A third quarter comeback nearly gave Columbia its fifth straight win to start the season. However, the Stony Brook Women’s Basketball team prevailed, earning the 79-71 victory at Francis S. Levien Gymnasium.
Led by reigning the America East Rookie of the Week in freshman forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo, the Seawolves overcame a late charge by the Lions, who outscored Stony Brook by five points in the third quarter. Anyagaligbo earned her first career double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the victory.
In a game that saw Stony Brook lead by nine points at halftime, junior forward Devon Roeper took matters into her own hands. Playing a career-high 25 minutes, the Lion set a career-high in points with 23, shooting 10-for-16 from the field, keeping her team within striking range.
Though the Seawolves were in control for the majority of the game, they shot 39.3 percent from the field, which is worse than their 41.3 percent average entering Monday evening’s game. But with six steals, including three from senior guard Kim Hanlon, the Seawolves managed to keep their noses in front.
The Lions tied the Seawolves twice in the fourth quarter, looking to continue their win streak. But led by junior guard Kori Bayne-Walker, who had a team-high 21 points and four assists on the evening, Stony Brook held the home team to seven points in the final four minutes, earning its third victory of the season and second straight win.
With four players scoring over 10 points, the Seawolves took advantage of the Lions’ mistakes. The local rival had 14 turnovers compared to Stony Brook’s seven. The victory marks the first time this year that the Seawolves have scored over 75 points in a game, but Stony Brook also allowed a season-high 71 points for its opponent.
The Seawolves are now 3-1 after losing to Hofstra last week. The team’s next game comes on Friday, when Stony Brook will face Ole Miss at the Island Federal Credit Union Arena. The Rebels are coming off three straight losses as the Southeastern Conference team looks to earn its second win of the year.
