JETER, HORSEY LEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TO 56-38 WIN OVER SAN JOSE STATE IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Sophomore duo combine for 31 points

Los Angeles, Calif. - Sophomore Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) tied her career high with 16 points and sophomore Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) had a season-high 15 points to lead the Stony Brook University women's basketball team to a 56-38 win over San Jose State in the consolation game of the 2008 Courtyard by Marriott LA Westside Classic at Loyola Marymount University on Monday evening. Kelly Blair led the Spartans (1-11) with 13 points.
"I was very pleased with our effort tonight," head coach Michele Cherry said. "The key to tonight's game was that we made shots early and didn't let up. I thought our effort on both ends of the court was very good and this is a good thing for us going into conference play."
Stony Brook (2-10) showed a lot of prowess on offense in the early going, connecting on 7-of-13 shots in the first five minutes of the game. Forcing six Spartan turnovers and dominating the boards, especially on the offensive end, San Jose State was forced to call its second timeout of the first half following a jumper from Horsey that made the score 15-4. Six straight points including a steal and a layup by Horsey gave Stony Brook a 17-point lead.
Helped by poor shooting from San Jose State in which it shot 2-of-14 and went through a point drought of 7:35, back-to-back jumpers from Jeter gave the Seawolves their biggest lead of the game, 27-7. The 20-point lead was the biggest the Seawolves have owned this season up to that point.
San Jose State ended the first half on an 8-2 spurt but Horsey's eight points and Jeter's six helped the Seawolves to a 29-15 halftime lead.
The Seawolves came out with the same intensity on offense to start the second half, connecting on 5-of-6 shots while opening up a 22-point lead. A free throw from sophomore Ariel Brown (Lumberton, N.J.) and jumper from Jeter opened up a 25-point lead for Stony Brook but on the ensuing possession for San Jose State, Chasity Shavers hit a three-pointer and its fourth of the game.

A second three from Shavers and a conventional three-point play from Shaunna Ridge cut into the Stony Brook lead, 45-33, but a jumper from junior Kairsten Nunn (Bowie, Md.) and a steal at half court that turned into a layup for freshman Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) stretched the lead back up to 16.
After the brief spurt from San Jose State, Stony Brook remained in control of the game and held on for a 56-38 win.
Along with Horsey and Jeter, Murray chipped in with eight points, six steals and four assists and junior Sarah Kazadi (Bronx, N.Y.) was solid as well, tallying four points, nine rebounds and a career-high five blocks.
Shaunna Ridge had nine points and leading scorer coming into the game, Natalie White, was held to just eight on 2-of-11 shooting.
Stony Brook opens up America East play at home against Boston University on January 7. Tip-off is slated for 7 pm.

EL-AMIN LEADS MEN'S BASKETBALL TO 68-52 VICTORY OVER SAINT PETER'S

Seawolves off to best start since joining Division I in 1999.

Jersey City, N.J. - Junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a career-high 27 points and freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) added 12 points and nine rebounds as the Stony Brook University men's basketball team defeated the Saint Peter's Peacocks, 68-52, on Sunday afternoon at the Yanitelli Center. Stony Brook improves to 6-5 with the victory, its best ever start since joining the Division I ranks in 1999. Saint Peter's fall to 4-8 with the loss.
"Our guys were really focused coming in and it showed in our performance this afternoon," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We were able to get big contributions from a lot of guys including Muhammad [El-Amin], who got us off to a terrific start."
Saint Peter's scored the first basket of the game but the Seawolves answered with seven straight points on two baskets from El-Amin and a three-pointer from freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J). The America East Player of the game, El-Amin went 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free throw line. Dougher finished with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting
The Peacocks would close to within two before the Seawolves went on a 6-0 run, highlighted by four points from El-Amin, to take its largest lead of the game at 13-5 with 14 minutes remaining in the half. Stony Brook led by six with 7:55 to go before El-Amin nailed his second three-pointer of the game to start a 13-2 spurt that gave SBU a 32-16 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the opening half. El-Amin scored 10 of his 18 first-half points in the run.
Jordan Costner ended the Seawolves run with two free throws but Brenton followed with a put-back hoop and a three-pointer to give Stony Brook their largest lead of the game at 37-18 with 2:58 left in the first period. The teams traded hoops over the next two minutes before Brandon Hall knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Peacocks within 16 with 30 seconds left. But Dougher answered with a floater with three seconds remaining in the half to send the Seawolves into the break up 41-23.

