By PAUL GOTHAM
Melvin Council Jr. (UPrep) finished with a game-high 21 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor, and Wagner College (17-15) defeated Howard University (18-17), 71-68 in NCAA Tournament First Four action at the University of Dayton Arena, Tuesday night.
Council scored 13 points in the first half as the Seahawks built a 38-27 lead heading into the locker room.
“Melvin is who he is,” said second-year Wagner head coach, Donald Copeland. “He’s a baller. He’s a baller. He loves to play and compete and he lives for moments like this.”
Wagner led by as many as 17 points early in the second half on a Keyontae Lewis putback.
Council’s jumper in the lane snapped an 8-0 Howard run as the Bison had cut the lead to five at 67-62 with 1:48 remaining in the game.
“Defense, defensive rebounding because the first half they outrebounded us,” Council said of the mindset to close the game. “Every huddle, defensive rebound, let’s get a stop and let’s go.”
The junior guard also handed out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds.
“He’s the same kid every day” Copeland said. “He allows me to push him. I’m pushing him daily, today even in our film room and walk-throughs I’m on him, and he wants that, he invites that. That’s what you’re seeing right now is a reflection of all the work behind closed doors that he allows us to put into him, and it’s paid off.”
Council was one of three Seahawks along with Javier Ezquerra and Julian Brown to play all 40 minutes in the win.
“This guy right here told me to drink a lot of water because I like to drink Gatorade,” Council said. “So, shout-out to Javi. That’s why I don’t get tired.”
Howard took three 3-point attempts on its last possession of the game.
“I like the way my guys responded,” Copeland said. “I’m fortunate enough that we did have the first half we had where we got a little bit of a lead. But toughness wins right now in a moment like that. We’ve been in that moment so many times this year, and it’s actually gone the other way for us, a couple of possessions or we’ve lost a lead to finish it off. And this stage, I think it’s great.”
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Wagner’s last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2003 under then-head coach Dereck Whittenburg.
“We haven’t been talking enough I guess about the first time in 21 years being here,” Copeland said. “And now to have the first NCAA Tournament victory in school history, it’s huge, man. It’s huge for the school, the program and these guys that have gone through so much to continue to build and continue to write their own season the way they needed to. I think it’s huge, man, to get an NCAA win added to everything that’s happened.”
The NEC champion will face top-seeded North Carolina in West Region first-round action. A 2:45 PM tip-off is scheduled on Thursday. The game will be televised on CBS.
The 2019-2020 Private-Parochial League Player of the Year. Council scored 28 points to lead UPrep past McQuaid, 81-76 in the Class AA title game.
He continued his career at NJCAA Division I Monroe College where he earned All-American honors and finished with a program record 1,400 career points.
Transcript courtesy of ASAP Sports.
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