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Stony Brook Women’s Basketball

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#2 Zaida Gonzalez during last Sunday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team got an 18-point performance from the bench and held a 44-44 tie with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, but ultimately fell 67-54 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the road Nov. 26. 

The Seawolves had three players score in double figures, led by Victoria Keenan, who had 16 points and two steals. Gigi Gonzalez added 13 points and Sherese Pittman chipped in as well with 10 points and nine rebounds. Pittman pulled down two offensive rebounds, leading an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Stony Brook, grabbing 11 boards and turning them into 10 second-chance points.

The Stony Brook defense limited Minnesota shooters to just 39.7 percent from the field. Stony Brook also held Mara Braun to 4-of-14 shooting in the game.

After falling behind 18-11, Stony Brook went on a 5-0 run with 45 seconds left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Shamarla King, to narrow its deficit to 18-16. Minnesota answered back and added to its lead, leaving the squad down 20-16 entering the second quarter.

Minnesota kept adding to that lead, building a 35-26 advantage before Stony Brook went on another 5-0 run, highlighted by a three from Gonzalez, to narrow its deficit to 35-31. Minnesota responded and expanded its lead by capturing another bucket before the half, leaving the Seawolves trailing 37-31 heading into halftime.

The Golden Gophers continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 44-37 advantage before Stony Brook went on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a three from Kelis Corley, to tie things up at 44 with 5:00 to go in the third. The squad knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 13 total points.

Minnesota kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 62-44 advantage before Stony Brook went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Keenan’s three, to shrink the deficit to 62-49 with 2:39 to go in the contest. The Seawolves were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 67-54. Stony Brook fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 10 points.

“Today was a challenge that we needed,” head coach Ashley Langford said. “We will learn from this experience and get better.”

Next up, the team returns home for a three game stretch that begins on Dec. 2 with a matchup against Buffalo at 1 p.m.

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#3 Janay Brantley shoots for the basket during last Sunday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team led for nearly 38 minutes of the game and never lost its lead on Nov. 19 at the Island as the squad defeated Holy Cross, 68-55, to move to 4-0 this season.

The Seawolves had three players score in double figures, led by Khari Clark, who had 17 points, six rebounds and three steals. Zaida Gonzalez tacked on a season-high 15 points and Gigi Gonzalez helped out with 11 points and two steals.

Stony Brook pulled down 44 rebounds in Sunday’s game compared to Holy Cross’ 41, led by Sherese Pittman’s nine boards. The Seawolves also cleaned up on the offensive glass, turning 11 offensive rebounds into two second chance points. On the defensive end, the squad forced 14 Holy Cross turnovers and turned those takeaways into 18 points on the offensive end of the floor. Clark’s three steals led the way for Stony Brook.

The team was back in action on Thanksgiving Eve against Delaware State. Game results were not available as of press time.

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team got a 26-point performance from the bench on the way to an 82-61 win over the Le Moyne Dolphins on the road Nov. 11.

The Seawolves (2-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Khari Clark, who had 19 points and eight rebounds. Sherese Pittman tacked on 14 points, seven assists and two steals and Gigi Gonzalez helped out with 14 points, seven assists and two steals.

The Stony Brook offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making 10 threes on 24 attempts. Victoria Keenan paced the Seawolves behind the line by draining three treys in the contest.

Also, Stony Brook forced 17 Le Moyne turnovers in Saturday’s game. The Seawolves turned those takeaways into 16 points on the other end of the floor. Keenan led the way individually with three steals.

“I thought today was a total team effort. It was really nice to see some of our younger players out there on the floor gaining experience. I thought we got better defensively which will help us in the future,” said head coach Ashley Langford. 

The team hits the road again to take on Maryland Eastern Shore in Maryland on Nov. 15. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on UMESHawksSports.com. 

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Coach Ashley Langford. Photo from SBU

Stony Brook Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron has announced that women’s basketball head coach Ashley Langford has signed a contract extension through 2028.
 

Ashley Langford

“Our women’s basketball program is thriving under Ashley’s leadership, and I am very excited to extend our partnership together. Ashley is a tremendous competitor and a caring mentor who invests so much of herself in our student-athletes on and off of the court. I look forward to celebrating many successes for our women’s basketball team this year and into the future.”
 