El-Amin went 5-for-9 from the field in the opening half including three of five from the three-point line. Brenton added 10 points to go along with eight rebounds for the Seawolves, who went 12-for-16 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes. Akeem Gooding and Wesley Jenkins scored six points apiece in the opening half for the Peacocks.
Saint Peter's opened the second half on a 6-1 run to close to within 13 but El-Amin answered with a long jumper and freshman Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) followed with a tough hoop in the lane to push the Seawolves lead back to 17. SBU led by 15 just over nine minutes into the second half before Joyner knocked down a turnaround jumper, the first of three straight Seawolves hoops that pushed their lead to 22 with eight and a half minutes left in the game
The Peacocks closed to within 14 on a Costner three-point play with 4:33 remaining but El-Amin had answer once again, tipping in a Joyner miss to push the Seawolves advantage back to 16. Saint Peter's would get as close as 12 on a Jenkins free throw with 2:05 remaining but Joyner followed with thunderous dunk to seal the game for SBU.
The Seawolves shot 48.9 percent (22-for-45) from the field for the game including a terrific 6-for-11 from three-point range. Jenkins scored a team-high 20 points for the Peacocks who turned the ball over 20 times.
The Seawolves will return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 31, traveling to take on Air Force. Game time is set for 5 p.m EST.

HALL OF FAMER, CHARLIE BRYANT PASSES AWAY

Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Famer, Charlie Bryant, Passes Away

Bryant Was a Two-Time MVP of the Stony Brook Basketball Team

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's Department of Athletics is mourning the loss of former men's basketball standout Ronald "Charlie" Bryant ('87). He died last week at his home in Maryland after suffering a heart attack. Bryant is survived by his wife, Adrienne; daughter, Deirdre Deniece; and son, Brandon Charles. He was 43.
Bryant had a standout basketball career at Stony Brook in the late `80s. As a senior during the 1986-87 season he led the team in scoring, assists and steals from his point guard position, averaging 21.9 points per game, the fourth-highest single-season scoring average in Stony Brook history. His 591 points scored during the season is third in the SBU record book for a single-season and included six games reaching the 30-point mark, including a pair of 35-point efforts in back-to-back games. During his two seasons at Stony Brook he scored 791 points, helping the team to a 20-8 record in 1985-86 and a 21-6 record in 1986-87 that included an appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Stony Brook's MVP after both the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons, he was inducted into the Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Athletics Hall of Fame at Stony Brook on October 14, 2000.
"It is a sad day whenever we lose one of our own," said Director of Athletics Jim Fiore. "The sudden passing of Charlie Bryant is especially sad at this time of the year. He was a great representative of Stony Brook while a student and an athlete and we are honored to have him enshrined in our Hall of Fame. Our thoughts are with his wife and children at this difficult time."
A native of Roosevelt, N.Y., Bryant moved to Maryland three years ago where he was an executive vice-president of Builders Bank in Bethesda. He was an executive for a number of banks, including Chase Bank and Roslyn Savings bank, before becoming the executive vice president of Builders Bank in Freeport, N.Y. Bryant has been mentioned in financial publications for his role in funding leadership for multimillion-dollar building projects in the New York City area.

SOFTBALL LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TITLE, ANNOUNCES 2009 SCHEDULE

Seawolves home-opener is May 18th against Yale

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's softball team will face teams from 11 different conferences over its 47-game schedule during the 2009 season. The schedule, which was released by head coach Megan Bryant on Wednesday, features a match-up against Long Island rival and fellow NCAA Tournament team, Hofstra, and three games against Big East opponents.
The Seawolves open the 2009 campaign at the University of Central Florida Tournament in Orlando, Florida on February 27th. Stony Brook's first game will be against the Florida A&M Rattlers followed by an afternoon tilt against Villanova. The Seawolves will also face Syracuse, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan over the three-day long tournament.
Stony Brook returns to the Sunshine State the following weekend to compete in the FAU "Miken" Classic, where they will face Towson, Florida Gulf Coast, Central Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Columbia.
After holding their home-opener against Yale on March 18th, the Seawolves will once against host the Stony Brook Invitational. Taking place over the March 21st weekend, Stony Brook will face Fairfield, Holy Cross and Quinnipiac.
Stony Brook's non-tournament schedule features 18 home contests, including four America East series.
On April 23rd, the Seawolves travel to Hempstead, N.Y. to play Hofstra. This is the first time these two teams have played since 2006, when the Pride beat Stony Brook, 4-2.
For the third straight-season Stony Brook wraps up its regular-season schedule with a series against the University at Albany. The Seawolves will travel up to Albany the weekend of May 2nd. The four-team America East Tournament will be played May 7th-9th.

