"This was an excellent win for us against a very good NJIT team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We played outstanding on the defensive end of the court and Bryan was terrific."
The America East Player of the Game, Dougher shot 7-for-13 from the field and went 5-for-8 from three-point land in addition to tying his career-high with eight rebounds. Dougher's previous career-best in points came last season when he scored 24 at NJIT.
Sophomore Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) added five points and tied a career-high with nine rebounds while sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) grabbed nine boards in addition to recording a career-high five steals. The Seawolves held NJIT to 32.7 percent (16-for-49) shooting and forced the Highlanders into 18 turnovers.
Both teams struggled to score in the early going, with NJIT (2-3) taking a 3-2 lead after four minutes. But the Seawolves scored five of the next six points including a three from sophomore Danny Carter (London, England) to take a 7-3 advantage. The Highlanders would close to within 7-6 but Dougher scored the Seawolves next five points and then set-up Joyner for a reverse lay-up as SBU took a 14-8 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the half.
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Stony Brook led by three with just under six minutes remaining but Dougher nailed his third three of the half to push the Seawolves lead back to six. NJIT would cut the SBU lead to one on a Drejon Scott three with two minutes left but Joyner dunked home a Dougher miss, following a Stony Brook timeout, to put the Seawolves on top 24-21.
The teams traded baskets over the final minute of the half as SBU took a 26-23 lead into the break. Dougher scored a game-high 13 points in the first half for the Seawolves, who held the Highlanders to 33.3 percent shooting. Scott tallied eight points in the opening period to lead NJIT.
Brenton got free for a dunk for the first basket of the second half and Dougher followed with two free throws to give the Seawolves their largest lead of the game to that point at 30-23. NJIT would cut the SBU lead back to four on an Isaiah Wilkerson three but senior Desmond Adedeji (Landover Hills, Md.) then completed a three-point play and followed with a put-back hoop to kick start a 9-3 spurt that put SBU up 39-29 with just under 14 minutes remaining in the game.
SBU pushed its lead to 12 less than minute later on a driving lay-up from senior Eddie Castellanos (Jersey City, N.J.). NJIT would slice the lead to eight, midway through the period but Castellanos then set-up Dougher for a three from the left corner to push the Stony Brook lead back to 11.
Stony Brook still led by nine with six minutes left but Dougher drilled his fifth and final three of the game to make it 50-38 and freshman Preye Preboye(Springfield, Mass.) and Castellanos each followed with baskets to give the Seawolves their largest lead of the contest to that point at 54-38 with 4:38 remaining.
NJIT would get no closer than 12 the rest of the way as the Seawolves defeated the Highlanders for the fourth straight time. Wilkerson led three NJIT players in double-figures with 13 points.
Stony Brook returns to action on Monday, traveling to take on Lehigh. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