Over her two seasons on Long Island, Langford has guided the Seawolves to a stellar 41-19 record, including a 23-5 mark at Island Federal Arena. Coach Langford has posted the highest winning percentage (.683) of any head coach in program history and the team has averaged 20 wins per season under her watch.
 
“I’d like to thank President McInnis and Shawn Heilbron for their continued belief in me and our program. I’d also like to thank my staff – you continuously pour into our women, and each of you has a tremendous, positive impact on the program. I love this University, the players, staff, and our community. I’m elated to serve as your head coach through 2028, as I know our future will be full of many wins on and off the court,” said coach Langford.
 
In her second year at the helm in 2022-23, Langford guided the program into a new era as the team embarked on its first season in the CAA. The Seawolves finished the year 18-13, 11-7 CAA, earning the No. 6 seed in the CAA Tournament where they defeated Elon in the first round to pick up their first-ever win in the tournament.
 
Langford’s offensive style proved to be pivotal in the CAA as the team finished the season second in the conference in scoring average with 67.9 points per game.  
 
Under coach Langford’s tutelage, three student-athletes were tabbed to the All-CAA Team and helped them have career seasons on the Island. Anastasia Warren was named to the All-Conference First Team, forward Sherese Pittman claimed All-Conference Second Team honors, and guard Gigi Gonzalez was selected to the Third Team.
 
The trio of Warren, Pittman, and Gonzalez all upped their scoring outputs from the season prior under coach Langford. Warren averaged 12.0 points per game in 2021-22 and finished at 16.4 points per game, the fourth-most in the CAA. Pittman averaged 0.5 points per game in 2021-22 at JMU and finished the 2022-23 season averaging 13.7 points per game at Stony Brook. Lastly, Gonzalez went from 9.6 points per game to 12.5 points per game last season.
 
In her first season at Stony Brook in 2021-22, Langford had an immediate impact as Stony Brook’s offensive output increased by nearly nine points per game and seven student-athletes increased their scoring from the season prior.
 
The squad finished with a 23-6, 14-4 record and earned an at-large berth into the WNIT, which marked its sixth appearance in a national postseason tournament and third in the WNIT. The 23 wins in 2021-22 were tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history and were the most by a first-year head coach in program history.
 
Stony Brook received votes in the WBCA Top 25 and were ranked as high as No. 7 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 during their stellar 2021-22 campaign. The Seawolves also picked up marquee wins over two Power Five opponents in Washington State (69-62) and Rutgers (53-44). The wins were the third and fourth over Power Five opponents in program history. India Pagan and Warren both claimed All-Conference honors. 

Under coach Langford, the Seawolves have maintained a 3.14 GPA or better over her two seasons and the team earned WBCA Academic Top 25 Special Mention following the 2021-22 season. 
 
Langford has been named to the Advancement of Blacks In Sports (ABIS) Mid-Major Head Coaches Watch List in back-to-back seasons and this summer she was invited to the inaugural Women’s Coaching Development Seminar hosted by the WNBA, NBA, and G League.
 
Over the course of her coaching career, she has coached two WNBA Draft picks, 11 players playing professionally overseas, one Olympian, and four players competing for the Puerto Rican National Team. She has also recruited and coached 19 All-Conference selections, one Player of the Year, two Rookies of the Year, one two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Before Stony Brook, Langford spent four seasons at James Madison. Prior to the 2020-21 season at JMU, Langford was elevated from assistant coach to associate head coach. While at JMU, Langford helped lead a team that produced a 91-31 overall and 58-11 conference record as well as three CAA regular season titles.
 
During her playing days, Langford was a standout point guard at Tulane from 2005-09. She is the Green Wave’s career leader in assists (722) and assists per game (6.0). She graduated as the program’s leader in games started (119) and minutes played (4,162) as well. Langford scored 1,047 points during her collegiate career and was inducted into the school’s athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

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Scene from last Sunday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team (16-9, 10-4 CAA) dominated the UNCW Seahawks (4-21, 1-13 CAA), 64-46, in Wilmington, NC on Feb. 19.