BASEBALL LOOKING AGAIN TO NCAA'S IN '09, SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Seawolves open home schedule on March 21 against LeMoyne.

Stony Brook opens the season with a four-game series against Florida Atlantic (Feb. 27-March 1), part of a season-opening 11-game road trip that will also take the Seawolves to Conway, S.C. for Coastal Carolina's Caravelle Resort Tournament (March 6-8), as well as to Richmond, Va. for a three-game set against Virginia Commonwealth (March 14-15).
The Seawolves begin their home schedule with a four-game series against LeMoyne College (March 21-22) before playing a home-and-home series with New York Tech (March 27-29). Stony Brook opens its conference season at University Field the following weekend, hosting the Vermont Catamounts.
Following a two-game set at ACC opponent Virginia (April 7-8), the Seawolves will play back-to-back road series against America East foes UMBC (April 10-12) and Binghamton (17-19). SBU will then close its 11-game road trip with a midweek game against Hofstra on April 21 before welcoming Albany to University Field for a four-game series on April 24-26.
The Seawolves play their final road series of season on May 8-10 against Hartford and then close out the regular season with a four-game set against Maine (May 14-16).The four-team 2009 America East Tournament will be played on May 21-23.
Stony Brook returns all nine of its position starters from last season's NCAA Tournament team that recorded 34 wins, the programs most victories since 2001.

DANNY CARTER SCORES 20, BUT SBU FALLS AT #2 UCONN 91-57

Hartford, Conn. - Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet led five Connecticut players in double-figures with 18 points apiece as the second-ranked Huskies defeated the Stony Brook University men's basketball team, 91-57, on Monday night at the XL Center. Freshman Danny Carter (London, England) led the Seawolves with a game-high 20 points. Stony Brook falls to 5-5 with the loss while the Huskies improve to 9-0.
"I was happy with our effort tonight but I was disappointed with our overall execution on the defensive side of the court," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I like my team though. We just have to go back to work and continue to get better.
Stony Brook trailed by only 11 points, at 44-33, after a three-pointer from junior Jonathan Moore (Cleveland, Ohio) just 40 seconds into the second half. But Craig Austrie answered with a three-pointer on the other end for the Huskies to kick start an 8-0 run that put UConn up 51-33 with 17:53 remaining.
The Seawolves would not go away though, closing their deficit to 12 with 15:58 left after back-to-back three-pointers from freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.). But Connecticut once again had an answer, this time going on a 22-4 spurt to to take its largest lead of the game at 75-45 with 9:28 remaining in the contest. Freshman Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) would end the run with a jumper but it wasn't enough as the Huskies went on to their ninth straight victory to open the season.
The America East Player of the game, Carter shot 8-for-13 from the field in addition to grabbing a career-high six rebounds. Adrien registered 10 rebounds to go along with his 18 points for the Huskies who shot 62.7 percent from the field for the game in addition to going 19-for-27 from the foul line.

