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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team secured a 54-40 victory over Cornell to close out non-conference play on Dec. 22 on the Island.

Stony Brook was paced by Zaida Gonzalez who led the Seawolves with 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Shamarla King tacked on 14 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Breauna Ware chipped in with nine points from the bench.

Stony Brook grabbed 39 rebounds compared to Cornell’s 34, led by Gonzalez’s seven boards. The Seawolves’ defense held the Big Red to only zero percent shooting from beyond the arc and 35.2 percent from the field.

After falling behind 2-0, Stony Brook went on a hot 9-0 run with 8:07 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from King, to take a 9-2 lead. The Seawolves then lost some of that lead but still entered the quarter break with an 11-6 advantage. Stony Brook did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring eight of its 11 points close to the basket. Gonzalez, King, and Janay Brantley accounted for the offensive spark.

The Seawolves used the second period to increase their lead and entered halftime with a 19-12 edge. It was a low scoring half as the Seawolves held their opponent to less than 10 points each quarter through one half… the first time since last season on Feb. 18 against Elon.

After intermission, Stony Brook held on to its advantage and owned a 35-29 lead, showcasing a team effort coming from Gonzalez, King, Brantley, Ware, and Devyn Scott tallying 16 points.

Stony Brook kept widening its lead, expanding it to 44-35 before going on a 10-0 run, finished off by a Gonzalez jumper, to grow the lead to 54-35 with 2:13 to go in the contest. The Big Red narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Seawolves still cruised the rest of the way for the 54-40 win.

After the holiday break and new year, the team will return to the court for the start of CAA conference play on Jan. 3 at Northeastern. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. Coverage will be be available on FloCollege.

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook men’s basketball held off a late push from Maine to secure a 74-72 victory on Dec. 21 at Stony Brook Arena. Joe Octave matched a season-best effort with 24 points to help the Seawolves pick up their 23rd consecutive win over the Black Bears.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The two sides played close for the entire first half; neither side trailed by more than eight points at any point over the opening 20 minutes of action.
  • Maine kept things close thanks to its three-point shooting during the first 10 minutes of the first half.
  • Stony Brook used an 18-5 run over a span of eight minutes down the stretch to turn a five-point deficit into an eight-point advantage with less than four minutes to play before intermission.
  • The Black Bears whittled their deficit down to four points entering halftime, but baskets from Octave and Ben Wight to begin the second half pushed Stony Brook’s lead back to eight points.
  • A pair of free throws by Collin O’Connor at the 11:53 mark of the second half increased the Seawolves’ lead to double figures, 52-41, for the first time in the contest.
  • Stony Brook’s lead grew to 14 points later in the period following a 6-0 run before Maine held Stony Brook without a point for nearly three minutes to make it a two-possession game.
  • CJ Luster connected on a trifecta with 4:55 remaining on the clock to put Stony Brook ahead 66-57.
  • Despite not registering another made field goal over the final four-plus minutes of action, Stony Brook held off a ferocious comeback from Maine to pull out the two-point victory.
  • Maine’s press defense caused issues for Stony Brook in the final minutes, forcing the Seawolves to turn the ball over multiple times and use their final two timeouts. The pressure helped Maine turn an eight-point deficit with 58 seconds left into a two-point deficit and a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession. Stony Brook came up with a loose ball on Maine’s final offensive possession and dribbled out the clock to escape victorious.

STATS AND NOTES

  • Octave matched a season-best mark with 24 points. He has now scored double-digit points in 10 of Stony Brook’s 12 games. Octave and Luster have combined to score 20 or more points in five games this season.
  • Stony Brook converted on 21-of-22 (95%) at the free throw line, a season-best mark. The Seawolves 21 made free throws are the most since February 29, 2024.
  • Stony Brook shot 50 percent from deep (7-14), the second-best mark for the Seawolves this season. Fifty percent of Maine’s scoring came from beyond the arc.
  • The Seawolves improved to 4-0 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
  • Nick Woodard played 10 minutes off the bench, scoring nine points while shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor.
  • Snoddy grabbed 11 rebounds, adding four points and a pair of steals. He has pulled down double-digit rebounds in three of his last six games.
  • Stony Brook improved to 30-14 all-time against its former America East counterpart. The Seawolves earned their 23rd straight victory over Maine and have now won 16 of the 22 contests and 13 straight on Long Island in the series history.

“We have had a heck of a week. I thought we played two games well, but struggled to finish both. Luckily, we had enough of a cushion today that we hung on late,” head coach Geno Ford said. “Maine has a nice team. They had already won on the road over an A-10 team and have played well on the road in general. We are getting better, but have a lot of work to do.”

