
After 24 days, eight games and 320 minutes, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team has finally … won a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) contest.
Despite the absences of guards Joe Octave and Jared Frey, the Seawolves (5-16, 1-7 CAA) took down the North Carolina A&T (N.C. A&T) Aggies (4-18, 0-9 CAA) in a battle of winless teams within conference play. Even without the combined 22.2 points per game provided by Octave and Frey, Stony Brook’s offense had its best outing of the season against a Division I foe, posting 89 points in a 15-point victory.
Hoping to get on the CAA win column before heading on the road to face two of the toughest teams in the league — Charleston and the University of North Carolina Wilmington — the Seawolves excelled in the first half, particularly when it came to scoring.
Stony Brook shot 59.4% in the opening 20 minutes, and, complimented by a 2.50 (10/4) assist to turnover ratio, it led 46-33 at the halftime break.
The second period was a slightly different story, especially during the frame’s beginning. Although the Seawolves were still getting to their spots, they were less efficient, giving the Aggies a window back into the game.
With 16:09 remaining in the contest, N.C. A&T guard Ryan Forrest converted a tough, fastbreak layup to trim his team’s deficit to 53-45. On Stony Brook’s ensuing possession, guard Collin O’Connor missed an open three-pointer, leading to Forrest driving hard to the basket on the other end and scoring another layup — this time while drawing a foul for a chance at a three-point play.
After a media timeout, Forrest failed to convert his and-one chance. For the following two minutes-plus, the sides traded baskets, allowing the Seawolves to retain at the very least, a two-possession advantage.
Forrest continued to haunt Stony Brook’s defense down the stretch, earning another trip to the charity stripe and knocking down both attempts to make it a 55-51 affair. However, adding to an already-established, second-half trend, the Seawolves responded, an answer that came through their own star on the day, guard C.J. Luster II.
Following Forrest’s successful trip to the free throw line, Luster II faked a three, blowing by N.C. A&T guard Landon Glasper. Nearing the paint, he then floated the ball while absorbing contact from N.C. A&T center Efstratios Kalliontzis for the hoop and the harm.
After accruing three points for Stony Brook’s box, Luster II added another three points the modern way — a make from beyond the arch.
This hot stretch by Luster II accounted for six of his 31 points on Saturday, a season-high for the transfer acquisition.
With a double-digit lead restored at 61-51, the Seawolves slowed the pace, running extended possessions to drain the clock and create the best possible shot opportunities. The Aggies managed to cut the deficit to five at one point, but Stony Brook quickly regained control and finished strong, securing a much-needed win.
“I’m happy for the players,” head coach Geno Ford said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “We needed to win, and to be able to do it as shorthanded as we were makes it even better.”
The Seawolves posted a .525/.421/.731 shooting line and committed 11 turnovers. Conversely, N.C. A&T registered a .391/.217/.731 triple slash with just five turnovers.
Stony Brook was the better team on the glass, outrebounding the Aggies 42-32.
Luster II was extremely efficient, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep. He also made all nine of his free throw attempts.
Forward Andre Snoddy delivered the best collegiate game of his career, scoring a career-high 22 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, tying his most as a Seawolf. He shot 9-for-15 overall and 2-for-4 from downtown.
O’Connor and forward Ben Wight were also in the double-digits in points, putting up 15 and 12, respectively. The former led the team with six assists, a career-high for the freshman.
Contrarily, Glasper and Forrest scored 57 of N.C. A&T’s 74 points. Glasper had 29 on 10-for-24 shooting, while Forrest just trailed him with 28 on 9-for-24 efficiency. However, the duo struggled from three-point range, combining to go 3-for-17 from beyond the arch.
As mentioned earlier, Stony Brook has a tough week awaiting it. First, it will take on the two-time defending CAA champions Charleston Cougars on Thursday in South Carolina. Despite the exit of head coach Pat Kelsey after a successful three-year tenure, the Cougars are still contenders, as they are 16-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play following a 76-62 win over Elon. Opening tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.