Connecticut started the game quickly, grabbing an early 8-2 lead. But the Seawolves clawed their way back into the contest, closing to within 10-7 on two Carter free throws. SBU still trailed by just five at 16-11 with 13:17 remaining but the Huskies then went on a 21-2 run over the next eight minutes to push its lead to 37-13 with 5:38 left in the period.
Stony Brook closed the half strong though, outscoring the Huskies 17-7 over the final five minutes of the first half. Carter scored seven points in the spurt including a three-pointer with four seconds remaining in the period to pull the Seawolves within 14 at the break.
Carter scored a game-high 14 points in the opening 20 minutes for the Seawolves who turned the ball over just five times in the first half. Adrien and Thabeet scored 12 points apiece in the first period for UConn who shot 57.1 percent in the opening half.
The Seawolves will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 28th, traveling to take on St. Peter's. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

SBU MEN FALL TO HOFSTRA 61-56, IN 2008 BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND

Senior Demetrius Young leads Seawolves with 21 points.
Dec. 10, 2008

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Demetrius Young (Sacramento, Calif.) tallied 21 points and nine rebounds but it wasn't enough as the Stony Brook men's basketball team fell to the Hofstra Pride, 61-56, on Wednesday night at a sold out Pritchard Gymnasium. Stony Brook falls to 5-4 with the loss while Hofstra improves to 7-1.
"This was a terrific college basketball game in a great atmosphere," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Hofstra is an excellent basketball team and they just made a few more plays down the stretch than we did. But I like my basketball team and I definitely think we're headed in the right direction."
Young had his best game of the young season for Stony Brook, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 11 points for the Seawolves, who held the Pride to 18.2 percent (4-for-22) shooting in the second half. Sophomore Charles Jenkins registered a team-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds for Hofstra who went 15-for-27 from the free throw line in the second half after failing to shoot from the charity stripe in the opening period.
Hofstra jumped out to a quick lead, scoring seven of the first eight points of the game to open a six-point advantage just 3:50 into the contest. The Seawolves answered though with a 7-3 run, highlighted by a Dougher three-pointer, to cut the Hofstra lead to 10-8 with 13:37 remaining in the first half.
But the Pride then seized control of the game, going on a 24-6 run over the next six and a half minutes to take a 30-14 lead on a Nathaniel Lester three-pointer with 6:20 left. Young and junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) would not let Stony Brook go away though as they scored the Seawolves last 14 points of the period to send SBU into the break down by just 11 at 37-26.

Young, the America East Player of the Game, scored a team-high nine points in the first half for the Seawolves who shot just 30 percent (9-for-30) in the first 20 minutes. Hofstra shot 55.2 percent (16-for-29) in opening period, led by Jenkins who scored 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Hofstra again appeared to gain control of the game to open the second half, scoring the first five points of the period to match its largest lead of game at 42-26 with 17:51 left in the contest. But sophomore Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) hit one of two free throws and Young then followed with a lay-up before Dougher hit another three to chop Hofstra's lead back to 10 with 15:33 remaining.
The Pride maintained their double-digit lead over the next several minutes before another Dougher three-pointer brought the Seawolves to within 50-41 with 7:38 left. Hofstra still held an eight-point advantage with 3:45 remaining but Martin then knocked down a jumper as the Seawolves scored five of the next seven points to draw within five at 55-50 with 1:14 left in the contest.
Cornelius Vines then hit of one two free throws for the Pride to make it a six-point game before Martin answered with a three-point play to cut Stony Brook's deficit to three with 39 seconds left on the clock. But that is as close as the Seawolves would get as Hofstra went 5-for-6 from the free throw line over the final half minute to secure their seventh straight victory.
The Seawolves return to action on Monday, traveling to take on #2 Connecticut. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

SBU WOMEN PICK-UP FIRST WIN OVER YALE 73-68

Seawolves overcome 10-point second half deficit

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Sophomore Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) and freshman Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) recorded career-highs with 16 and 13 points, respectively, helping Stony Brook erase a 10-point second half deficit as it defeated Yale, 73-68, for its first victory of the 2008-09 eason. Stony Brook is 1-7 while Yale drops to 3-4.
"This is one we really needed," head coach Michele Cherry said. "Our nemesis has been making shots and fortunately, we made shots down the stretch. Our defense really improved over the course of the game especially in the second half, holding them to just 22 percent shooting."
After two free throws from Kaitlyn Lillemoe gave Yale a 59-49 lead with 8:46 remaining in the second half, Stony Brook outscored the visitors, 24-9, the rest of the game. With the Seawolves down nine, 60-51, an 8-0 run from the Seawolves cut the Yale lead to just one with 4:13 remaining. Yale missed all six of its shots during that stretch.
Stony Brook took its first lead since 10-8 when Jacobs' put-back of junior Kairsten Nunn's (Bowie, Md.) miss was good as she was fouled. Jacobs made the free throw, giving the Seawolves a 66-64 lead. Yale tied the game on a layup from Melissa Colborne but on the next possession a flurry ensued. Horsey rebounded her own miss before a timeout was called by SBU. Eventually, the ball came into Jacobs in the post, who turned and missed a layup. Nunn was there for the offensive rebound and put-back, getting fouled on the play. She completed the three-point play with her third free throw of the night. Colborne would once again come down and make a layup, cutting Stony Brook's lead to 69-68 with 30.9 seconds left.

