Tags Posts tagged with "SBU Sports"

SBU Sports

Elijah Olaniyi during Saturday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Leading by as much as 21 in the second half, the Stony Brook men’s basketball program was able to hold off a Maine run that saw the lead cut as close as five en route to a win in the America East opener, 80-72, on Jan. 8 at Island Federal Arena.

Elijah Olaniyi and Tykei Greene led the Seawolves with 16 points apiece, two of five players in double figures for the home team. Olaniyi, in his return, also recorded five rebounds, two steals and a big block to seal the game late.

Greene finished a rebound away from a double-double, hauling in a team-high nine rebounds to aid Stony Brook’s advantage on the glass. The Seawolves flew ahead to a 64-43 lead with 9:06 to go after a Greene free throw but Maine rallied back to 73-68 but Stony Brook would not let them get closer than that.

Stony Brook now sits 9-5 on the season, winners of six of its last seven.

“Thrilled we won,” said head coach Geno Ford.”I think we felt like at the ten-minute mark we huddled up and were concerned that the crowd might leave early, so we wanted to keep them until the end. I wish that was it, but I give Maine credit. They kept playing and we didn’t do as good of enough job, obviously. We only had 11 turnovers, we were 16-of-20 from the foul line but it felt like they were all in one little bunched up stretch where the game was able to get tightened down. When it did get to a one or two possession game, Elijah had a huge play, Jahlil had a huge deflection where Juan stole it after we turned it over and we were able to get it back and get fouled. There were more positives than negatives and anytime you win a conference game they don’t give you bonus points for winning by a certain amount. Happy to move and get on to the next one, clearly we have somethings we need to clean up.” 

Up next, the team headed to Burlington Vermont on Jan. 12 for a matchup that pits the top two teams in the America East preseason poll. Results were not available as of press time.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team (9-2, 0-1 America East) put together a valiant come-from-behind effort, but fell to NJIT (6-6, 1-0 America East), 54-49, in the conference opener on Dec 30.
 
NJIT took the lead early in the first quarter and controlled it for the duration of the contest. The Seawolves trailed 16-4 after the first quarter and the early deficit proved to be the difference. Following the first quarter, Stony Brook went on to outscore NJIT, 45-38, over the final three quarters of play.
 
The Seawolves cut the Highlanders’ lead to as little as two points with 1:53 to play in the game. Junior guard Gigi Gonzalez absorbed contact and converted a driving layup, which brought Stony Brook within two points of the lead, 48-46.

NJIT was able to hang on to its lead and seal the win despite being outscored by Stony Brook, 16-12, in the fourth quarter. The Seawolves had a trio of student-athletes finish in double figures with senior guard Anastasia Warren leading the way with a game-high 15 points. Gonzalez registered 14 points, while graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool tallied 11 points.
 
STATS AND NOTES:

  • Warren led all scorers with a game-high 15 points. The guard did a bulk of her damage from the free-throw line as she went a perfect 7-of-7 from the stripe. It was the fifth time this season that she finished a game scoring in double figures.
  • Gonzalez poured in 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting from the free-throw line. The guard recorded two rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes of play. It was the eighth time this season that she scored in double-digits.
  • Wool finished the game with 11 points and four rebounds. The forward is closing in on 1,000 career points as her 11 points this afternoon brought her career total to 993.
  • Graduate forward India Pagan scored six points, pulled down six rebounds, and swiped three steals.
  • Junior guard Veronica Charles came off the bench to pull down six rebounds in 17 minutes of action.

“NJIT was the better team today. We will learn and grow from this loss,” said head coach Ashley Langford following Stony Brook’s America East opener on Thursday at NJIT.

The team is back in action on Sunday, January 2, when it hosts Hartford at 2 p.m. The game is set to air on ESPN+ with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play) and Rob Pavinelli (analyst) on the call. Be sure to purchase your tickets now to be a part of the action!

#4 Tykei Greene. Photo by Victor Yu/Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team treated its fans to a holiday win on Dec. 29, knocking off Farmingdale State 87-57 in front of 1,824 fans at Island Federal Arena to round out the non-conference schedule.

Tykei Greene recorded his second double-double of the season, finishing with a team-high 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Seawolves. Jahlil Jenkins (15 points) and Jaden Sayles (13 points) joined the Queens native in double figures.

