Melvin Council Jr. Leads with 21 Points as Wagner Secures a 71-68 Victory Against Howard in March Madness First Four
BollywoodFever, March 19: Wagner launched into March Madness with a historic first NCAA Tournament victory for the program, led by Melvin Council Jr.’s 21 points, narrowly overcoming Howard’s comeback attempt to clinch a 71-68 win in the First Four on Tuesday night.
As champions of the Northeast Conference, the Seahawks (17-15), seeded 16th in the West Region, are set to face the top-seeded North Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday.
Despite Howard, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, falling behind by 17 points early in the second half, they mounted a spirited 14-2 run, drawing close to 69-68 following Bryce Harris’ layup with 18 seconds remaining. Julian Brown’s critical free throws extended Wagner’s lead, and Howard’s subsequent trio of 3-point attempts in the final 6 seconds failed to connect.
Brown contributed 15 points for Wagner, which had previously participated in the NCAA Tournament only once in 2003. This was before their coach, Donald Copeland, who is in his second year, made his tournament debut as a Seton Hall player. Harris and Seth Towns led Howard (18-16) with 16 points each, as the Bison aimed for their inaugural March Madness victory. Under coach Kenny Blakeney, a former Duke player and 1992 national champion, Howard made its consecutive tournament appearance.
Wagner maintained the lead throughout the game after Tahron Allen’s layup early on secured them a 7-6 advantage. They established a 17-point lead both in the first half and shortly after halftime.
The Seahawks showcased impressive accuracy, shooting 52.7% from the field and 47.1% (8 of 17) from beyond the arc, while limiting Howard to a 38.6% shooting performance.
Allen and Keyontae Lewis each scored 10 points, contributing to a well-rounded effort where all seven Seahawks who played managed to score. Due to injuries, Wagner navigated the entirety of the conference play with just seven available players.
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