With the shot clock practically even with the game clock, Horsey brought the ball up attempting to run the clock. Fouled on a drive with eight seconds left, she hit both free throws to put Stony Brook up three. Following a Yale timeout and with token full-court pressure, Ashley Carter's inbounds pass went awry and out-of-bounds, giving Stony Brook the ball. Horsey was immediately fouled and sealed the victory with two clutch free throws wiht four seconds remaining.
Junior Joia Daniels (Silver Spring, Md.) led the Seawolves early as they shot 5-for-7 from the field and scored on six of their eight possessions. After Stony Brook led 15-11, Yale answered with a 14-2 run during which Stony Brook missed seven straight shots and only made a pair of free throws. A three-pointer from Jamie Van Horne gave Yale an eight-point lead, its biggest of the first half, at 35-27 with a minute left. After starting the first half 9-for-10 from the line, the Seawolves missed their next five attempts.
Early in the second half Yale stretched the lead to 10 after two free throws from Colborne, who went 12-for-12 from line on the evening. Twice the Seawolves cut the lead to as little as three but each time the Bulldogs responded. Yale led by 10 points five times in the second half, the final time coming after Lillemoe's free throws. The Bulldogs went 2-of-10 from the field the rest of the way and was just 5-of-23 in the second half. The final five minutes of the game had Stony Brook shooting 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Aside from Horsey and Jacobs, Daniels finished with 13 points and sophomore Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) had 10 points including 6-for-6 from the line. Jacobs also added a career-high eight rebounds as she earned America East Player of the Game honors.
Colborne was the game's high scorer with 24 points. Haywood Wright added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Yale shot 31-of-38 from the line.
Stony Brook returns to action on Saturday when it travels to face Dartmouth. Tip-off against the Big Green is slated for 2 pm.

SECOND-HALF SURGE LEAD SEAWOLVES MEN OVER LEHIGH 71-50

Seawolves win third straight game.


Stony Brook, N.Y. - Sophomore Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) scored a career-high 19 points and junior Desmond Adedeji (Landover Hills, Md.) added 11 points and nine rebounds as the Stony Brook University men's basketball team used a dominating second half to defeat the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 71-50, on Friday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. Stony Brook improves to 4-3 with the victory while Lehigh falls to 5-3.
"We won this game with a great defensive effort in the second half," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I couldn't be prouder of the effort and intensity our team played with tonight even after falling behind early. It was a terrific win for our team and for our fans, who were fantastic tonight."
Martin, the America East Player of the Game, scored 13 second-half points for the Seawolves who closed the game on a 39-10 run. In just his second game for the Seawolves, Adedeji went 5-for-9 from the field and blocked three shots. With the victory the Seawolves are now off to their best start since the 2004-05 squad also started the season 4-3.
The Mountain Hawks got off to a quick start, jumping out to a 10-2 lead behind eight early points from Marquis Hall. Stony Brook cut the lead to five at 12-7 on a three-pointer from freshman Danny Carter (London, England) before Lehigh answered with six straight points to push its advantage to 11 midway through the opening half.
SBU responded with six straight points though, cutting the Mountain Hawks lead to five on two Martin free throws with 7:46 remaining in the half. But the Mountain Hawks maintained the five-point lead the rest of the half and went into the break up 27-22.