Stony Brook used a hot start to pull ahead, shooting 61.3 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. They were able to hold a Farmingdale State team that shot 36.3 percent as a team from deep to 20 percent from 3-point land in the first half.

Geno Ford‘s club now sits 8-5 as it heads into America East play on Sunday in West Hartford, Conn., against the defending league champions Hartford.

STATS AND NOTES

  • The 30-Point win was Stony Brook’s first since the win against Point Park (12/15/20). 
  • The 25-point lead at halftime was the largest for the Seawolves this season.
  • Sayles finished in double-digits in the first half for the first time this season, scoring 13 points. He is the sixth different player to score in double figures in the opening 20 minutes this season.
  • Jenkins recorded a new career-high in steals, swiping six, the most steals in a single game since Roland Nyama at Maine (1/17/15).
  • Omar Habwe dished out seven assists and set a new career-high, surpassing his previous record of five.
  • Greene raked in 20 points and pulled in 12 rebounds to record his seventh career double-double. He now sits tied for seventh in the record book with Elijah Olaniyi and Demetrius Young (2007-09). Greene’s 20 points are also a new season-high. 
  • Alex Christie finished the night with eight points, setting a new career high.

“I think there’s always room for improvement, in every win. I think this was a very well-played game for all 40 minutes … We came in with a different type of focus coming off Christmas break and the loss to Florida. We just had a more, locked-in focus for this game and we knew we had to be more prepared when getting ready to play this team,” said graduate forward Omar Habwe.

“We had a great game offensively tonight. A lot of the baskets we had were assisted, which is always good. We were moving it around and that was really a focus for us going into conference play. Coach always harps on us getting paint touches, whether it’s feeding the post or driving and kicking it. Once you get in the paint, it gets the defense to suck in and we can kick the ball out and move it.,” said graduate center Jaden Sayles.

“Pleased with the way we played, especially in the first half. That’s a team that has a lot of 3-point shooting and we knew they were capable of doing what they did in the second half, making nine threes … you need to play some games where you can get everybody in the game. I’m really pleased with the way we got through the non-league 8-5, especially with who we played. We played Hofstra, Yale and Bryant who were all picked to win their leagues, as well as Kansas who could win a national title. When you start going through and looking at who we’ve played, to get through that schedule 8-5 is awesome,” said head coach Geno Ford.

Up next, the Seawolves open league play against Hartford on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 2, taking on the Hawks at 2 p.m., in West Hartford, Conn.


The America East Conference has announced that the Stony Brook men’s basketball game versus UMBC, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 6, has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the UMBC program.

Per America East policy, every effort will be made to reschedule postponed games. Rescheduled dates will be announced at a later time.

All single-game tickets for Jan. 6 will be accepted for the rescheduled date or can be exchanged for any 2021-22 regular season home game. If you wish to exchange your tickets, call 631-632-9753 or email [email protected].

#14 Tyler Stephenson-Moore was on fire Saturday night. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Tyler Stephenson-Moore was there when the Seawolves needed him most.

The redshirt-sophomore rose up and pinned Daryl Banks III’s shot to the glass and the Stony Brook men’s basketball program improved to 7-4 with an electric 64-63 win over Saint Peter’s on Dec. 18 at Island Federal Arena

Stephenson-Moore finished with a team-high plus-12 overall, scoring eight points and grabbing six boards, but his one block was the biggest stat of the night as he propelled the home team to its fourth win in a row and sixth in the last seven tries.

The Seawolves used a 14-4 run to propel themselves ahead by seven with 1:56 to go, as Jahlil Jenkins scored half of the points during that spurt. The graduate guard finished the night with a game-high 15, with 13 of them coming in the second half.

Stony Brook was down by as much as 12 in the first half and only led for 4:33 on the night but were ahead when it mattered and sent a raucous Island Federal Arena crowd home happy.

“Well, thrilled we won. That’s a really good basketball team that was picked second in the MAAC behind Iona,” said head coach Geno Ford. “We could not make shots and we showed some toughness and I think at the end of the game speaks to the growth we’ve had toughness-wise. Tyler [Stephenson-Moore] is always a good competitor and has good character but we don’t have a ton of guys on our roster capable of missing a free throw, going down and making a game-saving block. For him to not foul and block it clean is amazing because he got beat on the dribble a little bit. The toughness of him and certainly our team has had a lot of growth so we’re very excited that we were able to win this one,” he said. 

