After a dominating regular season, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team was well represented at the America East award ceremony this past weekend in Hartford, Conn. Seniors Bryan Dougher and Dallis Joyner, junior Tommy Brenton and head coach Steve Pikiell all walked away with conference honors for their parts in Stony Brook’s 21-win regular season.
Leading the charge were Brenton and Dougher, as both earned all-conference honors, marking the first time that Stony Brook has had two players gain first team All-America East honors in the same season. Joyner was named to the All-America East third team.
Head coach Steve Pikiell took home the conference’s coach of the year award for the second time in three seasons. Since moving up to D-1, the Seawolves have posted two 20-plus win seasons, winning the regular season championship in both campaigns.
Brenton proved why he was so sorely missed last season after he suffered a season-ending leg injury. Along with his first team All-America East award, the 6-foot-5-inch forward from Columbia, Md., was awarded with All-defensive team honors for the first time in his career and was also announced as the conference’s Defensive player of the year. Brenton led the Seawolves in rebounds, assists, and steals, while shooting 57 percent from the field.
After two consecutive second team finishes, senior captain Bryan Dougher finally cracked the All-America East first team after finishing 10th in the conference, scoring at 13.4 points per game. Dougher finished the season ranked in the nation’s top 25 for three-point shooting.
The New Jersey point guard averaged 2.8 three-pointers per game, while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc, good for seventh in the conference.
Joyner also had a solid season for the Seawolves, finishing off the year averaging 8.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game, while also leading the Seawolves in blocked shots. The 6-foot-7 inch forward anchored the paint for Pikiell’s defense, helping the team finish the season ranked first in the America East in defense.
The Seawolves accolades will be tested on March 10 as the team prepares to back up its regular season championship with a conference tournament trophy and an automatic bid in this year’s NCAA tournament.
