SBU Sports: Women’s basketball falls 67-54 to Minnesota at Williams Arena

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.