“I give a lot of credit to playing back home and playing in the park because you know in the park they won’t give you anything free. They will foul you, they will push you, they did what they had to do to win. That’s where I got my toughness from playing at home when I was younger and growing up,” said redshirt junior guard Tykei Greene on his tough play.

“We’re a great shooting team and none of us were really panicking. It was kind of frustrating to see the shots that we should hit not go in but we know someone is gonna step up and knock it down. Once that happens then it’s just going to go uphill from there. He [Coach Ford] said just play and we can turn the game around,” said Stephenson-Moore.

The team celebrates after Sunday's game Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

For the first time in program history, the Stony Brook women’s basketball team (9-1) defeated a Power Five opponent at home.

The Seawolves knocked off Washington State (8-3), 69-62, on Sunday, Dec. 19 inside Island Federal Arena behind the trio of senior guard Earlette Scott, senior guard Annie Warren, and graduate forward India Pagan all scoring in double-digits. The victory is also Stony Brook’s first over a Pac-12 opponent.

Scott led the Seawolves in scoring with a team-high 20 points on an efficient 7-of-14 shooting from the floor. Warren finished with 14 points and did a bulk of her damage in the contest in the second half, as she totaled ten points over the final 20 minutes. Pagan added 12 points and graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool pulled down 10 rebounds to aid Stony Brook to their ninth victory of the season.

After a back-and-forth first half, the Seawolves used an 8-0 scoring run in the third to take the lead at 42-37. Following that run, they never looked back as they did not trail for the remainder of the contest.

“Really proud of this team today, that’s a quality Washington State team who’s super physical. That’s a good team and a quality win for us. We have been balanced and people have been stepping up for us. … Nobody is doing one thing, everyone is contributing. If something’s not working for them they step up in other ways. I’m just really proud that we were able to finish strong through this break with a win,” said head coach Ashley Langford.

“It feels great. This is no surprise to me and the work I put in and the team. I’m really happy that we got the win and we can go into the Christmas break with some confidence,” said senior guard Earlette Scott.

Anthony Roberts. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Leading by as much as 18, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team earned its fourth win in five tries on Dec. 11, knocking off NEC foe Bryant 86-78 in front of 1,930 fans at Island Federal Arena. 

Anthony Roberts led five Seawolves in double figures with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting, including hitting a trio of triples. Tykei Greene was one off the Roberts team-high, sitting with 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting. He finished with the same ratio at the free throw line.

After Bryant cut the lead to six with 8:57 left, the Seawolves rattled off a 16-4 run to build its largest lead at 18 with 3:41 to go in the half. The hosts made six of their eight shots during that span, including two of its three attempts from 3-point land and were able to force four Bryant turnovers.

In the second half, the Seawolves survived multiple attempts at a Bryant comeback, as the visitors brought the Stony Brook lead to three on multiple occasions but were never able to bring it even. Stony Brook used an 8-0 spurt over 88 seconds to extend its lead back to double digits at the midway mark of the half and held the distance the rest of the way.

“It was a really tough ball game. Bryant plays super fast, they race it down your throat, they play really hard… it’s a very good program. Our prep wasn’t great going into it with some of the same issues but give Bryant a bunch of credit with the guys they lost. They hung around the whole time and had a chance to steal the game. Great job for them and it was a great win for us,” said head coach Geno Ford.

“Every game is hard. Even when we have a lead, someone can cut it so we are showing we can be mentally tough and pull through these close, tough games and that’s definitely a positive going forward. Getting back in transition tonight was key for us because that was one thing that never stopped and I think we did a good job,” said Roberts.

Sara Distefano

For the first time this season sophomore diver Sara DiStefano has been named America East Diver of the Week as announced by the conference office on Dec. 7. DiStefano takes home the honor after a strong performance in the Blue Devil Invite Dec. 4 and 5.

The sophomore earned two scoring finishes at the Blue Devil Invite to help propel Stony Brook to a first-place overall finish. DiStefano placed seventh overall in the 3-meter dive with a total score of 196.15. On Sunday, she finished with a final score of 200.05 in the 1-meter dive, which was good for a fifth-place overall finish in the finals.

