NEC RELEASE / WAGNER IN THE NEWS / "WAGNER WRAPS UP 2011 IN STYLE"
PITT HIGHLIGHTS / SANTA CLARA HIGHLIGHTS / RIVERS' POSTGAME AIR FORCE INTERVIEW
Somerset, NJ - Sophomore guard
Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms) was named as the
Choice Hotels Northeast Conference (NEC) Co-Player of the Week for the weeks of December 19 - January 1. During that period, he helped Wagner to wins over #15 Pitt, Air Force and Santa Clara.
Rivers averaged a team-best 18.7 points-per-game over the last two weeks while totaling 56 points over that three-game stretch. He shot 50.0 percent (18-36) from the field, including converting on a blistering 47.6 percent (10-21) from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe.
In the Seahawks' biggest win since knocking off #15 Alabama 33 years ago, Rivers played a crucial role in subduing the Panthers, scoring all 18 of his points after the break - highlighted by draining all six of his free throw attempts in the game's final minute. He then followed that performance by earning Cable Car Classic MVP honors, averaging 19.0 points per game. In the Green & White's to a 72-61 win against Air Force (12/29), Rivers scored 14 of his season-best 21 points after halftime while converting 7-of-12 from the floor, including canning a season-best five three pointers. He then wrapped up the MVP award with a team-best 17 points, in helping Wagner to a thrilling 64-62 victory over Santa Clara (12/30) in the title game
The team-title was the first in-season tournament title for Seahawks since capturing the 1997 Pepsi Marist Classic. On the year, Rivers is averaging a team-best 14.2 points per game while shooting 90.4 percent (47-52) from the line, the second-best mark in the NEC and the 17th nationally. He has paced the Seahawks in scoring in each of the last three games and a team-best six times on the year while notching double-figures in 10 of the Green & White's 12 games.
The POTW citation is the first this year by a Wagner player. The Seahawks (10-3) also recently wrapped up non-conference play with a 9-2 mark, which is the second-best record in the history of the NEC.
Rivers also earned College Sports Madness Player of the Week for his play at the Cable Car Classic. Click
HERE for that release.
Wagner returns to action on Thursday, January 5 at 7:00 pm when the Seahawks travel to Fairleigh Dickinson.
