A rough first half resulted in a blowout loss for the Stony Brook women’s basketball team in its second Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) contest of the young conference season.
Before returning home for a two-game home stand, the Seawolves (6-7, 1-1 CAA) took on the Monmouth Hawks (6-7, 1-1 CAA) in New Jersey. A disastrous start made it so that Stony Brook could not recover from the gap set by Monmouth, which rode the early momentum to hand the visitors a convincing 75-61 loss.
Through four minutes of play, the Seawolves had already fallen into a steep hole. A drastic difference in shooting efficiency allowed the Hawks to take a decisive 12-4 lead, a run that was capped off with a left wing three-pointer from Monmouth forward Ella Farrelly.
The Hawks continued to control the game’s momentum after the early outburst, and any sign of life from Stony Brook was promptly answered. Following a make from beyond the arch from forward Shamarla King to make it 20-12 with 51 seconds left in the first quarter, Monmouth guard Kemari Reynolds drained a deep shot of her own to reinstate her team’s double-digit advantage entering the second frame.
In the ensuing period, the Seawolves showed urgency immediately. Five quick points from guard Janay Brantley, topped off by a jumpshot from fellow guard Breauna Ware, cut the deficit to four with 5:59 remaining in the quarter. However, once again, the hosts swiftly responded. In the Hawks’ next possession, a jumper from guard Damaris Rodriguez commenced an 8-0 run in their favor.
Although the rest of the frame was more competitive — as the teams traded points — Stony Brook entered the halftime break down 38-25.
Early in the second half, the Seawolves tried again to string together a comeback. A 8-2 stretch to start the third period — highlighted by five points and a single assist, rebound and steal from King — trimmed Monmouth’s lead to six points. Nonetheless, in sync with the affair’s theme, the Hawks battled back strongly.
In the last six minutes of the quarter, the Hawks could not be stopped offensively. They created good looks from everywhere on the floor, and while Stony Brook did not go completely cold on its own attacking end, it fell significantly behind the pace set by its opponents.
At the start of the final frame, the Seawolves were down 58-42. Although they demonstrated resilience, Monmouth’s advantage was never in the single digits in the quarter as it secured its first CAA win of the year.
Head coach Joy McCorvey did not speak to the media after the game.
The Seawolves posted a .382/.250/.625 shooting line. Conversely, the Hawks registered a .478/.318/.667 triple slash.
Ware and Brantley co-led Stony Brook with 19 points. The former shot 8-for-18 from the field, while the latter finished with a 9-for-18 shooting mark. Brantley also brought down 10 rebounds for the first double-double of her collegiate career. King finished with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting and went 3-for-7 from deep alongside seven boards.
Rodriguez was Monmouth’s leading scorer with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
The Seawolves will be back at Stony Brook Arena next, as they host the William & Mary Tribe on Friday. The Tribe are 4-9 overall and also 1-1 in conference play this season following a 70-66 overtime loss to Elon. Opening tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
