The Sacred Heart Pioneers (4-14) will have their chance to beat the Northeast’s best team when they square off against the Wagner Seahawks (12-6) at Spiro Sports Center. Action starts at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The Seahawks come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, blowing out St. Francis Brooklyn 83-59 on Thursday. Corey Henson led all scorers on the team with 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Pioneers, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-71 win against Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday. Tevin Falzon stood out for Sacred Heart, registering 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
The Seahawks could own the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank 22nd in the nation in OR% at 37.7%. Conversely, Sacred Heart places 312th in the nation on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 66.8%. Furthermore, the 299th-ranked offense of the Pioneers (offensive efficiency of 97.9) will face a tough test against the 24th-ranked defense of the Seahawks (defensive efficiency of 93.7).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Seahawks won the first game 76-59. Romone Saunders was a top performer in the victory with 22 points, eight rebounds, one steal, and five three-pointers.
Notes
In its last game, Wagner won by a margin of 24 points. Sacred Heart is 0-5 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Wagner has a 3-1 record in blowouts.
The Sacred Heart Pioneers average 72.7 possessions per game and .979 points per possession. The Wagner Seahawks earn fewer possessions with 67.7, but they score more points with 1.014.
Wagner has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.6%. Sacred Heart is a subpar 2-13 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Wagner attempts an average of 18.0 three pointers per game and Sacred Heart attempts 17.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Wagner Seahawks have a 6-5 record while the Sacred Heart Pioneers are winless at 0-5.
Wagner is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 17th. Sacred Heart ranks just 297th in defensive rebounds.
The Wagner defense has forced an average TO% of 22.7% this season (ranked 24th). In games where it gives up a TO% of 23% or greater, Sacred Heart has a losing 2-5 record.