The team returns after a holiday break, heading north to face in-state rival and former America East foe, UAlbany, on Sunday, December 29. Tip-off between the Seawolves and Great Danes is scheduled for 2 pm, streaming live on ESPN+ from the Broadview Center.

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Coach Billy Cosh

First Coach in Program History to Earn Award

First-year head coach Billy Cosh has been recognized as the 2024 AFCA FCS Coach of the Year, a significant milestone following Stony Brook’s remarkable turnaround season. This prestigious honor, announced earlier today by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), makes Cosh the first head coach in program history and second ever first-year FCS head coach to receive this accolade. 

This marks the third Coach of the Year award for Cosh this season. Previously, he was named the 2024 CAA Coach of the Year and the 2024 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. After inheriting a team that endured a winless 2023 campaign, Cosh led the Seawolves to their best season since 2017. At just 32 years old, Cosh is the second-youngest coach in Division I football and has revitalized a program that was projected to finish last in the CAA Preseason Coaches Poll. Under his leadership, Stony Brook achieved an impressive 8-4 overall record (5-3 CAA), marking their first winning season since 2018 and their highest national ranking in six years.

This season represents the most significant turnaround in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), with Stony Brook improving from a 0-10 record in 2023 to 8-4 in 2024. Cosh’s eight victories also place him among the top-performing first-year head coaches in FCS history, and he is now the fastest head coach in program history to reach this milestone.

Stony Brook’s offensive and defensive statistics saw dramatic improvements under Cosh’s leadership. On offense, the Seawolves improved their scoring average from 15.2 points per game in 2023 to 29.6 points per game in 2024. They also increased their average total yards from 314.2 to 403.9, rushing yards from 104.1 to 170.3, and passing yards from 210.1 to 223.6. The team’s touchdown total soared from 19 in 2023 to 44 in 2024.

Defensively, the Seawolves allowed just 24.0 points per game this season, compared to 39.2 points per game in 2023. They also reduced total yards allowed per game from 470.7 to 373.5 and limited opponents to 32 touchdowns compared to the 53 allowed last year.

Under Cosh’s leadership, Stony Brook has excelled on both sides of the ball, ranking among the top 10 in FCS for several key categories: red zone defense (70%), red zone offense (90.2%), time of possession (32:27), fumbles recovered (14), turnover margin (0.83), and turnovers gained (26). The team also ranked in the top three in the CAA for fourth-down conversion percentage (63.6%), blocked punts (1), blocked punts allowed (0), passes intercepted (12), punt return defense (6.2), scoring offense (29.7), tackles for loss allowed (4.5), and several other categories, including time of possession, turnover margin, red zone offense, red zone defense, and fumbles recovered.

Cosh’s guidance has elevated several players to national recognition. Running back Roland Dempster became only the second player in program history to be nominated for the Walter Payton Award and earned First Team All-CAA honors. Defensive lineman Rushawn Lawrence also secured First Team All-CAA recognition. Tight end Cal Redman, kicker Enda Kirby, and cornerback Rudy Silvera were named to the Second Team All-CAA, while offensive linemen Niko Papic and AJ Roberts earned spots on the All-CAA Third Team.

The head coach for the Seawolves and Keiser’s Myles Russ join Colorado Mines’ Brandon Moore, Richmond’s Mike London and Valdosta State’s David Dean as the only coaches to earn AFCA National Coach of the Year honors intheir first season as a head coach. Dean was the Division II winner in 2007, London was the FCS winner in 2008, and Moore was the Division II winner in 2022.

The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members at four-year schools in the Association’s five divisions. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches.

The current balloting procedure involves selection of 25 regional winners: five regional winners in each of the five divisions – FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA, who become finalist for national coach of the year. Following regional voting, five national winners – one from each division – are chosen. The other recipients for the 2024 AFCA Coach of the Year were Indiana’s Curt Cignetti (FBS), Valdosta State’s Tremaine Jackson (Division II), Salisbury’s Sherman Wood (Division III) and Keiser’s Myles Russ (NAIA).

To purchase season tickets, call 631-632-WOLF (9653) or email the ticket office at [email protected].

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Dallysshya Moreno looks to pass the ball during Wednesday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team returned to the Island on Dec. 18 with a 67-29 victory over Georgian Court. The Lions were held to just 25 percent from the field for a 12-for-47 shooting performance as the Seawolves’ defense dominated with 18 forced turnovers.

Stony Brook had three players score in double figures, led by Zaida Gonzalez, who had 17 points and six rebounds. Dallysshya Moreno recorded her first career double-double off the bench with a career-high 16 points and 11 rebounds. Breauna Ware chipped in as well with 13 points, six rebounds, and a team-high five assists and three steals.

Lauren Filien helped on the boards, grabbing a team-high 12 boards as Shamarla King added seven of her own as the Seawolves held a 58-20 advantage over Georgian Court.

