Big-time non-conference games often bring with them bigger players, and the added length can be a decisive advantage. Just ask Indiana, which beat Stony Brook by 30 in the Seawolves season opener.

The added load often falls on the shoulders of the biggest players. On Friday, senior big man Dallis Joyner stood his ground, scoring 13 points and picking up seven rebounds, but the Seawolves fell to the Northwestern Wildcats 63-58.

It was a loss that came just days after a big home win over Columbia, when Joyner had nine points and five rebounds.

“It’s mainly about heart,” Joyner said after the game against Columbia. “It’s still basketball at the end of the day. You just got to get in there, dig, fight, scratch, claw, get every little loose ball, every rebound. You never try to play timid. You just always go at them, play low.”

The Seawolves out-rebounded the Big Ten Wildcats by a 42-31 margin, and outscored them in the paint 24-22.

“I thought we played very well today,” head coach Steve Pikiell said in a press release. “We had great rebounding, and our defense really limited their ability to make layups, which they’ve been doing all season. Give credit to Northwestern, they’re a good team that made big plays to win.”

Joyner and the inside game were also significantly helped by guards Bryan Dougher and Lenny Hayes, who were good for 12 and 13 points, respectively.

The first half featured a series of runs.

Stony Brook stormed out of the gates to score the first eight points, including threes by Dougher and Hayes.

Northwestern, down 13-6, came back with a 14-0 run to take a seven-point lead, 20-13. The Seawolves closed the gap with a 15-7 run that included a Hayes three-pointer at 1:51 to give SBU its last lead of the game, 28-27.

The Seawolves trailed by just two at the half, and rather than watching the bigger school pull away as often happens in these mismatched contests, Stony Brook was able to stay close with Northwestern, requiring the Wildcats to hit some crucial shots down the stretch to keep the lead.

In the second half, Stony Brook fell behind by 10, 49-39, with 7:17 remaining.

But the Seawolves answered with a 7-2 run led by back-to-back layups from Joyner and a Hayes three-pointer to cut the deficit to five, 51-46, with 5:40 to play.

Stony Brook got within three, 55-52, as Dougher nailed a three-pointer, and Joyner hit a free throw with 1:54 left on the clock.

But a big three from Northwestern’s JerShon Cobb stemmed the Stony Brook momentum and restored the lead to a sustainable level, preventing the Seawolves comeback.

Stony Brook’s next game will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Eastern Illinois.

Stony Brook 67, Columbia 53

The Seawolves led from wire to wire as Steve Pikiell earned his 75th win as the Stony Brook head coach in a 67-53 win over the Columbia Lions on Tuesday night at Pritchard Gymnasium.

Dave Coley made the most of his first start of the season, scoring 12 points with three rebounds and two assists.

“We played Stony Brook defense tonight,” head coach Steve Pikiell said after the game. “They had a hard time scoring all night. And we got to the free throw line and got our rebounds. It was nice to get back to doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”

The Seawolves jumped out to a 6-0 lead, keeping Columbia (0-4) from scoring its first basket for nearly six minutes. The lead was extended to 12-2 by the second media timeout, thanks to three-pointers by Ron Bracey and Bryan Dougher.

The Lions battled back to within six of Stony Brook on seven points from Columbia guard Brian Barbour, but the Seawolves were in control, taking a 32-20 lead into halftime.

Stony Brook pulled away to an 18 point lead early in the second half when junior Marcus Rouse hit a jumper at the 14:05 mark of the second half.

Columbia closed the gap in the second, getting within seven with 7:30 to go in the second half, but a Lenny Hayes three restored the lead to 10 points, and Stony Brook was able to close out the game.

Stony Brook vastly improved its game from the charity stripe, going 20-for-26 (70 percent) from the free throw line, including nine of 10 in the final minute.

The Seawolves dominated the glass, outrebounding the Lions by a 45-28 margin, giving them an average of 7.5 rebounds more per game than their opponents so far.

They also controlled the paint, outscoring Columbia inside, 24-14.

Tommy Brenton had nine points and eight rebounds, while Dallis Joyner added nine points and five boards.

The win improved Stony Brook’s record at home to 2-0, but the loss on Friday night means the Seawolves have yet to win a game away from Pritchard Gymnasium.