SBU Sports: Women’s basketball dominates on defensive end, earns victory over William & Mary

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team kept William & Mary to just 16.7 percent from beyond the arc in a 3-for-18 shooting performance on the way to a 66-48 victory over the Tribe at home on Jan. 10.

The Seawolves (7-7, 2-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Janay Brantley, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Zaida Gonzalez added 16 points and Breauna Ware chipped in as well with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Stony Brook’s defense tallied eight steals and four blocks, while holding William & Mary to only 16.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 31.7 percent from the field.

After falling behind 2-0, Stony Brook went on a 9-0 run with 8:16 left in the first quarter to take a seven-point advantage. The Seawolves then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a score of 18-8. Stony Brook relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 18 points. Brantley led with a pair of three-pointers through the opening frame.

Stony Brook kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 6:08 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 30-14. The Tribe cut into that lead, but the Seawolves still enjoyed a 32-18 advantage heading into halftime. Stony Brook dominated in the paint, collecting baskets from Shamarla King, Brantley, Gonzalez, and Ware.

Stony Brook continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a three from Chloe Oliver, to expand its lead further to 42-23 with 6:03 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Tribe were able to reduce the deficit, but the Seawolves still entered the fourth quarter with a 48-34 edge.

Stony Brook kept its lead intact before going on a 10-0 run to grow the lead to 66-45 with 2:07 to go in the contest. The Tribe narrowed the margin before the game was over, but the Seawolves still cruised the rest of the way for the 66-48 win.

Up next, the team stays on their home court to take on Charleston on Sunday, Jan. 12 at noon. This will be only the fourth meeting between the Seawolves and Cougars in program history. Coverage is set to be available on SNY and FloCollege.