Dougher's Career-High 25 Points Leads Men's Basketball To 60-46 Victory Over NJIT

Seawolves off to best start since 1993-94.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - 

Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored a career-high 25 points and tied his career-best with five three-pointers as he led the Stony Brook University men's basketball team to a 60-46 victory over the NJIT Highlanders on Saturday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium. Stony Brook improves to 4-1 with the win, its best start since the 1993-94 season.

"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. 

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.

Stony Brook Second In Commissioners Cup Standings After Fall Seasons

Seawolves Claim America East Championships in Women's Cross Country and Men's Soccer
Nov. 24, 2009
Boston, Mass. - Stony Brook University's Athletics Department's outstanding fall seasons have propelled it into second-place in the 2009-10 Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner's Cup standings after completion of the fall season the America East Conference announced today. Stony Brook won a pair of championships in the fall and totaled 117 points, trailing first-place New Hampshire by just three points. It was the best fall season showing in the Cup standings for Stony Brook since joining the America East.
Stony Brook started off the championship portion of the fall season at the America East Cross Country Championships where the women's team captured its third consecutive conference crown while the men's team finished third. On the soccer pitch the men's and women's teams both put together outstanding conference seasons. The SBU men finished second in the regular season standings and then went on to win the America East Championship with a 2-0 victory over UMBC in the final in LaValle Stadium, the team's second conference championship. On the women's side the Seawolves tied for third in the regular season and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. In volleyball Stony Brook finished tied for second in the regular season.
Stony Brook's 117 points are 25 more than it scored in the fall last year. In the final Commissioner's Cup standings last season the Seawolves finished third overall, a program record, winning one conference championship and a pair of regular season titles.

Santucci, Priore Earn Top Honors in Big South Annual Awards; Seven Seawolves Named All-Big South

Santucci Named Defensive Player of the Year, Priore Coach of the Year

Stony Brook, N.Y. - After claiming a share of the Big South Championship on Saturday with a victory over Liberty, the Stony Brook University football team picked up a pair of the major Big South awards when the conference announced its 2009 all-conference teams. Senior Tyler Santucci (New Kensington, Pa.) was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Head Coach Chuck Priore was selected as the Coach of the Year. Joining Santucci on the All-Big South first team were senior running back Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.), junior center Paul Fenaroli (Monroe, Conn.), junior safety Arin West (Toms River, N.J.) and sophomore running back Edwin Gowins (Bellport, N.Y.). Second team recognition went to senior defensive lineman Christopher Perri (Alameda, Calif.) and senior defensive back Chris Richards (Quartz Hills, Calif.). Senior offensive lineman Jeff Santos (Irvine, Calif.) was also recognized by the conference, getting named to the academic all-conference squad.
Santucci capped off his outstanding career with the Seawolves by leading the team in tackles for a second straight season. A preseason All-Big South selection and a second team all-conference pick in 2008, he tied for second in the Big South in tackles with a career-high 93 and tied for first in tackles for loss as well with 14 for a total of 57 yards in losses. Second among linebackers in the league in tackles, he tied the SBU school record for career solo tackles in the final game against Liberty with 145.

In his fourth season as head coach, Priore guided Stony Brook to a 5-1 Big South record and a share of the 2009 conference championship with Liberty. The Seawolves won four of their last five, including the 36-33 thriller over the 16th ranked Flames that was the first win for Stony Brook over a ranked Division I FCS program.
Like they did in the preseason, Stony Brook's two running backs took both running back positions on the all-conference first team. Cuttino finished as Stony Brook's all-time leading rusher with 3,607 yards, becoming the first SBU back over the 3,000-yard mark. He led SBU in all-purpose yards, finishing third in the Big South in rushing (800 yards) while leading the league in rushing attempts and posting career highs in receptions and receiving yards. Despite being slowed by injury for most of the season, Gowins led Stony Brook in rushing for a second straight year with 890 and led the Big South in yards per game and yards per carry. He went over the 2,000-yard mark for his career this season and is already fourth all-time at Stony Brook with 2,200 yards. Fenaroli was named to the all-conference squad for the first time in his career. He has started 25 consecutive games at center, the second longest starting streak on the team, and anchored a line that allowed just 1.36 sacks per game to rank among the top 24 in the nation.
West set career highs in every category for Stony Brook and was a two-time Big South Defensive Player of the Week selection. He finished second on the team and sixth in the league in tackles (80) and was second among defensive backs in the league in stops. West was tied for second in the league in passes defended with nine and shared the team lead with three interceptions while leading the team and conference with three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
A first team selection in 2008, Richards led Stony Brook in passes broken up from his cornerback position. A preseason All-Big South selection, he tied for third in the league with eight passes defended and blocked a kick for a second straight season. Perri started every game along the defensive front for the Seawolves, leading SBU's defensive linemen in tackles for loss and passes broken up. He finished among the top-10 linemen in the Big South in tackles during league contests.
Another key component of the Stony Brook offensive front, Santos played in every game for a second consecutive season at right tackle. A business major, it is the second consecutive year that he has been selected to the all-academic team.