The Seawolves were led by three student-athletes who scored in double digits. Senior guard Gigi Gonzalez led the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.

Sophomore forward Sherese Pittman dropped 18 points and tied a team-high with nine rebounds on the afternoon. Pittman shot 6-of-15 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. 

Graduate guard Annastasia Warren added 11 points and four rebounds. She shot an efficient 4-of-8 from the field in the win.

It took Stony Brook a little more than a quarter to find its groove. UNCW held a 14-11 lead after the first frame, but the Seawolves exploded for a 21-point second quarter as a team.

With about 8:30 remaining in the first half, Gonzalez drove down the right side of the lane and dished off to Pittman, who fought through contact and finished a tough layup to give Stony Brook a 15-14 lead.

The Seawolves began to control the remainder of the game, after outscoring UNCW, 21-8, in the second frame. The squad led 32-22 at the break.

Stony Brook came out strong to start the second half, going on a 11-0 run. About 1:30 into the third quarter, graduate guard Daishai Almond dumped off a no-look bounce pass to Pittman who finished the layup. The play gave the Seawolves a 14-point lead.

After trailing going into the second quarter, the Seawolves dominated for the remainder of the game and picked up their third-straight win and a season sweep of the Seahawks.

“Proud of our team for closing out the weekend with another win. I thought we executed defensively and rebounded the ball well. Wins are hard in February and especially on the road. Glad to be going home 2-0,” said head coach Ashley Langford.

The team will return to Island Federal Arena to take on the Hampton Pirates on Friday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is set for 6:31 p.m. and the game will be broadcast

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#14 Anastasia Warren during Sunday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team (9-6, 3-1 CAA) battled until the final whistle on Jan. 8, but ultimately fell to the Drexel Dragons (12-3, 4-0 CAA), 81-64, inside the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, PA. The result marked the end of the Seawolves’ five-game winning streak and their three-game winning streak to begin their inaugural CAA slate.

Graduate guard Anastasia Warren and senior guard Gigi Gonzalez led the team with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Stony Brook was not able to fend off a Drexel attack that shot 32-of-58 from the field (55.2%), en route to the win.

Drexel jumped out to an early 18-9 lead midway through the first quarter as the team from Philadelphia made their first eight shots from the field. Stony Brook would tighten up on the defensive end and surrendered just two points in the final 4:27 of the first quarter. 

Offensively, Gonzalez cashed in on her two free-throws and Warren made two deep three-pointers in the closing minutes of the frame to tie the game at 20-20 heading into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Dragons rallied and found their stroke, as Drexel outscored Stony Brook 27-8 after shooting 10-of-16 (62.5%) from the field to take a 47-28 lead heading into halftime. Despite trailing in the second half, the Seawolves were relentless on the defensive end and found their touch on the offensive side in the fourth quarter. Stony Brook outscored Drexel 26-15 in the final frame, the 26 points were tied for the second-most that the Seawolves have scored in any quarter this season.

The Seawolves knocked down eight-straight shots to cut the deficit to 16 points with 6:07 left to play to begin the final frame. Leading the charge for the Seawolves was Warren collecting eight points, including back-to-back three-pointers, and junior Kelis Corley forcing two steals that led to two buckets for the squad in the fourth.

 Following a layup by sophomore forward Sherese Pittman, Stony Brook was able to cut Drexel’s lead to 74-60 with 3:04 to play, but were unable to catch the Dragons, as the host came out on top, 81-64.

“I’m proud of our resilience after a tough second quarter. I thought we battled in the second half but ultimately Drexel was the better team today. We have to learn from today’s game and keep growing,” said head coach Ashley Langford.

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The team celebrates their win last Saturday night. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Seawolves women’s basketball team kept it rolling at Island Federal Arena as they extended their season-long winning streak to 10 games in a row with a 76-38 victory over NJIT on Feb. 5. With the win, Stony Brook becomes one of just eight teams in the nation that are currently on a 10-game winning streak or better. The Seawolves’ 10-game winning streak is tied for the fifth-longest active winning streak in the nation.

