Seawolves set program record for America East wins in a season.
West Hartford, Conn. - Junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a game-high 21 points and senior Demetrius Young (Sacramento, Calif.) added 15 to lead the Stony Brook University men's basketball team to a 62-40 victory over the Hartford Hawks on Thursday night at Chase Arena. The Seawolves improved to 16-12 with the victory, guaranteeing the program's second winning season since 1992-93. SBU also improved to 8-7 in America East with the win, its most America East victories ever. The victory also guarantees the Seawolves, who currently sit in fourth place in the America East, can finish no lower than fifth place in the conference standings as they head into the regular season finale at New Hampshire on Sunday.
"I'm really proud of the intensity and effort our guys played with tonight," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Our defense was terrific once again tonight and that's what won us this game."
El-Amin scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half and also grabbed six rebounds. Freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) grabbed a team-high nine rebounds as he broke Leon Brisport's Division I record for rebounds in a season. Brenton now has 250 boards on the season, passing the 247 that Brisport grabbed in the 2001-02 season.
Stony Brook jumped to a 13-3 lead just over five minutes into the game with the help of two three-pointers from freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.). His first three gave him 302 points on the season, setting the program's Division I freshman record for points in a season. D.J. Munir held the previous record as he scored 301 points in the 2000-01 season.
The Seawolves lead would grow to as many as 11 on a free throw from Brenton before Hartford scored five straight points to draw within six midway though the first half. Hartford eventually sliced the SBU lead to four, 20-16, on two Michael Turner free throws with 4:50 remaining but Young answered with consecutive inside hoops to push the Seawolves lead back to eight with two and a half minutes left until halftime.
Jaret von Rosenberg would score seven of the next nine points to bring Hartford back within four but El-Amin drilled a three as time expired to send the Seawolves into the break with a 30-23 lead. Dougher scored 10 first half points for the Seawolves, who held Hartford to 28 percent shooting in the first half.
SBU took control of the game in the opening minutes of the second half, going on a 14-5 run to take a commanding 44-28 lead with 15:20 remaining in the game. El-Amin scored eight points in the run. Hartford would then run off five straight points to close within 11 but El-Amin answered with a three and Joyner then followed with a put-back hoop to push the Seawolves lead back to 16 with 10:23 left in the game.
Stony Brook still led by 16 with just under seven minutes remaining before Brenton hit one of two free throws to spark a 7-0 run that gave the Seawolves their largest lead of the game, 60-37, with 3:51 remaining. The run was highlighted by a spectacular Young alley-opp dunk off a feed from El-Amin.
The Seawolves return to action on Sunday, traveling to take on New Hampshire to close out the 2008-09 regular season. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
"I'm really proud of the intensity and effort our guys played with tonight," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Our defense was terrific once again tonight and that's what won us this game."
El-Amin scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half and also grabbed six rebounds. Freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) grabbed a team-high nine rebounds as he broke Leon Brisport's Division I record for rebounds in a season. Brenton now has 250 boards on the season, passing the 247 that Brisport grabbed in the 2001-02 season.
Stony Brook jumped to a 13-3 lead just over five minutes into the game with the help of two three-pointers from freshman Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.). His first three gave him 302 points on the season, setting the program's Division I freshman record for points in a season. D.J. Munir held the previous record as he scored 301 points in the 2000-01 season.
The Seawolves lead would grow to as many as 11 on a free throw from Brenton before Hartford scored five straight points to draw within six midway though the first half. Hartford eventually sliced the SBU lead to four, 20-16, on two Michael Turner free throws with 4:50 remaining but Young answered with consecutive inside hoops to push the Seawolves lead back to eight with two and a half minutes left until halftime.
Jaret von Rosenberg would score seven of the next nine points to bring Hartford back within four but El-Amin drilled a three as time expired to send the Seawolves into the break with a 30-23 lead. Dougher scored 10 first half points for the Seawolves, who held Hartford to 28 percent shooting in the first half.
SBU took control of the game in the opening minutes of the second half, going on a 14-5 run to take a commanding 44-28 lead with 15:20 remaining in the game. El-Amin scored eight points in the run. Hartford would then run off five straight points to close within 11 but El-Amin answered with a three and Joyner then followed with a put-back hoop to push the Seawolves lead back to 16 with 10:23 left in the game.
Stony Brook still led by 16 with just under seven minutes remaining before Brenton hit one of two free throws to spark a 7-0 run that gave the Seawolves their largest lead of the game, 60-37, with 3:51 remaining. The run was highlighted by a spectacular Young alley-opp dunk off a feed from El-Amin.
The Seawolves return to action on Sunday, traveling to take on New Hampshire to close out the 2008-09 regular season. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