Ioanna Giannopoulou made her collegiate debut with Stony Brook, adding a three-point bucket with less than 10 seconds to go in the contest.

After falling behind 8-6, Stony Brook went on an 11-0 run with 5:12 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Moreno, to take a 17-8 lead. The Seawolves then lost some of that lead but still entered the quarter break with a 17-9 advantage. Stony Brook did most of its first quarter damage scoring 14 points in the paint.

Stony Brook kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 3:04 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Lauren Filien, to increase its lead to 32-16, a score that would hold until halftime. Stony Brook was strong from deep in the period, knocking down two three-point shots to account for six of its 15 points.

Following intermission, Stony Brook continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 41-20 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Moreno, to expand its lead further to 47-20 with 14 seconds to go. Stony Brook continued to play well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint during the third quarter.

Stony Brook held a scoring advantage going on a 13-0 run, finished off by Giannopoulou’s three, to grow the lead to 67-29 with five seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Stony Brook took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 14 of its 20 points in the paint highlighted by Moreno.

“Great win for our team! Feels good to be back in the win column. Proud of our team’s defensive effort of holding them to single digits each quarter. We continue to stress the importance of getting multiple stops in a row and limiting opponents offensive rebounds and we showed growth in that area. We finished 21-0 on the offensive glass and finished the night with 58 total. Rebounding is a measuring stick of our effort so very pleased with that tonight. There are areas we must still improve, but we will enjoy this win tonight and move on and focus on Cornell tomorrow,” noted head coach Joy McCorvey postgame.

The team closes out the year on Sunday, Dec. 22 at home against Cornell at 1 p.m. This will be the eighth meeting between the Seawolves and Big Red in program history. Coverage is set to be available on SNY and FloCollege.

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Andre Snoddy looks to pass the ball during Saturday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook men’s basketball picked up a road win over Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. on Dec. 14, topping the Broncs 72-55 behind a 20-point performance by CJ Luster II and Andre Snoddy’s second double-double of the season.

The two sides were deadlocked 8-8 through seven minutes of action to open the contest. Stony Brook gained a six-point advantage, maintaining it until a 7-0 Rider run that put the Broncs ahead, 21-20, with five minutes to play in the half.

After grabbing a 25-22 lead, Stony Brook went on a 9-0 run with 1:36 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Luster, to increase its lead to 34-22. 

The Seawolves then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 34-24 advantage. Stony Brook relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 34 points. Rider trimmed its deficit to five points, but Stony Brook responded with a 12-0 run, finished off by a Joe Octave jumper, to grow the lead to 50-33 with 12:57 to go in the contest. 

Stony Brook’s lead grew to as large as 19 points down the stretch, maintaining a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the contest. The Seawolves held on to secure the 72-55 win. Stony Brook shot well again from three-point range in the half, hitting six shots from deep to score 18 of its 38 points.

“Great win for the guys. We have been getting better in practice, but we needed a solid game performance from a confidence perspective. I also thought that was the best game of Andre’s career, he was terrific,” head coach Geno Ford noted. 

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team was defeated by the University at Buffalo, 72-55, on Dec. 14 at Alumni Arena. Shamarla King registered a double-double as Breauna Ware and Janay Brantley both scored in double figures for the Seawolves.

After falling behind 10-0, Stony Brook went on a 5-0 run with 5:31 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Brantley, to narrow its deficit. The Seawolves continued to close the gap, cutting the Buffalo lead to 17-13 by the end of the first period.

The Seawolves would find their footing and ultimately tie up the game and then take a one-point lead off a pair of three-pointers from Zaida Gonzalez and Ware. Buffalo pieced together some plays that gave them a 32-26 lead heading into halftime. Stony Brook tallied six three-pointers through the first half, a season-high.

The Bulls continued to increase its lead after the intermission, building a 44-28 advantage.  Stony Brook then went on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Devyn Scott, to trim its deficit to 44-36 with 2:40 to go in the third. Buffalo countered and stretched its lead to 50-36 heading into the fourth.

Buffalo kept widening its lead, scoring a game-high 22 points through the fourth quarter. They constructed a 65-43 advantage before the Seawolves went on a 5-0 run to shrink the deficit to 65-48 with 2:45 to go in the contest. Stony Brook was unable to cut further into the Bulls’ lead by the end of the game.

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Coach Andy Ronan

Stony Brook cross country head coach Andy Ronan has earned his third consecutive CAA Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honor, as announced by the conference office on Dec. 12.

Ronan led the Seawolves to a third consecutive CAA Championship and a 13th place ranking in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Northeast Region this fall. The Seawolves captured the championship in the closest team finish in conference history, scoring 48 points to edge out second-place Northeastern (49 points) by a single point.