The Stony Brook swimming and diving team is back in action on Jan. 22 when they hit the road to compete against Rider in Newark, N.J.

The team celebrates after Friday night's game Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

For the third time in its last four games, the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team (8-1) had at least four student-athletes score in double figures en route to a victory.

The Seawolves knocked off Penn (4-7), 75-69, on Dec. 10 inside Island Federal Arena behind the quartet of graduate forward India Pagan, junior guard Gigi Gonzalez, senior guard Earlette Scott, and graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool all scoring in double-digits.

Pagan led the way with a season-high 20 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting from the floor as she dominated down low. Gonzalez finished the game with 14 points and did a bulk of her damage in the contest in the second half as she totaled nine points over the final 20 minutes. Scott and Wool each added 10 points apiece as they helped guide the Seawolves to their eighth victory of the season.

After a back and forth first half, Stony Brook used a 12-0 scoring run that carried over from the first half into the second to build its lead. The Seawolves were able to go ahead, 43-36, at the conclusion of the scoring spurt. Following that run, Stony Brook never looked back as it led for the remainder of the contest and secured its conference leading eighth win of the season.

The Seawolves’ lead grew to as large as 13 points in the fourth quarter as Gonzalez gave Stony Brook its biggest advantage of the game as she converted a driving layup with 6:35 to play. Penn responded and got within five points of the lead with 4:52 to play in the game, but the Seawolves were able to fend off the Quakers’ come-from-behind attempt.

“I’m proud of how we found a way to win – we were resilient today. We’ve had a lot of moving pieces and parts; I’m really glad that they locked in for 40 minutes and were able to be resilient, kept fighting, and found a way. I’m pleased to get a win right before we go on a long break. Overall, I’m just proud of the way they keep being resilient, growing, and pushing through all the adversity that we had,” said head coach Ashley Langford.

#2 Earlene Scott keeps the ball away from her opponent during last Thursday's game. Photo from SB Athletics
The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team (7-1) battled tough, but fell to Fordham (5-3), 71-59, on Dec. 2 at Rose Hill Gym. The result marked the end of the Seawolves’ seven-game winning streak to start the 2021-22 season.

Stony Brook received a career-high offensive performance from senior guard Earlette Scott as she paced the scoring attack. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native finished the game with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. Scott was the driving force on offense for the Seawolves as she recorded her first 20-plus point performance of her Stony Brook career.

The two-point deficit was the closest that Stony Brook was able to get Fordham’s lead down to as the Rams closed out the third quarter on a 15-5 run to take a 54-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

STATS AND NOTES

  • Scott poured in a career-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. The 10 made field goals and 16 field goal attempts were both career-high for the guard. In addition, she shot 2-of-3 from three-point range and a perfect 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Scott pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists in 31 minutes of play.
  • Junior guard Gigi Gonzalez scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and has done so in three consecutive games. The guard scored 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the floor and went 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
  • Wool added nine points on 3-of-8 shooting and three rebounds in 27 minutes. Senior forward Nairimar Vargas-Reyes added two points and a team-high seven rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.
  • Graduate forward McKenzie Bushee finished the game with six points and six rebound in her second-straight start.
  • Freshman guard Erin Turral made her collegiate debut and chipped in four points in 15 minutes off the bench.

QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
“Fordham is a good team and DeWolfe was hard to guard tonight. Without key players, we were still in position to win the game and that’s a positive. We will use tonight’s game as a learning lesson and fuel to continue to get better,” said head coach Ashley Langford.

NEXT UP
Stony Brook is back inside Island Federal Arena when it hosts Marist on Tuesday, December 7, at 7 p.m. The game is set to air on SNY and ESPN+ with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play) and Rob Pavinelli (analyst) on the call. Be sure to purchase your tickets now to be a part of the action!

The team celebrates with head coach Mark Anderson after weekend victory. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Salmon, Liew and Conway set new meet records

The Stony Brook swimming and diving team put forth a strong team effort over the course of the weekend to win the Blue Devil Invite. The Seawolves swam their way to five first-place finishes and three more meet records on Sunday to help them secure a first-place finish at the Blue Devil Invite with a final score of 626 points.

