After a season pause due to COVID-19 protocol, the Stony Brook women’s basketball team hit the road to New Hampshire where the Seawolves and the Wildcats split their season series on Jan. 16 and 17, in a mirror image of the Seawolves’ series against UMass Lowell.
Playing their first game in 20 days, the Seawolves battled hard but ultimately lost 50-47 on Saturday. Junior guard Anastasia Warren bolstered the team with a big-time performance, with 19 points and four rebounds on 6-for-10 (60%) shooting and 5-for-8 (62%) shooting from three. Senior forward India Pagan added 13 points and 7 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting. The Seawolves were in the driver’s seat after an explosive third quarter that saw them rally from being down by four to ahead by one.
Despite late game scoring efforts by Pagan and Warren, New Hampshire freshman center Paige Cote knocked down a three with just over two minutes left that cut the Seawolves’ lead down to 49-48. Stony Brook did not score again, and New Hampshire senior guard Amanda Torres hit a jumper with 13 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 50-49 game-sealing lead.
The Seawolves returned to form in their next game. Despite the back-and-forth of the first matchup between these two teams, the Seawolves scored first in round two and never looked back, jumping out to an early 10-0 lead.
Warren led Stony Brook in scoring again on an even more efficient performance: 13 points on 5-for-8 (62%) shooting, including going 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Nairimar Vargas-Reyes also posted 10 points.
However, the highlight of the afternoon came with 2:43 left in the game, as Pagan’s free throw made her the 18th player in Stony Brook women’s basketball history to score 1,000 career points.
“I can’t believe it’s been four years and it’s finally setting in that I have 1,000 points,” Pagan said in a press release. “I’m blessed to have been able to reach that milestone in high school and now in college as well. I’m thankful to be part of an elite and special group. Without them, the coaches and my family and friends, this wouldn’t have been possible. We’re not done yet!”
Head coach Caroline McCombs, who now has four players to have reached that mark in seven seasons, spoke about how the team performed.
“Today we played four quarters of Stony Brook basketball,” McCombs said. “I’m proud of our balanced attack, focus and response in the quick turnaround.”
Now 6-4 on the season and 4-2 in America East play after their break for COVID-19 protocol, the Seawolves will return to action on Saturday as they welcome the NJIT Highlanders, who joined the conference last June, to Island Federal Arena, on Jan. 23 and 24.
