NEW YORK (Interstat) — Nick Jones scored 26 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute of overtime, and Travis Gray hit a decisive 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Wagner to a 75-72 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in a Northeast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Spiro Sports Center.

In a game defined by dramatic swings and crucial missed free throws, the Seahawks avenged a loss to the Knights from 12 days prior, with both teams moving to 7 wins in conference play.

The most critical sequence unfolded in the extra period. With the score tied at 70 and under a minute to play, Wagner’s Nick Jones, a junior guard from Edgewood, Maryland, created space and sank a pull-up jumper to put the Seahawks ahead 72-70 with 34 seconds left. Fairleigh Dickinson, after using a timeout, turned the ball over on its ensuing possession when Joey Niesman’s pass was intercepted by Jones.

Wagner called timeout with 8 seconds remaining. Inbounding the ball, Jones found Travis Gray at the top of the key. The 6-foot-6 forward from Syracuse, New York, caught and launched a 3-pointer over a closing defender as the horn sounded, the ball swishing through the net to ignite the home crowd of 882.

Gray finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, but the afternoon belonged to Jones, who added three rebounds and a steal while playing 37 minutes. His performance was a season-high in scoring, surpassing the 20 points he scored in the previous meeting with Fairleigh Dickinson.

The Knights were led by Joey Niesman’s 23 points and six assists. Taeshaud Jackson added 15 points and eight rebounds for Fairleigh Dickinson, which fell to 7-16 overall. Wagner improved to 7-13.

Regulation ended in a 66-66 deadlock after a frantic final minute. Wagner’s Travis Gray made one of two free throws with 16 seconds left to give his team a 66-64 lead. Fairleigh Dickinson’s Niesman then drove the length of the floor for a tying layup with 4 seconds remaining. Wagner’s last attempt, a driving layup by Jones, rimmed out as time expired in the second half, forcing overtime.

The game was a stark contrast in efficiency and opportunity. Despite shooting a better percentage from the field (48.3% to 40.7%) and from 3-point range (43.5% to 36.4%), Fairleigh Dickinson was undone at the free-throw line. The Knights made only 4 of 11 attempts. Wagner, conversely, capitalized on its chances, making 19 of 23 from the line. The Seahawks also won the battle on the offensive glass, grabbing 10 rebounds to Fairleigh Dickinson’s three, which led to an 18-13 advantage in points off turnovers.

Wagner led 33-29 at halftime, but Fairleigh Dickinson’s offense found its rhythm after the break, outscoring the Seahawks 37-33 in the second period to set the stage for overtime. In the extra session, Wagner outscored Fairleigh Dickinson 9-6, with Jones accounting for six of those points.

Other key contributors for Wagner included Jaden Baker with 16 points and Binael Basil with seven points and five rebounds. For Fairleigh Dickinson, Eric Parnell scored 14 points.

The victory moved Wagner to a 7-13 overall record, while Fairleigh Dickinson dropped to 7-16. Both teams continue Northeast Conference play on Thursday, with Wagner hosting Le Moyne and Fairleigh Dickinson hosting Stonehill.