With the win, Stony Brook improves to 19-2, 10-1 America East on the season. The Seawolves clinched their fifth-straight season with 10 or more wins in conference play. The 19 wins are the most by any America East team this season and are tied for the sixth-most in the nation. Stony Brook is one of 11 teams in the nation to currently have 19 wins or more. Seawolves’ head coach Ashley Langford becomes the first head coach in program history to win 19 games in her first year at the helm.

The team was led by a trio scoring in double figures. Senior guard Anastasia Warren led the way with a game-high 18 points, she was followed by senior guard Earlette Scott with 15 points, and graduate forward India Pagan who chipped in 11 points.

Graduate forwards McKenzie Bushee and Leighah-Amori Wool finished with near double-doubles. Bushee tallied nine points and nine rebounds and Wool recorded nine points and 10 rebounds.

The Seawolves’ defense stymied the Highlanders’ offense as they held them to 38 points. The 38 points were the fewest that an opponent has scored against Stony Brook this season. The Seawolves limited NJIT to single-digits in the second, third, and fourth quarters (eight points, six points, nine points). It was also the fewest points that it surrendered against an America East opponent since New Hampshire scored 37 points on February 16, 2019.

The 38-point margin of victory is tied for the second-largest margin of victory this season for Stony Brook. The Seawolves also knocked off Hartford by 38 points (77-39 on Jan. 2) and defeated Delaware State by 41 points (87-46 on Nov. 9).

The team was back on the court on Feb.  9, when it travels to Lowell, Mass. to face UMass Lowell. Results were not available as of press time. 

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Earlette Scott takes control of the ball during last Friday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Seawolves used a second half surge to down New Hampshire, 73-60, on Jan. 28. With the win, the Seawolves extended their winning streak to eight games in a row. The eight-game winning streak marks a season-high and the team’s longest winning streak since they won 22 consecutive games during the 2019-20 season.

After trailing, 29-28, at the halftime break, Stony Brook went on to outscore New Hampshire, 45-31, over the final 20 minutes of the game. Senior guard Earlette Scott led the Seawolves in scoring as she poured in 15 minutes en route to the win. The guard scored 10 of her 15 points and shot a near perfect 3-of-4 from the field in the second half as she fueled Stony Brook’s offensive attack.

Graduate forward India Pagan registered her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Graduate forward Leighah-Amori Wool joined Scott and Pagan in double figures as she finished the game with 11 points.

Stony Brook’s lead grew to as large as 17 points with 1:00 minute to play in the game. The Seawolves shot an efficient 43.1 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from behind the arc. Stony Brook knocked down 10 threes, its most in a game this season. 

The team returned to the court Feb. 2, when it traveled to Vestal, to take on Binghamton. Results were not available as of press time.

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University women’s basketball program secured its first road win in conference play as it defeated Maine (5-9, 2-2 America East), 63-44, on January 9 at the Cross Insurance Center.

The Seawolves had three players score in double-digits, senior guard Anastasia Warren led the team in scoring with a team-high 15 points. Graduate forwards India Pagan and Leighah-Amori Wool followed closely behind finishing with 13 points and 12 points, respectively.

Stony Brook came out strong and took an early lead at the start of the game, a product of a 14-0 scoring run. The Seawolves were able to continue the momentum into the second quarter where they led the Black Bears by 21 points, the largest lead of the contest.

Maine rallied back in the second half cutting the lead to only eight with 9:27 to go, but Stony Brook did not let the Black Bears get any closer than that as Wool hit back-to-back three pointers to secure the Seawolves’ lead.

Stony Brook improved to 11-2, 2-1 America East and has won four of its last five games, as it heads into a matchup with Vermont on Wednesday night back on the Island.

