After getting five double-digit point scorers for the second consecutive game, the Stony Brook women’s basketball team pulled out another win in a high-scoring game.
Following their victory on Sunday, the Seawolves (15-9, 9-4 CAA) traveled to North Carolina on Friday to challenge the Charleston Cougars. In a game that featured six lead changes and six ties, Stony Brook beat the Cougars 82-75.
Guard Annie Warren led the team with 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting. She drained seven of her 11 three-point attempts, making her the first player in program history to make over 200 threes in their career. She also collected four assists and three steals.
Stony Brook shot the ball well in the second quarter, going 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from deep. However, the team committed eight turnovers and forced none on defense, giving Charleston plenty of extra scoring opportunities. The Cougars took full advantage of this and took a 42-33 lead into halftime.
The Seawolves flipped the script on Charleston in the second half. Stony Brook played with much more discipline, only committing one turnover in the third quarter. The team’s carefulness with the ball allowed it to get back into the game with a huge run.
With less than six minutes remaining in the third quarter, Warren put up a three-pointer to spark a 15-2 run by Stony Brook. The Seawolves hit four three-pointers during this run: two from Warren and two from guard Kelis Corley. Warren spearheaded this stretch, scoring nine of the 15 points.
Over the final 2:15 of the third quarter, Stony Brook and Charleston traded baskets and free throws, entering the fourth quarter in a 60-60 tie.
The Seawolves carried their momentum into the fourth quarter, as they started it off with a 19-6 run over the first six minutes and 12 seconds. This run gave them a 13-point lead with just 3:48 remaining.
However, Charleston eventually found its footing. Starting with a layup by guard Jazmyn Stone at the 3:32 mark, the Cougars went on a 9-0 run to get back into it. After Charleston guard Alexis Andrews knocked down a three-pointer and followed with a layup, Stony Brook led by only four points with 1:22 remaining.
Stony Brook tightened up on defense and halted Charleston’s comeback attempt. Good shot defense by guard Gigi Gonzalez forced a big miss on a three-pointer by Andrews, and forward Shamarla King secured the rebound. After that, Charleston opted to not foul Stony Brook and Gonzalez was able to dribble away 24 seconds.
Finally, Charleston started fouling, but Gonzalez and center Sherese Pittman both knocked down free throws to solidify Stony Brook’s win.
Stony Brook finished the night with some of its best shooting stats of the year. The team shot 56% from the field and a whopping 68.2% from three-point range. The Seawolves also knocked down 91.7% of their free throws.
King scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and went 4-for-5 from deep. King also led the team with nine total rebounds. Corley scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and knocked down all four of her three-pointers.
Pittman finished the night off with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and pulled in seven boards. Guard Daishai Almond added another 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and led the team with six assists.
On defense, Stony Brook did a good job handling Charleston guard Jada Logan. Logan scored 27 points while playing all 40 minutes, but the Seawolves held her to just 10-of-27 shooting (37.0%) from the field. But forward Anika McGarity was a handful, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. From three-point range, McGarity went 5-for-8.
As a unit, Stony Brook held Charleston to just 41.2% overall shooting. However, the team struggled to stop three-pointers, as the Cougars shot 44% from deep.
After this win for the Seawolves, they will remain in North Carolina to take on the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Seahawks on Sunday. UNCW is currently mired in a seven-game losing streak.