Martin had a team-high six first-half points for the Seawolves who got points from seven different players in the opening period. Hall scored a game-high 10 points in the first 20 minutes for the Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh quickly scored the first five points of the second half, on a Hall three and Keefer jumper, to go up 32-22 just one minute into the period. Freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.), who finished the game with 13 points and season-high eight rebounds, tallied the Seawolves first basket of the half a minute later, knocking down a three from the left side to cut SBU's deficit to seven.
The Mountain Hawks still led by eight with 11:11 remaining in the game after Zahir Carrington answered a thunderous dunk from Adedeji with a lay-up. But Carter then ignited the Seawolves as he blocked a Prentice Small shot and beat the Mountain Hawks down court, laying it in off a beautiful pass from Martin. Adedeji followed with a hook in the lane and junior Jonathan Moore (Cleveland, Ohio) then knocked down a three to pull the Seawolves within one at 40-39 with nine minutes left.
Stony Brook grabbed its first lead of game seconds later on an Adedeji put-back hoop and Martin then followed with an acrobatic lay-up that put the Seawolves up 43-40. A Small basket finally broke the Seawolves 11-0 run, but Moore hit two free throws on the Seawolves next possession to kick start a 19-2 Stony Brook run that put the Seawolves up 62-44 with 2:29 remaining.
Martin scored seven points in the run for the Seawolves, who held Lehigh to just two field goals over a nine minute span in the second half. SBU shot 53.3 percent (16-30) from the field in the second period while holding the Mountain Hawks to just 30 percent (9-for-30) shooting.
The Seawolves return to action on Sunday, hosting Mount Ida College at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

SERAFINI TO PROVIDE COLOR COMMENTARY ON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAMES

Serafini To Provide Color Commentary On Women's Basketball Games
Seawolves take on Sacred Heart tonight at 7 pm.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Beginning with this Saturday's game against Northeastern, Stony Brook Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Administration Sue Serafini, will join play-by-play announcer Jeff Bernstein '92, providing color commentary on select women's basketball games, it was announced on Wednesday morning.
Serafini joined the Stony Brook athletics staff in January of 2008 as the department's Assistant AD for Sports Administration. She brings more than 16 years of athletics experience to the Stony Brook program as both an administrator and coach. Prior to Stony Brook, she served as an advanced scout for the New York Liberty of the WNBA.
Serafini spent eight seasons as an assistant coach with the Kansas State women's basketball team, where she helped build the Wildcat program into one of the finest in the nation. In her eight seasons with the program, the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times (1997, 2002, 2003 and 2004), won a WNIT Preseason Championship in 2002 and claimed a share of the Big 12 Conference regular season title in 2004. In addition to coaching responsibilities, Serafini was also responsible for the programs' marketing and promotions, community relations, academic progress and served as the campus and administrative representative for the program at the Big 12, WNIT and NCAA tournament appearances.
Serafini began her coaching career at the University of Scranton where she coached both women's basketball and volleyball. In 1995, as head coach of the basketball team, she led the squad to a 24-2 record, a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament and was named the region's Coach of the Year. During her time as both a head and an assistant coach, the squad won three conference championships and made five NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Final Four in 1993. Her volleyball teams won one league championship and were three-time divisional finalists.

A 1991 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Serafini played for four years for the women's basketball team and earned a bachelor's degree in physical education. She earned a master's degree in human resources/school counseling from the University of Scranton in 1994.

SOFTBALL SIGNS THREE TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

Players come from Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's softball team has received national letters of intent from Sarah Landes, Shannon O'Shea and Samantha Rossi, head coach Megan Bryant announced on Tuesday. "We are thrilled to welcome Sarah, Shannon and Samantha and their families to Stony Brook University and the Seawolves softball program," said Bryant. "These are exceptional young women who will make a difference here at Stony Brook."
Landes, a native of Telford, Pa., is finishing her senior year at Souderton Area High School. The 5'9'' infielder can play both third base and catcher and plays travel ball for TNT Gold and Coach Roy Godard. As a junior, Landes hit .372 with 62 RBI and posted a .982 fielding percentage. She was also named the Souderton Area High School Most Dedicated Athlete. "Sarah is a talented and smart player who hits for power and does a terrific job at third and behind the plate," said Bryant. "Sarah brings an incredible work ethic and intensity to our team and I have always admired her presence and confidence on the field. We see her in the middle of our line-up as a run producer. Sarah is also an outstanding student and Stony Brook is a great fit for her academically and athletically."
O'Shea is another multi-position player, with experience at both catcher and first base. Hailing from Lake Worth, Fla. she attends Park Vista Community High School and plays travel ball for the Lady Gators Gold and Coach Eric Call. As a junior, she was named all-conference after leading the team in extra base hits and driving in 21 runs while leading Park Vista to a 24-3 record. During her three years, Park Vista has a 71-10-1 record, has won three district titles and reached the regional semifinals. O'Shea is also a Park Vista Scholar-Athlete having posted a GPA of 3.5 or higher. "Shannon is an excellent catcher and has all the tools to be a dominant player in our conference," said Bryant. "She knows the position, works well with pitchers, has a strong arm with a quick release and leads from behind the plate. She also plays a very good first base. Shannon hits the ball hard and has good potential with the bat. She loves the game and knows what it takes to compete at the highest level."