Men's Basketball Falls To Rhode Island, 75-58

Seawolves drop first game of the season.

Final Stats
Kingston, R.I. - Freshman Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) scored a season-high 16 points, including four three-pointers but the Rhode Island Rams shot 48.2 percent on its way to a 75-58 victory over the Stony Brook University men's basketball team on Tuesday night at the Thomas M. Ryan Center. Stony Brook falls to 3-1 with the loss while Rhode Island improves to 3-0.
"We played with a lot of effort tonight we just weren't able to overcome the early hole we dug ourselves," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "But give credit to Rhode Island, they are a terrific basketball team"
Rouse hit his first six shots for the Seawolves, who shot 41.5 percent for the game. Sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) added 10 points and six rebounds for SBU. Lamonte Ulmer led three Rhode Island players in double-figures with 16 points.
URI jumped to a 10-0 lead just over three minutes into the game before senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) rattled home a three from the top of the key to get the Seawolves on the board. Senior Desmond Adedeji (Landover Hills, Md.) scored on a put-back hoop to cut the SBU deficit to five but Ulmer then completed a three-point play to push the Rams advantage back to eight.
Rhode Island would extend its lead to 15 on a Marquis Jones three midway through the half but the Seawolves responded with six straight points, four by El-Amin, to slice their deficit to nine with 7:35 remaining in the half. Rhode Island would build its lead back to 15 on a Keith Cothran free throw with 2:59 left before Rouse nailed a three from the corner to draw the Seawolves back within 12.

URI scored the next eight points to take its largest lead of the game, 32-14, but Rouse drilled a three at the buzzer to cut the Rams lead to 32-17 heading into the break. El-Amin scored a team-high seven points in the opening half for the Seawolves, while Ulmer tallied a game-high nine for Rhode Island.
Stony Brook scored six of the first nine points of the second half, drawing within 12 on a hoop from junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.). URI would extend its lead back to 16 but the Seawolves would not go away, cutting their deficit to nine on a Rouse three with just under 12 minutes remaining.
The Rams had an answer though, going on a 12-3 run over the next three minutes to take their largest lead of the game to that point at 58-40. Brenton stopped the run with a fast-break dunk but URI then scored nine of the next 14 points to take a 20 point lead at 67-47 with 6:44 left in the game.
The Seawolves would close within 15 on a hoop from senior Eddie Castellanos (Jersey City, N.J.) with just under two minutes remaining but that is as close as they would get as the Rams handed them their first loss of the season.
Stony Brook returns to action on Saturday, hosting NJIT at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Women's Basketball Falls Short Against Sacred Heart

Three Seawolves scored in double-figures

Box Score
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's women's basketball team lost to Sacred Heart, 83-70, on Tuesday night in Pritchard Gymnasium. The game, which was played closer than the final score may indicate, featured seven players in double-figures, including three from Stony Brook. Senior Joia Daniels (Silver Spring, Md.) and junior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) both recorded 18 while sophomore Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) scored 12. Daniels' 18 points are a new career high. Stony Brook is now 0-4 on the season while Sacred Heart improves to 2-2.
"I am really happy with how we started and ended the game tonight," said head coach Michele Cherry. "The problem was the middle, we came out flat to start the second half and it put us in a hole we couldn't climb out of."
Stony Brook grabbed its first lead of the 2009-10 season at 2-0 when junior Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) made the first jumper of the game. From there, the Seawolves offense continued to click, as SBU connected on ten of its first 15 field goals. Behind 11 early points from Daniels and a defensive effort that held the Pioneers to just 28% shooting, the Seawolves led by seven with just ten minutes remaining.
Sacred Heart would not stay down for long, however, as they outscored the Seawolves 10-2 to move in front for the first time all night at 26-25 with 6:47 left. Stony Brook would answer right back, though, as four possessions later freshman Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) connected on a three-pointer to put the Seawolves back on top, 30-28. The Seawolves would maintain their lead, holding a one point advantage at intermission. Stony Brook finished the half shooting 50% from the field with Daniels and Jeter both reaching double-digits in points.

