Feb. 18, 2008

Somerset, NJ - Senior center Durell Vinson (Vineland, NJ/ Atlantic City, NJ) captured the Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after he helped carry the Seahawks into first place last week with three victories.

It marks the second consecutive week that a Seahawk has (19-6, 12-2 NEC) garnered league player of the week honors as senior guard Mark Porter (Atlantic City, NJ/ St.Augustine Prep) earned his second weekly honor last week.

The 6-7, 215-pound Vinson averaged 15.7 ppg, 13.7 rpg and hit at a 62.9 percent clip from the floor as Wagner extended its win streak to four and its home win streak to eight games. The Seahawks are now in a first-place tie with Robert Morris. On Monday, he hit 5-6 shots and finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists in an 82-70 overtime win at Quinnipiac.

Playing a career-high 42 minutes on Thursday, Vinson recorded 17 points and 14 rebounds in a thrilling 100-92 double overtime victory over Sacred Heart. He closed out play last week with a 19-point, 19-rebound (11 offensive) performance as the Seahawks outlasted Monmouth, 68-61. The 19 boards were one off his career-high established earlier this season.

Vinson leads the NEC and ranks 13th nationally with 13.8 rpg. His two double-doubles also gave him a league-best 10 on the season and 24 over the course of his career. Vinson, who averages 13.6 ppg and is the league's top field goal shooter at 57.0 percent, has lifted his career rebound total 805, eighth in school history and 14th in NEC annals.

NOTES: Wagner's 19-6 mark is the best of any NYC Metro area school...The 12 NEC wins ties for the third-highest single-season total in school history (2001-02: 15; 2002-03: 14; 1992-93: 12)...The Seahawks have won four straight and seven of eight...Wagner's three straight OT games was one shy of the NCAA record. The Seahawks are 4-0 in games that extend past regulation this season, including 3-0 on the road. The NCAA mark for single-season road OT wins is four...Wagner last played three straight OT games in 1975-76...Porter averaged 20.7 ppg, 5.7 apg and 5.7 rpg last week. He poured in a career-high 28 points and went 13-17 from the free throw line versus the Pioneers...He added his second double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Monmouth, including 9-10 free throws down the stretch...Wagner drew 1,787 fans against Sacred Heart, the largest crowd at the Spiro Center in nearly three years...During the four-game win streak, Porter is averaging 21.8 ppg...Porter's 1,479 career points are 13th all-time at Wagner. He is also sixth in assists (487), eighth in blocks (78) and ninth in steals (141)...Vinson is up to 1,064 career points and became just the eighth player in school history to eclipse the 800-rebound mark with 805...Junior guard Joey Mundweiler (Olathe, KS/Olathe East) averaged 16.7 ppg. He became just the third Seahawk to reach 200 career three-pointers with 202...Senior forward James Ulrich (Camden Catholic/Mt. Laurel, NJ) averaged 10.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg, highlighted by an 18-point (8- 9 FG), nine-rebound effort versus Sacred Heart...Wagner is on the verge of becoming just the fourth team in school history to win 20 games...Five Seahawks have now hit 800 career points: Porter (1,479), Vinson (1,064), Ulrich (950), Smith (829) and Mundweiler (811)...The Seahawks are at Saint Francis (PA) on Thursday, followed by a critical game at Robert Morris, which is tied with the Seahawks for first place, on Saturday.