Rossi, a native of Marlton, N.J., is also an infielder. Currently attending Cherokee High School, she plays travel ball for the Indian Mills Mystics Gold and Coach Stacy Jackson. Rossi hit .387 with 19 RBI and 16 steals last season, earning her team's MVP award and the honor of being named to the Carpenter Cup. "Sam is a great addition to our team both offensively and defensively," said Bryant. "She is a gutsy infielder with big play potential and she covers a lot of ground. Sam has tremendous speed from the left side and has the ability to drive the ball or drop it down. She works the count well and will put real pressure on the opponent's defense. We believe that Sam's game will take off at the next level.
"Sarah, Shannon and Sam have played for excellent travel programs and coaches who have prepared them well for the challenges of the college game. They all know what it means to lead a team and get to get the job done. Our staff expects all three to make an immediate contribution to our team's success."

DOUGHER'S CAREER-HIGH 24 POINTS LEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL TO 60-39 VICTORY OVER NJIT

Seawolves win second straight game.


Newark, N.J. - Freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) knocked down five three-pointers on his way to a career-high 24 points to lead the Stony Brook University men's basketball team to a 60-39 victory over the New Jersey Tech Highlanders on Tuesday night at the Fleisher Athletic Center. Stony Brook improves to 3-3 with the victory while the Highlanders fall to 0-6.
"I couldn't be happier with the effort and intensity our guys played with on the defensive end tonight," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Bryan got us off to a tremendous start and then our defense really took over the game."
Dougher was spectacular for the Seawolves, scoring 18 of his 24 points in the opening half. The 6-1 guard shot 6-for-8 from the field for the game in addition to knocking down seven of his nine free throw attempts. Junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich) added 13 points for the Seawolves who held the Highlanders to 30 percent (15-for-50) shooting from the field.
The Seawolves were sharp from the start, opening the game on a 14-4 run behind Dougher who scored the Seawolves first eight points on two three-pointers and a driving lay-up. The Seawolves defense was stifling to open the game, holding the Highlanders to just two baskets over the first 10 minutes of the contest.
SBU pushed its lead to 12 minutes later on two free throws from junior Andrew Goba (Durban, South Africa) and another three from Dougher. NJIT would cut the Seawolves lead to nine at 22-13 with just under six minutes left in the opening half but Dougher once against had an answer, knocking down his fourth three of the half to put SBU back up by 12.

The Seawolves still led by 12 at 27-15 with just three minutes remaining in the first period but freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) then got free from an easy lay-up and Dougher followed with another three-pointer to send Stony Brook to the break with its largest lead of the game at 32-15.
Dougher, the America East Player of the Game, was sensational in the opening 20 minutes, shooting 6-for-7 from the field and 5-for-6 from three in addition to recording three steals. El-Amin chipped in eight first-half points for the Seawolves who forced 14 NJIT turnovers while holding the Highlanders to 20.9 percent (5-for-24) shooting in the opening period.
Stony Brook continued its strong play to open the second half going on a 7-2 run, highlighted by a Brenton fast-break dunk, to build its lead to 39-17 with just under 16 minutes remaining in the game. NJIT would cut the lead to 16 on a Teddy Schickel lay-up with just under 11 minutes left but El-Amin answered with five straight Seawolves points to build the SBU lead back to 20 with 9:50 remaining.
Brenton followed with four straight points, on two free throws and a tough runner in the lane, to give the Seawolves their largest lead of the game at 50-26. NJIT would close to within 19 on a Gary Garris dunk with just under four minutes left but Dougher set up senior Demetrius Young (Sacramento, Calif.) for an easy lay-up on the ensuing possession as the Seawolves coasted to their second straight victory.
The Seawolves return to action on Friday, hosting Lehigh at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

LATE MARTIN HOOP LEADS MEN'S BASKETBALL TO 62-60 VICTORY OVER COLUMBIA

Late Martin Hoop Leads Men's Basketball To 62-60 Victory Over Columbia
Freshman Bryan Dougher leads Seawolves with 15 points.