Stony Brook's lead quickly faded in the second half as the Pioneers scored ten unanswered points to move in front 45-36. The Seawolves wouldn't find the scoring column until the 16:25 when Jeter connected on a layup after a nice interior pass from Daniels. As a team, SBU recorded a season-high 13 assists.
A three from junior Cassie Klockgether (San Diego, Calif.) would cut the Pioneers lead to four, but Sacred Heart's newly found shooting touch continued throughout most of the second half as it slowly stretched its lead up to as many as 14 points. Stony Brook would trim the lead to nine with 55 seconds remaining on another three from Klupenger and a pair of free throws from Jacobs, but the Pioneers would make seven of their eight free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
Jeter, who was named the America East Player of the Game, recorded her first double-double of the season adding ten rebounds to her 18 points. Jacobs also recorded a double-double with 13 boards, seven coming on the offensive end.
Stony Brook has two days off before returning to the court on Friday night when it hosts Air Force at 7:00 p.m.

Men's Basketball Uses Big First Half To Defeat Wagner, 72-48

Seawolves improve to 3-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 season.

Final Stats

Staten Island, N.Y. - Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) led five Seawolves in double-figures with 12 points and the Stony Brook University men's basketball team used a 23-0 first half run to defeat the Wagner Seahawks, 72-48 on Saturday night at the Spiro Sports Center. Stony Brook improves to 3-0 with the victory while Wagner falls to 0-2.

"What a terrific win on the road for our basketball team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We got contributions from a lot of guys and our defense was tremendous."

Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) and junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) each added 11 for the Seawolves, who are off to their first 3-0 start since the 1994-95 season. Senior Desmond Adedeji (Landover Hills, Md.) chipped in with 10 points while sophomore Tommy Brenton(Columbia, Md.) had 10 points and eight rebounds. Stony Brook held Wagner to 29.8 percent shooting.

Stony Brook jumped to an early 4-2 lead behind two hoops from sophomore Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) before Wagner scored five straight points to take a 7-4 advantage. The Seawolves would eventually go ahead 11-8 following a three and a driving lay-up from El-Amin.

The Seahawks would close within one but El-Amin answered with another three to put Stony Brook on top 14-10 with 14:21 left in the first half. Wagner rallied to tie the game at 16 but Brenton scored four of the Seawolves next five points to give SBU a 21-16 lead midway through the half. El-Amin then nailed a three and Dougher followed with a driving lay-up to extend the Stony Brook lead to 10. 

Dougher wasn't done though as he drilled a three and then scored in the lane before sophomore Danny Carter (London, England) scored on a put-back off a missed Dougher free throw to put SBU up 33-16. Adedeji dunked on the Seawolves next possession and then scored on an inside hoop before Carter capped the 23-0 run with a fast-break basket.

Wagner ended the spurt with back-to-back three pointers but Adedeji scored another bucket and the Seawolves would end the half on a 13-8 run to go into the break with a 52-30 lead. El-Amin scored a game-high 11 points in addition to dishing out five assists in the opening period for the Seawolves, who had eight different players score. Stony Brook shot 57.9 percent in the first half, while holding Wagner to 32.1 percent shooting.

Both teams struggled to score at the start of the second half but Wagner was only able to slice four points off the Seawolves halftime lead, closing to 57-39 on a Michael Orock bucket with 12:45 left in the game. But Brenton got free for a dunk, off a beautiful pass from El-Amin, on the Seawolves next possession and Joyner then one hit one of two free throws to push the lead back to 21.

Wagner answered with five straight points but Adedeji corralled a rebound on Wagner's next possession, dribbling to the Stony Brook free throw line before dishing it to Martin, who gave it right back to Adedeji for the two-handed slam.

The Seahawks would get no closer than 16 the rest of the way as the Seawolves went on to their third straight victory to open the season. Stony Brook returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to take on Rhode Island. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

Seawolves Claim Share of First Big South Championship

Stony Brook Claims Share of Big South Championship With Dramatic Last-Minute Win Over Liberty

Seawolves Claim Share of First Big South Championship

Final Stats

Stony Brook, N.Y. - With the championship of the Big South Conference riding on the outcome of the game, it came down to the final minute of action when Stony Brook and Liberty each scored touchdowns in a frantic finish this afternoon in LaValle Stadium. With 30 seconds left in the game sophomore Michael Coulter (Yorba Linda, Calif.) hit redshirt freshman Jordan Gush (Richardson, Texas) with the game winning, 10-yard TD pass that lifted the Seawolves to a dramatic, 36-33, win over the16th ranked Flames. The victory lifted Stony Brook into a tie with Liberty at the top of the Big South standings with 5-1 records and gives the Seawolves a co-Big South Championship with the Flames. It was also the first-ever victory for Stony Brook over a ranked opponent and broke a 16-game Big South winning streak by Liberty. Stony Brook finishes the season at 6-5, while Liberty falls to 8-3.