Stony Brook had multiple athletes earn first-place finishes and set a meet record in their individual events. 

Senior Jessica Salmon started the final day off strong for the Seawolves winning the 50 breast and setting a new meet record with her time of 30.18. Salmon surpassed CCSU’s Mariana Espino’s record of 30.54 set in 2019. Sophomore Briana Liew kept points rolling for Stony Brook as she took first in the 50 fly and also set a new meet record clocking in at 25.60, beating Wagner’s Dorian McMenemy’s previous record of 25.82.

Sophomore Mary Kate Conway had another record-breaking day at the Invite. Conway took first in the 100 free touching the wall in 51.88, setting a new meet record by crushing Vermont’s Christa Weaver’s previous time of 52.18. Conway also earned a first-place finish in the 200 fly and anchored the victorious 400 free relay squad.

DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Sophomore Mary Kate Conway swam a new personal best in the 500 free with a time of 5:00.48, beating her previous best of 5:00.50 from 2018. Conway didn’t stop there, she also set a new meet record for the 500 free surpassing CCSU’s Taylor Friedmann’s previous record of 5:00.92 set in 2012. Conway ended the night anchoring the 400 medley relay squad to a first-place finish.
  • The victorious 400 medley relay team comprised of junior Reagan MacDonald, senior Jessica Salmon, sophomore Briana Liew, and Conway finished the night off with a bang. The squad’s 3:52.61 finish earned them a first-place win and set a new meet record, beating the previous record from 2012 set by the University of Vermont (3:53.34).
  • Junior Amanda Heinz placed second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:09.47, beating her previous personal best of 2:12.03.
  • MacDonald placed right behind Heinz in the 200 IM touching the wall in 2:10.44, which earned her a third-place finish.
  • Liew set a new season best in the 50 yard free with her final time of 24.58, surpassing her previous season best of 24.82. She earned a seventh-place finish.

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS

  • Conway claimed first-place in the 200 free, touching the wall in 1:51.93, setting a new meet record.
  • The 200 medley relay team comprised of sophomore Briana Liew, senior Jessica Salmon, sophomore Lara Youssef, and Conway earned a first-place finish (1:46.26).
  • Salmon took second in the 100 breast with a time of 1:05.57. Her prelim time of 1:04.77 tied the Stony Brook program record, which was set by Jessica Peters in 2011.
  • Youssef took first in the 100 fly touching the wall in 56.90.
  • Liew earned an individual first-place finish in the 100 IM clocking in at 59.05.
  • Junior Reagan MacDonald, junior Bridget Montgomery, senior Caroline Dunn, and Conway ended the night on top for the Seawolves taking first in the 800 free relay (8:16.65).

DAY THREE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Salmon earned first-place and set a new meet record in the 50 breast with her time of 30.18. Salmon also finished fourth in the 200 breast (2:25.74).
  • Liew touched the wall in 25.60 in the 50 fly to earn herself a victory and set a new meet record.
  • Sophomore Lara Youssef finished right behind Liew in second with a time of 25.87 in the 50 fly.
  • Conway claimed first-place in the 100 free and set a new meet record, touching the wall in 51.88. She also earned a victory in the 200 fly (2:04.84).
  • Freshman Emma Hawkins followed behind Conway earning a fourth-place finish in the 200 fly with her time of 2:11.27.
  • Senior Haille Bogumil clocked in at 54.65 in the 100 free which was good for eighth overall in the finals.
  • Senior Yurika Tomita claimed a first-place finish in the B final (seventh overall) in the 200 breast touching the wall in 2:29.24. Tomita set a new personal best, beating her previous time of 2:35.65.
  • Junior Amanda Heinz placed third overall in the 200 breast with a time of 2:23.83.
  • Freshman Zoe Rebol clocked in at 17:53.03 in the 1650 free earning a second-place finish and a new personal best, her previous best was 18:11.50.
  • Sophomore Sara DiStefano represented Stony Brook in the 1-meter dive finals earning a fifth-place finish (200.05).
  • The 400 free relay squad comprised of junior Reagan MacDonald, Liew, Bogumil, and Conway finished the Invite with a bang earning a victory with a time of 3:32.59

Next up, the swimming and diving team is back in action on Jan. 22 when they hit the road to compete against Rider in Newark, N.J.