New York, N.Y. - Sophomore Chris Martin's (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) put back lay-up with 35 seconds remaining broke a 60-all tie as the Stony Brook's men's basketball team defeated the Columbia Lions, 62-60, on Saturday afternoon at Levien Gymnasium. Stony Brook improves to 2-3 with the victory while the Lions fall to 2-4.
"This was a terrific team win for our guys on the road against a good basketball team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We really stepped up and made the plays we needed to make down the stretch on both the offensive and defensive end. Hopefully we can build on this win as we move forward."
With the score tied at 60, freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) missed on an off-balance jumper but Martin was there to grab the rebound and lay it in and give SBU the 62-60 lead with 35 second left. Columbia missed on a three-point attempt on their next possession and then fouled junior Jonathan Moore (Cleveland, Ohio) after Brenton had grabbed the defensive rebound.
Moore missed on the front end of a one-and-one to give Columbia one last chance to tie or take the lead. The Lions worked the ball to Ansenso Ampim who came up short on his three-point attempt with four second remaining. Niko Scott was there to grab the offensive rebound for Columbia but his off-balance three-pointer as time expired missed to give the Seawolves their second straight victory at Levien Gym.
Freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.), the America East Player of the Game, led the Seawolves with 15 points while junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) chipped in 11. Martin finished with nine points for Stony Brook who shot 54.5 percent (12-for-22) from the field in the second half.

Columbia scored the first four points of the game before Dougher hit a long three to notch the Seawolves first basket of the contest. Moore then sandwiched two threes around a Columbia basket to give Stony Brook a 9-6 lead just over four minutes in.
K.J. Matsui scored five of Columbia's next six points to give the Lions a 12-9 lead but El-Amin answered with a jumper and Martin followed with a driving lay-up to give the Seawolves the lead. Columbia responded by going on a 10-4 run, with Matsui scoring five of those points, to take its largest lead of the game at 22-17 with just over four minutes left in the opening half.
Dougher came back with four straight points though and freshman Danny Carter (London, England) followed with a fast-break lay-up to give the Seawolves the lead back. Joe Bova tied the game at 23-all with a free throw but Carter answered with two free throws and El-Amin followed with a short jumper to make it 27-23 in favor of Stony Brook.Patrick Foley knocked down a short jumper with time running down in the first half to bring the Lions within two at the break.
Dougher scored a team-high seven points in the opening period for the Seawolves who forced 12 Columbia turnovers. Matsui had a game-high 10 first half points for the Lions who shot 40.9 percent over the first 20 minutes.
The Seawolves looked to put the game away at the start of the second period, scoring 18 of the half's first 21 points to take a 45-30 lead with just over 15 minutes remaining. The run was highlighted by three-pointers from Dougher, Moore and El-Amin and a fast break lay-up from senior Marques Cox (Jamaica, N.Y.).
Columbia answered with a 7-0 run but Martin came back with a three from the right wing to push the Seawolves advantage back to 11. The Lions did not go away though, going on a 14-5 spurt to draw within two on a Scott three with 4:40 to go in the game.
Foley nearly tied it on the Lions next possession but his fast-break lay-up just rolled off the rim. Cox then came back and hit a short baseline jumper to make it 55-51 Stony Brook with just over four minutes left. Ampin hit two free throws on Columbia's next possession to draw the Lions back within two but Dougher then nailed a three from the left side to make it 58-53 in favor of Stony Brook.
Matsui answered for the Lions, hitting another three-pointer, but El-Amin responded with a driving lay-up on the other end to make it a four-point Seawolves lead. But Columbia scored four straight points to tie the score at 60-all with just under a minute to go.
The Seawolves return to action on Tuesday, traveling to take on NJIT. Game time is set for 7 p.m.