Behind suffocating defense and a double-double from freshman forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo, the Stony Brook Women’s Basketball team was able to cruise to a 58-49 victory over Cornell on Friday night.
The Big Red shot just 32.3 percent from the field, including 21.9 percent in the first half, as the Seawolves never trailed against their Ivy League opponents.
Anyagaligbo scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, as she demonstrated an array of post moves on her way to 6-for-8 shooting. The first-year standout is second in the America East Conference in rebounding, averaging 9.3 boards per game.
Stony Brook used an 11-2 run over the first 7:56 of the game to get out to an early lead. Cornell missed eight of its first nine shot attempts, while Anyagaligbo had six points and three rebounds over the same span.
The Big Red were able to cut the deficit to 16-13 midway through the second quarter after a layup from junior forward Nia Marshall—two of the 16 points scored by the 2014-15 All-Ivy first-team selectee.
The Seawolves were able to open up their lead again, aided by four points from senior forward Brittany Snow late in the quarter, to take a 26-18 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the offense started clicking for Stony Brook, as the Seawolves scored baskets on each of their first four possessions of the third quarter. Snow buried a pair of shots at the rim, then senior guard Kim Hanlon and junior guard Christa Scognamiglio each knocked down 3-pointers.
For Hanlon, the shot from behind the arc was one of three 3-pointers for her in the game, tying a career-high.
The closest Cornell would get in the second half was within six points after going on an 8-0 run while employing a full-court press early in the fourth quarter to make the score 43-37.
After head coach Caroline McCombs called timeout to organize her troops, Stony Brook regained its composure and finished off its fourth win of the season.
Scognamiglio, usually a player whose presence is felt via the 3-pointer, was a force on the defensive end in this game. She grabbed 12 rebounds, a game-high and swatted three blocks, as she keyed the Seawolves’ defensive masterpiece.
Leading the offense for Stony Brook was junior point guard Kori Bayne-Walker, who scored 15 points with eight assists. She topped the Seawolves in both categories. Bayne-Walker missed just one minute of action in the game, playing for 39 minutes.
On Sunday, Stony Brook will head to the Carrier Dome, where the Seawolves will face the No. 20 Syracuse Orange at 2 p.m.. The road game will mark the Seawolves’ first matchup against a nationally-ranked team since a loss to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season.
