Although guard Zaida Gonzalez achieved a new milestone, the Stony Brook women’s basketball team suffered its fourth straight defeat.
The Seawolves (11-15, 6-9 CAA) returned to Stony Brook Arena to face off against the Delaware Blue Hens (11-15, 8-8 CAA) on Friday night. Gonzalez dropped 18 points to surpass the 1,000 point milestone for her career, but Stony Brook could not keep up with Delaware’s efficient shooting, dropping the contest 71-62.
Both teams started white-hot from three-point range in the first quarter. The Blue Hens nailed all four of their long range attempts, while the Seawolves knocked down 3-of-5. Coming out of the first quarter, Delaware held a slight 21-18 advantage.
Stony Brook’s promising start offensively can be attributed to Gonzalez, who went 3-for-5 from the field for eight points in the quarter. Her third make represented the milestone basket, as she drilled a game-tying catch-and-shoot three.
“As a coach, you’re just so happy for a kid like her,” head coach Joy McCorvey said in a postgame interview. “She’s so coachable, hardworking, and does everything that we ask of her. I love everything that she stands for.”
Both teams began to slow down offensively in the second quarter, and defense took center stage. Thanks to slew of charges, the Seawolves hampered the Blue Hens’ interior presence, with the first-half ending in a 30-30 deadlock.
“We talked a lot about just sacrificing your body and doing whatever you have to do for the team,” McCorvey said. “I was very happy with the amount of charges that we got tonight … That’s probably a record-breaking [number] for us, and a lot of a lot of different people did it.”
The tides shifted in the third period of play as Delaware began to pull away. With 6:12 left in the third quarter, Delaware center Ande’a Cherisier caught a pass in the paint from guard Tara Cousins and banked in a layup, putting Delaware up by three. After a quick miss from Stony Brook, the Blue Hens went back on the attack, as forward Rebecca Demeke nailed a three-pointer to extend the lead to five.
Delaware’s hot stretch did not end there, with guard Ella Wanzer hitting a three-pointer of her own, which was followed up by another layup by Cherisier on the ensuing possession. By the end of the 10-0 run, the Blue Hens grabbed a commanding 45-34 with 4:28 left before the final quarter of play.
Things fell apart for the Seawolves the rest of the way. After being outscored 26-13 in the third quarter, Stony Brook was deflated, and the deficit only grew in the final 10 minutes of play as Delaware cruised to victory.
“We left them wide open, that was not on the scouting board,” McCorvey said. “We made adjustments, kind of settled in, but we still gave them way too many [open threes], way too many.”
The Seawolves posted a .356/.278/.789 shooting split alongside 10 turnovers. On the other hand, the Blue Hens put up an efficient .481/.545/.500 shooting line with 12 turnovers.
Guards Shamarla King and Breauna Ware were not far behind Gonzalez, registering 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting and 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting, respectively.
For Delaware, center Ande’a Cherisier spearheaded the efficient Blue Hens offense with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Guard Rebecca Demeke contributed greatly to Delaware’s presence from the perimeter, scoring 16 points with a 5-for-8 split from downtown.
The Seawolves will stay at home for their next game this Sunday, when they match up against the Monmouth Hawks. Coming off a 75-65 loss against the Drexel Dragons, the Hawks have a 13-13 record and are 8-7 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. Opening tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
