Men's Basketball Uses Strong Second Half to Defeat Albany, 58-45
Seawolves win at Albany for the first time since 2004.
Albany, N.Y. - Junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the second half as the Stony Brook University men's basketball team held Albany to just 19 second half points on its way to a 58-45 victory over the Great Danes on Friday night at SEFCU Arena. It is the Seawolves first victory at Albany since the 2004 season. SBU improves to 10-9 overall and 2-4 in the America East with the victory while Albany falls to 11-8 and 3-3.
"What a terrific effort by our guys to come in here and beat a terrific Albany team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We struggled offensively in the first half but we came out and played terrific defense in the second half and that's what won us the game."
The America East Player of the Game for the Seawolves, El-Amin knocked down four shots from beyond the arc. Freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 12 points for the Seawolves, who held the Great Danes to 33.3 percent shooting in the second half. Will Harris scored a team-high 14 points for Albany, which had won seven straight at SEFCU Arena. .
El-Amin got the Seawolves off to a quick start, drilling two three-pointers in the first two minutes to give SBU a 6-0 advantage. Albany answered with seven straight points but sophomore Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) hit two free throws and senior Demetrius Young (Sacramento, Calif.) followed with a put-back hoop to give Stony Brook a 10-7 lead with 12:17 left in the first half.
But Albany then went on a 12-0 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a 19-10 lead on a Tim Ambrose three with 7:35 remaining in the half. Young finally ended the Great Dane run on the Seawolves ensuing possession, knocking down a three from the right wing.
Albany would push its lead to as much as 11 before Dougher scored six straight points, on a three-pointer and a three-point play, to pull the Seawolves within five, at 26-21, going into the break. Dougher and El-Amin scored six points apiece in the opening half for SBU, which shot just 28 percent in the first 20 minutes. Ambrose scored a game-high seven points for the Great Danes.
The Seawolves took control of the game at the start of the second half, going on a 14-2 run over the first three and a half minutes of the period to take a 35-30 lead. Dougher knocked down two three-pointers in the run, with El-Amin adding one. Harris stopped the Seawolves spurt with a lay-in but freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) answered with a three to put SBU up 38-32.
Albany would climb to within one, at 40-39, on a Harris three with 11:59 remaining but the Seawolves came back with a 9-2 run to take an eight-point lead with 8:52 remaining. The Great Danes closed to within four, at 49-45, with 4:49 left but senior Marques Cox (Jamaica, N.Y.) hit two free throws and Brenton then followed with a put-back hoop to put the Seawolves up 53-45 with two minutes remaining. Brenton put the game away seconds later as he forced a steal and then took the ball the length of the court for a thunderous dunk.
The Seawolves return to action on Sunday, hosting Hartford at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
Seawolves win at Albany for the first time since 2004.
Albany, N.Y. - Junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the second half as the Stony Brook University men's basketball team held Albany to just 19 second half points on its way to a 58-45 victory over the Great Danes on Friday night at SEFCU Arena. It is the Seawolves first victory at Albany since the 2004 season. SBU improves to 10-9 overall and 2-4 in the America East with the victory while Albany falls to 11-8 and 3-3.
"What a terrific effort by our guys to come in here and beat a terrific Albany team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We struggled offensively in the first half but we came out and played terrific defense in the second half and that's what won us the game."
The America East Player of the Game for the Seawolves, El-Amin knocked down four shots from beyond the arc. Freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 12 points for the Seawolves, who held the Great Danes to 33.3 percent shooting in the second half. Will Harris scored a team-high 14 points for Albany, which had won seven straight at SEFCU Arena. .
El-Amin got the Seawolves off to a quick start, drilling two three-pointers in the first two minutes to give SBU a 6-0 advantage. Albany answered with seven straight points but sophomore Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) hit two free throws and senior Demetrius Young (Sacramento, Calif.) followed with a put-back hoop to give Stony Brook a 10-7 lead with 12:17 left in the first half.
But Albany then went on a 12-0 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a 19-10 lead on a Tim Ambrose three with 7:35 remaining in the half. Young finally ended the Great Dane run on the Seawolves ensuing possession, knocking down a three from the right wing.
Albany would push its lead to as much as 11 before Dougher scored six straight points, on a three-pointer and a three-point play, to pull the Seawolves within five, at 26-21, going into the break. Dougher and El-Amin scored six points apiece in the opening half for SBU, which shot just 28 percent in the first 20 minutes. Ambrose scored a game-high seven points for the Great Danes.
The Seawolves took control of the game at the start of the second half, going on a 14-2 run over the first three and a half minutes of the period to take a 35-30 lead. Dougher knocked down two three-pointers in the run, with El-Amin adding one. Harris stopped the Seawolves spurt with a lay-in but freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) answered with a three to put SBU up 38-32.
Albany would climb to within one, at 40-39, on a Harris three with 11:59 remaining but the Seawolves came back with a 9-2 run to take an eight-point lead with 8:52 remaining. The Great Danes closed to within four, at 49-45, with 4:49 left but senior Marques Cox (Jamaica, N.Y.) hit two free throws and Brenton then followed with a put-back hoop to put the Seawolves up 53-45 with two minutes remaining. Brenton put the game away seconds later as he forced a steal and then took the ball the length of the court for a thunderous dunk.
The Seawolves return to action on Sunday, hosting Hartford at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
