU took a 38-37 lead, the Mount rattled off a 24-2 run to pull away for the win.  LIU's only points over that stretch were a pair of free throws.  The Mount held LIU to 33.3 percent shooting in the game.  Damian Chong Qui led the way with 16 points and nine assists while Mezie Offurum and Nana Opoku each scored 15 in the win.

Wagner Update:  Wagner stretched its win streak to five games with a 95-86 win at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday.  The Seahawks are now 6-5 overall and 6-4 in NEC play.  Wagner's five-game win streak includes victories over LIU (76-74), St. Francis Brooklyn (74-67, 84-81 ot) and Fairleigh Dickinson (76-72, 95-86).      Wagner is averaging 73.8 points per game and are the top team in offensive efficiency in NEC play this year (107.3).  Elijah Ford is averaging 18.9 points per game on the year, including an NEC-best 19.3 in league games.  Alex Morales has been Wagner's top all-around player, averaging an impressive 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists.  He shared this week's Northeast Conference Player of the Week award with the Mount's Damian Chong Qui.  Will Martinez chips in 11.4 points per game and Delonnie Hunt, the reigning NEC Rookie of the Week, averages 11.2 ppg.
 
The All-Time Series:  Wagner won both games of the season series last year to take a 40-23 lead in the all-time series.  The Seahawks have won seven of the past 10 matchups overall in the series, and are 19-12 all-time at Knott Arena.
 
Compact NEC Standings:  The Northeast Conference standings continue to be tight-knit as one game separates the first four teams.  Merrimack leads the way with an 8-4 league mark with the Mount right behind at 7-4.  Merrimack is still transitioning to NCAA Division I and is ineligible for the NEC Tournament, which means the Mount currently holds the No.1 seed.  Wagner and Bryant are right behind the Mount with 6-4 league records while Sacred Heart is 6-5.
 
Damian Chong Qui Named NEC Co-Player of the Week:  Damian Chong Qui was named the Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Week on Monday, winning the award for the third time this season.  Chong Qui joins Junior Robinson (5 in 2017-18) and Chris McGuthrie (4 in 1995-96 and 3 in 1994-95) as the lone Mountaineers to win three or more NEC Player of the Week awards in the same season.  Chong Qui averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the Mount's two-game sweep of LIU last week.
 
Post Presence:  Malik Jefferson and Nana Opoku have provided the Mount with strong performances in the paint recently with each averaging a double-double over the past five games.  Opoku is averaging 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over the five games while Jefferson is averaging 10.0 points and 11.0 rebounds.  The pair have posted double-doubles in the same game twice this year, the last time coming in the Mount's 66-60 win over LIU.
 
Talking Defense:  Defense continues to be the key to the Mount's success this year.  The Mount held LIU to 53.0 points, 32.8 percent shooting overall and 21.4 percent shooting from three-point range in the two-game sweep.  The Sharks entered the series averaging 76.5 points per game.  The Mount leads the NEC in league games in scoring defense (59.6), field goal percentage defense (.386), three-point defense (.289), two-point defense (.437), defensive rebound percentage (75.3), block percentage (12.7), blocks (4.7), defensive efficiency (93.3) and effective field goal percentage (43.6).
 
Up Next:  The Mount heads to Fairleigh Dickinson for a two-game series on February 20-21 with tip-off for both games set for 2:00 p.m.  Beginning with the FDU series, the Mount closes the year with its last five games on the road.