March Madness began with a bang as Wagner and Howard went to the wire in the first game of the First Four in 2024.
Wagner Outlasts Howard
The Wagner Seahawks claimed their first NCAA Tournament victory in school history, led by Melvin Council Jr. and Julian Brown. The two guards combined for 36 of Wagner’s 71 points.
Bryce Harris and Seth Towns each had 16 points for Howard. They were the only Bison to score in double figures.
Wagner was waltzing away with this game early, taking an 11-point lead into the locker room at halftime. However, Howard came on strong in the second half, scoring 41 points and closing the gap to three points in the game’s final seconds. Howard could not send the game to overtime despite three looks from beyond the arc. The wild finish was a perfect introduction to the 2023 tournament, and we can expect more madness in the coming days.
Will Wagner’s Clock Strike Midnight?
Wagner is the ultimate Cinderella in the 2024 tournament. The Seahawks entered the NEC tournament as the sixth seed. No team seeded that lowly had made the conference final in almost 20 years. With seven healthy players, Wagner won it all, tying the conference record for the lowest seeded team to claim the conference title.
Sadly for the Seahawks, their fairy tale run is over next round. The prize for their herculean efforts is a date with the North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC is a top-seeded team hungry to make up for last season. Wagner is flying high after the historic win, but the Tar Heels will sink the Seahawks on Thursday.
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