Wagner closed the final 3:41 of the first half on an 11-4 run and started the second half with a 17-5 run to take the lead for good after trailing for most of the first half. The Seahawks trailed by as many as 10 three times in the first half, but used the run to go into the locker room with a 31-30 edge and then grabbed a 48-35 advantage six minutes and 31 seconds into the final frame.

FLASH QUOTES
"Certainly, Northeast Conference play you get an opportunity to compete against a team that was picked preseason number one – kind of a measuring stick. I can't fault our guys' efforts. I thought we played hard for 40 minutes. I thought we got off to a great start. I thought there was focus and energy from the guys on the court and the guys on the bench. Wagner is a good, experienced and well-coached basketball team. There's a reason they were picked preseason number one." - head coach Rob Krimmel on the game

"The effort was there. I just didn't think we played very smart – the execution, especially in the second half against the press and against the zone. But things we need to go back and get ready for and have a short-term memory to go to practice tomorrow and get ready for a game on Friday. This is the first time we've seen that much pressure and the first time we've seen that much zone. I told these guys let's embrace it, let's embrace the struggle, let's take a look at the film and get better, so the next time we see it we'll be prepared." - Krimmel on moving on to the next game against FDU on Friday

"Starting tomorrow in practice. We got a fresh clean slate. Look at the film, look at what we did bad, look at we did good and get back to work."  - sophomore Ronell Giles on moving onto the next game

"I just wanted to come out and help the team to the best of my ability. With Myles (Thompson) being out, it's the next man up mentality. So, I just wanted to come in, play hard, not pressure or anything, but still play to the best of my ability and try to help the team. I just wanted to do what I could in the flow of the offense and the flow of the game. I think I played pretty well, but obviously we want to come out with a win. We didn't get that done. We are going to move onto FDU on Friday." - senior Marlon Hargis on stepping up in Myles' absence

FLASH MOMENTS
Hargis scored eight points in the first five minutes and 10 seconds to stake the Loretto program out to a 16-6 lead. The squad would maintain a 10-point lead after a Giles basket at 13:58 (18-8) and again the sophomore restored a double-double lead at 12:35 (20-10) in the first half.

Wagner cut it to six points twice, but Giles hit an NBA sized trey and Land hit a triple of his own to give the Red Flash a nine-point lead at 8:29 and 5:59 respectively. 

Land gave Saint Francis its final lead at 32-31 on a jumper 15 seconds into the second half.

FLASH NUGGETS
Giles scored his third-most points in his career at DeGol Arena with his 18 points. He has two 20-point games on his resume at home from his freshman year. It is also his second highest-point total this season and fifth highest of his career. The sophomore has scored double figures in nine straight games and 10 of his last 11 contests. During his current nine-game streak, he is averaging 15.1 points per game.

Called on to start, Hargis did not disappoint by posting his best scoring output at DeGol Arena and his third 10+ point game of the year. The senior notched 15 points to reach double figures for the first time since posting consecutive 10+ games against Virginia Tech (15 points) on November 18 and against Cornell (17 points) six days later. Hargis notched 14 points in his Saint Francis debut against Bryant last season before topping that mark on Wednesday. It was his third 10+ game of the season and the eighth in his two seasons in Loretto.

Giles and Land are now the only two players to score double figures in all four games at DeGol Arena this season. Land is averaging 13.0 points per game at home after registering four of his six double figure games at home.

Mark Flagg (Fairless Hills, Pa.) had a season-high four assists to reach 100 assists for his career.

After winning its first two games at home and averaging 96.5 points per game, the Red Flash has lost its last two games in Loretto and is averaging 65.5 points per game in the last two games.

It was the fifth time that Saint Francis and Wagner have tangled in the NEC opener with all five games taking place at DeGol Arena. This is the first time the Seahawks won the opener while the Red Flash falls 19-22 in NEC openers including 14-6 at home. The last four times the two teams met in the conference opener, Saint Francis has finished the conference season with a .500 record.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis returns to action and completes its three-game homestand against Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday. Game time is 4 p.m.