By CHARLIE PARENT
Wagner took down Merrimack 53-47 Tuesday in the NEC Championship to earn the program’s second NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
The Seahawks entered as the No. 6 seed in the NEC at 15-15 and hadn’t made the tournament since 2003. Second-year head coach Donald Copeland, a Jersey City native who was a four-year guard at Seton Hall, sparked the upset with his hard-nosed man-to-man and key endgame adjustments.
“You never know,” Copeland said, per Daly Dose of Hoops. “I was part of some tough losses as an assistant here. You can’t take their opportunities for granted because you never know when one will come again. There are no guarantees. So I was trying to bring everything into this game and this moment. These guys did a great job of approaching this like any other game. I’m glad, especially for those teams that couldn’t win this title and play in the NCAA Tournament. This one is for them, and they’re a part of this as well.”
Merrimack, the NEC No. 1 seed at 21-11, went on a 13-0 run to regain the lead heading into the Under-8 media timeout. Copeland came out of the timeout with his squad in a 2-3 zone, holding the Warriors to just six points for the rest of the game.
Brooklyn native Tahron Allen dropped 22 points for the Seagles while first-team All-NEC wing Melvin Council added 12. Defense reigned supreme throughout the game as Wagner held Merrimack to 10-of-36 from deep and NEC Player of the Year Jordan Dercack to just 4 points on 1-of-11 shooting. Wagner came into the tournament with just seven healthy players. The Seahawks haven’t practiced with full contact since December. Merrimack ends their March Madness hopes after making the title game for the second year in a row. The Warriors won the NEC last season, but couldn’t go dancing as they were in Year 4 of their transition to Division I. They will join the MAAC next season along with Sacred Heart. Head coach Joe Gallo continues to be one of the fastest rising coaches on the college basketball landscape. The 44-year-old is known for his perimeter-centric offense and chaotic 2-3 zone that he describes as “Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 on Red Bull.” Follow Charlie on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookThere could be as many as 3 former @SetonHallMBB guards coaching in the NCAA Tournament:
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 13, 2024
Danny Hurley
Shaheen Holloway
Donald Copeland
Hurley, a former @WagnerAthletics coach, is also the favorite for Big East Coach of the Year at @UConnMBB https://t.co/1yQGHYzSGr
