Last year, the Stony Brook Men’s Basketball team took down Western Kentucky at home, 71-61.
Sunday brought a different result, as Hilltopper sophomore forward Justin Johnson scored a career-high 22 points as he led his team past the Seawolves, 67-66 at E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday.
Senior forward Rayshaun McGrew had a career-high 19 points on an efficient 9-for-14 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, six off of the offensive glass in 28 minutes for the Seawolves. Senior forward Jameel Warney grabbed another double-double, his third straight to start the season, with 11 points and 16 rebounds in 37 minutes.
The Seawolves had a great opportunity to win the game, as senior guard Carson Puriefoy hit a big three-pointer to pull the Seawolves within 67-66 with 2:06 remaining in the game. However, the Seawolves missed their last six shots, along with two crucial free throws that would have given the team the lead.
Along with Johnson, Western Kentucky got a big performance from redshirt senior Nigel Snipes, who scored 20 points and knocked down all five of his three-pointers. Stony Brook was not able to stop its opponent from behind the arc, as the Hilltoppers made nine of their 14 shots from long range.
Johnson scored four straight baskets to give the Hilltoppers a 24-21 lead, and that started a quick 7-2 run to give Western Kentucky an eight-point advantage. The Hilltoppers ended the half on a Johnson layup, leading 38-33 heading into the break.
Rebounding helped keep Stony Brook in the game, as the Seawolves contolled the boards by a margin of 53-35. 24 of those rebounds came on the offensive end for Stony Brook, with McGrew, Warney, and sophomore forward Tyrell Sturdivant grabbing 18 of the team’s 24 offensive rebounds.
The Seawolves held a team that came into the contest averaging 91 points in its first two games to 67, in a large part to a strong defensive showing in the second half. After the Hilltoppers shot 50 percent in the first half, the Seawolves held them to only 38 percent in the second half.
The third and final leg for the Seawolves’ road trip is on Tuesday against Loyola Maryland at 7:30 p.m..
Featured image credit: Gabriel Scarlett/HERALD
