The men’s basketball team continued its romp through conference play with a display of offensive mastery, as the Seawolves jumped to a 15-0 lead en route to a 77-43 victory over the Hartford Hawks.
Head coach Steve Pikiell’s squad’s unrelenting attack on the glass proved to be too much for the Hawks to handle. As a whole, the Seawolves had 47 rebounds on the day. Leading the charge was junior guard Ahmad Walker, who tied a career-high with 12 rebounds. Hartford, on the other hand, had 27 total rebounds.
Also coming up big for Stony Brook was senior forward Jameel Warney. The two-time America East Player of the Year had quite the second half, scoring nine of his 13 points after the halftime break. He also grabbed four offensive boards in the period, leading to second chances for the Seawolves.
However, Warney’s scoring opportunities were limited in the first half. Hartford’s 2-3 zone kept up with Warney in the post, only allowing him to score four points. Although his scoring was down, Warney’s passing skill was on display, as he dished a game-high five assists in the half.
Although the Hawks seemed focused on stopping Warney early on, senior forward Rayshaun McGrew filled in for his teammate, as McGrew scored 16 points and added seven rebounds on the day. The Chicago native found cracks in the zone early on as he scored on three layups, all assisted by Warney, in the first half.
Defense was also key, as the Seawolves swiped the ball a total of 13 times. Senior guard Carson Puriefoy led the team in steals with three, including one that led to a highlight Warney slam. The Hawks also struggled to shoot the ball, only shooting 29.4 percent from the field.
Puriefoy and junior Lucas Woodhouse each scored 13 points. For Woodhouse, it was a season-high on 4-for-4 shooting from the field and two threes.
While the men relied on its two star big men, the women’s basketball team came out in a balanced attack to beat the Hawks, 58-35, for the team’s first-ever 5-0 start in conference play.
Freshman forward Ogechi Anyagaligbo led the way offensively, scoring 16 points. She was 7-for-9 from the field and dominated the paint, scoring two and-ones on putbacks.
Defense was a major factor for the Seawolves. They held the Hawks to a shooting percentage of 23.8, the lowest for any Stony Brook opponent this season. The Hawks also went 0-for-12 from three-point range despite being tied for first in three-point percentage in the America East.
Junior guard Christa Scognamiglio was huge defensively, recording five steals on the day.
Stony Brook struggled to pad its lead, as both teams traded blows like prizefighters throughout the first quarter. Hartford stayed within five during the period and stayed in the game until Stony Brook went on a 12-2 run at the end of the first quarter that extended into the second. Free throws kept Hartford in the game, as the Hawks went to the line six times in the second half after only getting to the line only once in the first half.
Redshirt sophomore forward Elizabeth Manner tied her career-high with 10 points off the bench and contributed seven rebounds.
Up next for Stony Brook Basketball are a pair of games against America East rival Albany. Caroline McCombs’ squad will hit the road on Jan. 21 to take on the Great Danes. The men return from their road trip and will play Albany on Jan. 22 at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
