This season’s first round of the Battle of Long Island went to the Stony Brook women’s basketball team.
In the first rivalry contest of this campaign, the Seawolves (11-11, 6-5 CAA) battled against the Hofstra Pride (9-12, 4-6 CAA) on Friday evening at Stony Brook Arena. In a back-and-forth game, Stony Brook’s compact defense put them over the edge in a 47-42 victory.
The Seawolves delivered defensively for the whole contest. The first quarter was fast-paced and aggressive, with both teams taking shots early in the shot clock. Success in the paint for each side culminated in a 11-9 Hofstra lead after the opening period.
The second frame played out in similar fashion. Although Stony Brook was even less efficient from the perimeter, it began to find its footing in the second half. Jumpshots from guards Janay Brantley and Breauna Ware seemed to be exactly what the Seawolves needed to find their groove.
With 4:47 left in the third quarter and points still being hard to come by, Stony Brook earned trips to the charity stripe on consecutive possessions. Ware and forward Shamarla King combined to make three of four shots from the free throw line, giving the Seawolves a 27-25 advantage.
After Hofstra forward LaNae’ Corbett made a shot from the line of her own, Ware drained a three-pointer to hand Stony Brook its first two-possession lead since the opening period. Overall, Ware flourished in the frame, scoring seven total points and making her presence known defensively with three steals.
“Just taking the challenge,” Ware said in a postgame press conference. “I know I can play defense and just dig a little deeper even when I am tired. Just to do anything possible, even if I wasn’t scoring, to get this win.”
Ware’s great play in the third quarter was complemented by a layup from guard Zaida Gonzalez at the period’s end. Although Hofstra guard Micaela Carter responded with a bucket of her own, the Seawolves still led 33-28 after 30 minutes of play.
The Pride remained in the fray in the final frame, but Stony Brook was ultimately able to close things out on the back of its consistent lockdown defense.
“After a tough road stretch, continue to be proud of our bounceback and our quick growth,” head coach Joy McCorvey said. “And the steps that we’re taking to continue to get better within every game.”
The Seawolves posted a .286/.143/.632 shooting line alongside 13 turnovers. Conversely, Hofstra registered .295/.143/.400 a triple slash and committed 14 giveaways.
“I said to our team in the locker room, if you told me that we’re going to shoot 28 percent and be [12-for-19] from the free throw line and still have an opportunity to win this game, I don’t know if I would have believed that,” McCorvey said. “But I’ve watched them the last few days really get after it defensively and take it to another step. Really value the tips, deflections, getting multiple stops in a row. That’s the reason we won this game tonight.”
Ware led the hosts in scoring with 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 2-for-5 from deep. She also converted eight of her nine attempts from the stripe.
Gonzalez was Stony Brook’s only other double-digit scorer with 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting. She struggled from beyond the arch, misfiring on all six of her attempts from there.
Corbett and forward Ramatoulaye Keita scored nine points apiece to spearhead the Pride’s offensive effort. The latter brought down 18 rebounds.
The Seawolves will remain at Stony Brook Arena for their next contest, which will take place next Friday against the Hampton Pirates. The Pirates are 5-16 overall and 1-8 in Coastal Athletic Association play. Hampton will take on William & Mary on Sunday before facing Stony Brook. Opening tip-off for Friday’s affair is scheduled for 2 p.m.
