Francis helps Wagner fend off Fairfield 78-76

Dec 1, 2018, 10:06 pm

NEW YORK -- Blake Francis scored 19 points and hit two free throws with three seconds left in the game to help Wagner hold off Fairfield 78-76 on Friday night.

JoJo Cooper added 16 points and eight assists for the Seahawks (5-1), who earned their fourth straight victory and continued their best start under sixth-year coach Bashir Mason. Nigel Jackson scored 14 and A.J. Sumbry snared 10 rebounds as Wagner won the battle of the boards 38-30.

Tyler Nelson topped the Stags (3-4) with 22 points, but he made just 7 of 23 shots from the floor, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range. Kevin Senghore-Peterson scored 17, Ferron Flavors Jr. hit four 3s and scored 14 and Omar El-Sheikh totaled 11 points and nine rebounds.

Fairfield trailed by four at halftime and took its first lead -- since the midway point of the first half -- 62-61 on two Jesus Cruz free throws with 8:47 left to play. Flavor's 3-pointer with 5:09 left stretched the Stags' lead to 70-66. Fairfield's lead lasted until Elijah Davis and Francis hit back-to-back 3s to put the Seahawks up 76-71 with 1:39 remaining.