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There was a beatdown on the court, while a brawl broke out in the stands. Overall, it was a night Wagner would rather forget.
The Seahawks trailed by 30 points late in the first half, and it didn’t get any better. They fell short of reaching the NCAA Tournament again, thoroughly outplayed by top-seeded Wagner in a 70-43 beatdown in the NEC Tournament title game in Smithfield, R.I.
The defeat included an ugly fight between the two teams’ fans behind the Wagner bench late in the one-sided contest. Seahawks guard Will Martinez, who tried to reach the melee, was ejected. After a 30-minute delay, the game resumed and finished without incident. With 2.6 seconds left, the officials stopped the game and allowed the Wagner contingent to leave the floor before Bryant fans stormed the court.
For the third time since 2016, Wagner advanced to the final, only to fall short. At least, this one wasn’t as painful as the previous two losses, which were decided by a total of 18 points.
Wagner was never in this game. The Seahawks trailed 36-6 at one point in the first half and were down 38-12 at halftime. Coach Bashir Mason changed clothes, but that didn’t work. The closest his team got was 21. It was a nightmare of an evening for Alex Morales, the two-time NEC Player of the Year, who scored three points on 3-for-16 shooting.
Peter Kiss, meanwhile, scored 34 for Bryant, which is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. A good portion of the New York City native’s baskets in the first half were followed by taunts. Wagner was unable to stop him.
With 4:37 left and Bryant up by 36 points, the fights broke out. Drinks and bottles went flying. Punches were thrown. The game was stopped. The two teams went back to their respective locker rooms and the game resumed after a half-hour delay. A contingent of fans behind the Wagner bench were kicked out of the arena.
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