Stony Brook had five runners finish in the top 17, including three in the top eight. Henry Gartner (24:44.50) led the Seawolves with a fourth-place effort followed by Collin Gilstrap in fifth (24:48.3) and Steven Struk in eighth (25:02.50). Also scoring for SBU were Michael Hawkes (25:19.9) in 14th and Ethan Green (25:34.7) in 17th.

In Stony Brook’s three seasons as a member of the CAA, Ronan has produced 23 All-CAA Cross Country performers and helped the men’s squad capture the conference championship in all three years. Ronan has now been named conference coach of the year 12 times during his tenure on Long Island.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook swimming and diving team concluded its weekend at the 2024 ECAC Championships in East Meadow with three event victories on Dec. 8, securing a fifth-place finish overall.

The Seawolves opened their day with solid prelim performances, with 12 swimmers qualifying for finals.

Francesca Baber continued her impressive weekend in the finals, picking up two individual event wins in the 1650-yard freestyle (17:22.26) and the 100-yard freestyle (51.55). She carried that momentum into the weekend’s final event as Baber, Michelle Vu, Brenna Mowrey, and Alanna DePinto teamed up to win the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:29.36).

Stony Brook ended the weekend with 1238 total points, finishing in fifth place.

HIGHLIGHTS
 

  • Baber cruised to victory in the 1650-yard freestyle (17:22.26) and the 100-yard freestyle (51.55). She ends the weekend with four total event wins.
  • The team of Baber, Vu, Mowrey, and DePinto took first place in the 400-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 3:29.36.
  • Sara Baxter placed fourth in the 200-yard backstroke (2:06.55).
  • Clara Armstrong finished fifth in the 1650-yard freestyle (17:48.09).
  • Mowrey placed fifth in the 200-yard backstroke (2:07.65).
  • Stony Brook ends the 2024 ECAC Championships with six event wins and 21 top-five finishes.

The team returns to action in the new year on January 18, when it travels to New Jersey to take on Rider.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

For the second consecutive day, the Stony Brook swimming and diving recorded several impressive showings at the 2024 ECAC Championships in East Meadow on Dec. 7.

Like the day before, the Seawolves opened the day with strong prelims performances, with 10 swimmers and two divers advancing to finals. Stony Brook also picked up a pair of wins in the prelims as Francesca Baber won the 200-yard freestyle race (1:53.39), and Sara DiStefano placed first in the 3-meter diving finals (222.65).

The good times continued in the finals, as the Seawolves finished with eight top-five placements for the second straight day, including wins from Baber in the 200-yard freestyle and DiStefano in 3-meter diving.
Heading into the final day of competition, Stony Brook finds itself in fifth place with 853 team points.

HIGHLIGHTS
 

  • DiStefano continued her excellent weekend with a win in the 3-meter diving finals (231.10). She was also named ECAC Diver of the Meet for the second consecutive year.
  • Natalia Chornomidza placed second in the 3-meter dive with a score of 231.05.
  • Baber raced to a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 1:51.95
  • Brenna Mowrey finished second in the 100-yard backstroke (57.55)
  • Michelle Vu took third in the 100-yard butterfly (56.07)
  • The team of Sara Baxter, Aili Talcott, Vu, and Baber placed fourth in the 200-yard medley relay (1:46.81).
  • Vu finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke (57.88)
  • Talcott placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.65.
  • Diving Consulat Jan Pisano was honored as the Diving Coach of the Meet for a second straight year.

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The Stony Brook swimming and diving team opened day one of the 2024 ECAC Championships in East Meadow on Dec. 6 with a bang, posting several strong performances across multiple events.

The Seawolves were hot out the gate in prelims, as nine swimmers and three divers punched their tickets to the finals. Sara DiStefano took first in the 1-meter diving prelims (241.90).

Stony Brook carried its momentum into the finals, picking up eight top-five finishes and another win from DiStefano in the 1-meter diving finals.

The Seawolves finished with 414 team points, good for third place heading into day two.  

HIGHLIGHTS
 

  • DiStefano capped off her impressive day with a first-place finish in the 1-meter diving finals (247.30)
  • Natalia Chornomidza took second in the 1-meter diving event with a score of 231.00
  • Mykayla Lavery placed third in the 1-meter dive, which was good for a score of 225.10
  • Michelle Vu, Brenna Mowrey, Alanna DePinto, and Francesca Baber finished second in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:35.97)
  • Baber swam to a second-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 4:59.16.
  • Aili Talcott put up a strong showing in the 200-yard IM, taking third (2:07.24).
  • Sara Baxter, Talcott, Vu, and DePinto finished third in the 400-yard medley relay at 3:54.09.
  • Vu placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.14.


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