STATS AND NOTES

  • Warren’s team-high 15 points mark the fifth time this season that she has led the scoring for the Seawolves.
  • Junior guard Gigi Gonzalez recorded a career-high four steals and dished out a team-high five assists. It was the fifth time this season that she dished out five or more assists in a game.
  • Pagan’s 13 points mark the seventh time this season she has finished in double figures – Stony Brook has won each of those contests.
  • Stony Brook’s defense forced 18 turnovers and only let up 14 points in the paint, the lowest amount Maine has scored in the paint all season. The 18 forced turnovers are the second-most forced against the Black Bears this year.
  • The 21 made free-throws are a new season-high for Stony Brook
  •  Stony Brook held the Black Bears well below their average shooting clips, as they only managed 29.1 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from beyond the arc. Their season averages are 37.8 and 25.5, respectively.
  • It was the fifth time this season that Stony Brook held an opponent under 50 points. The 44 points allowed are tied for the second-fewest the Seawolves allowed in a game this season (held Rutgers to 44 points on Nov. 16). Stony Brook has held each of its last two opponents to under 50 points (limited Hartford to a season-low 39 points on Jan. 2).
  •  The Seawolves are now 10-0 when they outrebound their opponents, winning the battle on the boards, 46-26.
  • The team also improved to 5-1 when three players score in double figures.

“I’m pleased with today’s win on the road versus a good Maine team that is hard to beat at home. We started the game very focused which we’ve been talking about as a team. Again, our defense and rebounding ultimately won the game,” said head coach Ashley Langford.

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Coach Ashley Langford during the game against Rutgers on Dec. 16. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Coach Ashley Langford with Leighah-Amori Wool during the game against Rutgers on Dec. 16. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Coach Ashley Langford with team members during the game against Rutgers on Dec. 16. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Before each game, the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team meditates.

The pre-game ritual, among other changes and additions first-year Coach Ashley Langford instituted, has worked, as the team has a 7-1 record and sits first in the America East division.

Meditating “calms us and helps us visualize what we want to see in a game,” said India Pagan, a starter for Stony Brook and a graduate student with an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID pandemic.

A standout guard for Tulane University who finished her college career first in assists, Langford appreciates how hard the team has worked and how well they’ve come together.

“Our chemistry has been really good early on, to the point where, sometimes, [I wonder] is it November or is it March?” she said.

With five players averaging double digits in scoring, Stony Brook becomes harder to guard.

“On any given night, we’re moving and sharing the ball,” Langford said. “They are selfless. They don’t care who has the most points.”

While earning a spot in March Madness this year for just the second time in the program’s history would be rewarding, Langford focuses on each game.

“I’m a person that stays in the moment,” Langford said. “As long as we’re getting better, that puts us in a position to win the next game.

To that end, Langford would like the team to continue to improve in its transition defense.

She would like to see the team, which includes starters Earlette Scott, Gigi Gonzalez, Leighah-Amori Wool, Anastasia Warren and Pagan, continue to collect more offensive rebounds.

Langford’s assistant coaches, which includes recruiting coordinator Shireyll Moore, have been searching for players who might join the program as student-athletes.

“We’re in the position we are today because we have pretty good players,” Langford said. “My staff does a lot of this. They are more actively involved in the recruiting” each day.

Stony Brook has signed three current high school seniors and is focusing on juniors.

Before each game, Langford’s assistant coaches watch film of their opponents. They give her a cheat sheet before she watches film as well.

While Langford plans to stick to the team’s strengths, she will add a few wrinkles depending on the insights she gains about her opponents.

In the team’s first loss, Pagan and Warren were unavailable to play for medical reasons.

The team could have gone to Fordham feeling defeated, but the players fought to the end in a game they lost, 71-59.

“They don’t like losing, we don’t like losing,” Langford said. “They have responded well this week.”

The start of a season as head coach has taught Langford several lessons, including pacing herself and, in particular, protecting her voice. She drinks tea all day long and tells her staff to remind her not to yell in practice, because she shouts over the band at games.

In practice, Langford grabs a ball periodically to demonstrate what she’d like to see from her players.

As for her activity during the game, Langford sits only for about the first 30 seconds and then works the sidelines.

Pagan appreciates the work Langford puts in and the way her new coach has improved her game. While she used to get three or four rebounds a game, she’s often snagging 10 or more.

Pagan also sees herself hustling more, particularly after Langford created a drill where the players dive for loose balls.

“Before, I wouldn’t think of diving for a ball. Now, it’s ingrained into my head,” Pagan said. “The hustle doesn’t stop until the whistle blows. You play until you can’t play any more.”

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