In their second exhibition of the year, Stony Brook Women’s Basketball defeated Adelphi University 79-63 at Island Federal Credit Union Center on Monday night.
Stony Brook’s starting five consisted of junior guards Jerell Matthews and Shania Johnson, senior guard Aaliyah Worley, freshman forward India Pagan, and redshirt freshman forward Oksana Gouchie-Provencher. Head Coach Caroline McCombs did not confirm if this was going to be her starting five to start off the regular season.
“We’re not sure yet,” McCombs said. “We’re going to break down the film and see, we have been working really hard and our practices have been really competitive. It’s fun as a young group, you have different players that step up each day and show you what they can do.”
In the game, the Seawolves controlled the pace throughout the night, including an offensive showing of 50% shooting from beyond the three point arch and 49% from the field. The Seawolves’ defense elevated their play as well, stealing the ball from the Panthers 14 times and adding four blocked shots.
The height advantage for the Seawolves played a major factor in the game. The team was able to gain a total of 43 rebounds compared to Adelphi’s 28. Of the 43 Seawolf boards, 19 came on the offensive end.
Stony Brook asserted themselves early, starting the game on a 10-3 run in the first 6:28 of the first quarter. The majority of their possessions came from early Adelphi turnovers, including a steal in the paint by Johnson. Adelphi finished the first half with 20 total turnovers compared to Stony Brook’s 14.
“We really pride our-self on our team’s defense,” McCombs said. “We wanted to take away their three point looks but unfortunately they made 11, I thought that there were some tough match-ups with our post players and they’re a more guard oriented team. We knew we were going to give something up by that.”
The second half saw the continuation of Stony Brook’s steady control over the game. The team’s offensive presence was still felt, with SBU shooting 50% from the field in both quarters. Along with their shooting performance, Stony Brook’s defense contributed for nine steals in the second half.
Jerell Matthews had a strong showing tonight for the Seawolves, scoring 22 points in 29 minutes, including shooting 72% from the field, and nailing four of her attempted five three pointers. Two of her three-pointers came in the game’s first six minutes. Matthew’s defensive presence was well-known throughout the night, as she contributed for half of Stony Brook’s 14 steals.
“Jerell has been a player who has evolved in our program,” McCombs said. “She has done the little things right for the past two years and now she has her opportunity that she has been waiting for. It’s exciting to see her get on the court and knock down those shots as well as playing defense that creates offense for her.”
Junior forward Cheyenne Clark was another key factor for the Seawolves. The forward accounted for 10 rebounds and added 12 points for the Seawolves, with the majority of her points coming from the free throw line. Despite scoring eight points from the line, Clark struggled in her free throws, shooting 50% in the game.
McCombs saw this exhibition as experience for her team in preparation for the beginning of the regular season.
“We really just tried to get our players adjusted to playing a college basketball game and getting ready for our first game,” McCombs said.
Stony Brook women’s basketball kicks off their regular season in a home match-up against Manhattan College on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. The last meeting these two teams had was last year, which saw Stony Brook edging out Manhattan by a score of 55-50.
