STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – A strong showing by the newcomers was nearly enough for the Fairfield University men's basketball against Wagner College this evening. But in the end, the Stags came up a couple points short as the Seahawks dealt Fairfield a 78-76 setback at the Spiro Sports Center.

 This was a close as a game could be as neither team held a lead bigger than six points. Both teams played valiantly and took turns taking the lead throughout the game with the game featuring 11 lead changes and 13 tied scores.

But the closeness of the game is a sidebar with the real story tonight coming in the form of the Stags newcomers who once again showed that the future for Fairfield basketball is as bright as a supernova. 

"I'm just real pleased with the development of our new guys," Head Coach Sydney Johnson said. "We have eight guys that were not here a year ago and number of them are making an immediate impact. Their impact is also showing up in practice. It's extremely promising especially in terms of the depth and the versatility of our team."

Omar El-Sheikh proved that he will fit into the plans as the freshman posted 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished off three assists, and tacked on three steals without a turnover in 24 minutes of work. Kevin Senghore-Peterson posted a personal-best 17 points, nearly equaling the 19 points he scored in his first six games. And, the forward scored all of those points in the second half, often putting Fairfield in great position to win the game.

And while the future shined tonight, the present still remains the glue that holds this team together as senior Tyler Nelson put forth yet another 20-point performance, finishing tonight's contest with 22 points.

Fairfield trailed by four points at halftime and by a game-high six points at 44-38 early in the second half. Senghore-Peterson netted a three-point shot to cut that lead in half at 44-41, giving the freshman six straight points at the moment. The Stags would eventually tie the game when Peterson laid the ball in the basket at the 15:21 mark, equaling the score at 46-46.

The Stags would take the first lead of the half when Senghore-Peterson connected from long range that turned a two-point deficit into a 51-50 advantage with 12:59 left. Wagner answered with five straight points to grab a four-point edge and would stay in front for the next three minutes.

Jesus Cruz recaptured the lead for Fairfield with a pair of free throws that pushed his team in front at 62-61. The visitors would secured their biggest lead of the game with five minutes remaining as Ferron Flavors Jr. found the bottom of the net from 22-feet away, pushing the lead to 70-66.

Wagner would finish the game with a 12-5 run, including back-to-back three pointers that put the home team in front for good at 76-71 with 1:42 on the clock. The win would send the Seahawks to their fourth straight victory and would improve their overall record to 5-1. Fairfield fell to 3-4 overall with the decision, the team's fifth straight game away from home.

Flavors Jr. closed out the game with 14 points off the bench, while Cruz tossed in seven points to aid the Fairfield cause. Blake Francis led all Wagner scorers with 19 points and scored the team's last five points.