"It's not very often that you can say that your team has done everything the same way every week," said Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore. "We have come up short in the fourth quarter this season and we have come out on top in the fourth quarter; this is a team that has never quit. Knowing what they have gone through on a weekly basis this season you can understand how proud this team was to walk off the field today with a win, especially the way we won it. We are very excited."

In a back and forth fourth quarter, Liberty gained its first lead of the day when, on a third and one play, Mike Brown took the snap from center and bolted through the middle of the Stony Brook defense for a 70-yard score that put the Flames on top, 26-21, with 11:28 to play. The Seawolves wasted no time answering the Liberty score, taking over at its own 27 and quickly reaching the LU 42 on a 15-yard pass from Coulter to junior Michael Lepore (Brick, N.J.). From there sophomore Edwin Gowins (Bellport, N.Y.), who finished with a team-high 165 yards, pounded through the Flames for the 42-yard score. Junior Donald Porter (Charles Town, W.Va.) then took the snap on a two-point try and lofted a pass to the back of the end zone that senior Chris Tyler (Rocky Hill, Conn.) made a leaping grab on to convert and put the Seawolves back on top, 29-26. 

After both teams punted on its next possessions, Liberty moved back into position to score when quarterback Tommy Beecher scrambled 31 yards down to the SBU nine. Two plays later Beecher found Dominique Jones across the middle for a score that put Liberty back on top, 33-29, seemingly wrapping up the win and the conference title with 55 seconds left.

But this would turn out to be Stony Brook's day. The Seawolves took possession at their own 26 with 48 seconds left and Coulter threw an incompletion on first down. On second and 10 Coulter could not find any of his primary receivers, but saw Gush wide open down the left sideline. Gush corralled the ball near midfield and then headed towards the end zone, getting all the way down to the 10-yard line before being stopped for what turned out to be a 64-yard pass play. After an SBU time out, the pair came up big again, as Coulter found Gush for the score that completed the dramatic finish to the game.

In the first half Stony Brook used its powerful ground attack to roll out to a 21-13 lead at the half. Just five minutes into the game on the first play of SBU's second drive of the day, Gowins burst through the Liberty defense for 52 yards and his first of his three scores on the afternoon. Liberty tied things up late in the quarter, however, taking advantage of good field position. The Flames started a drive at the SBU 45 and were in the end zone in just four plays, with Beecher tossing a 34-yard scoring strike to Will Quarles.

Stony Brook's ground game continued to dominate in the second quarter, grinding out 96 yards, while the Seawolves' defense held Liberty to just four yards rushing. After Liberty tied things up in the first quarter, Stony Brook started an 80-yard drive that ended with 14:42 left in the second on an 11-yard TD run by Gowins, who rushed for 43 of the 80 yards on the drive that put SBU back on top, 14-7.

After a Liberty field goal, the Seawolves came back again with another long drive for a touchdown, this one covering 76 yards. This time it was senior Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.) who carried the rushing load, running for 42 yards on the drive, including the final eight that put SBU on top 21-10 with 4:28 left in the half. Liberty added another Matt Bevins field goal as time expired to close to 21-13.

In the third quarter the defenses took control, with Stony Brook limited to just 20 yards of offense and Liberty gaining 99. Forty-eight yards of that came on one drive when the Flames again took advantage of a drive starting on the Stony Brook side of the field. Beecher's passing and running brought Liberty down to the SBU 12, where Chauncey Holloway took it in the rest of the way. The Flames try for two was no good, and Stony Brook carried a slim 21-19 lead into the decisive fourth quarter.

After Stony Brook's winning score, Liberty got the ball back with 27 seconds left, but senior Benjamin Clements (Glen Burnie, Md.) intercepted Beecher's final pass attempt as time expired to seal the win.

Stony Brook finished with 405 yards of offense, 248 coming from the ground game that saw Gowins finish with his 165 and Cuttino adding 89 more. Coulter finished completing 10 of 17 attempts for 157 yards and the one score. Gush led the SBU receivers with 88 yards on three catches. Defensively junior Arin West (Toms River, N.J.) led Stony Brook with 10 tackles while also breaking up three passes. Senior Tyler Santucci (New Kensington, Pa.) tied the Stony Brook record for career solo tackles, finishing his career with 147 to tieAden Smith '03.

Liberty, which totaled 433 yards of offense, was led by Mike Brown with 99 yards of rushing and 57 yards receiving on six catches. Beecher finished with 220 yards through the air, completing 24 of his 38 attempts.

Brown Tops Men's Soccer In Double Overtime, 1-0

Seawolves end 2009 season 6-10-4

Final Stats
Providence, R.I. - Despite battling Brown for over 103 minutes and giving all it had, the Stony Brook men's soccer team fell to the Bears, 1-0, in the first round of the NCAA College Cup on Thursday evening. Sean Rosa scored three minutes into double overtime for Brown. It was the first goal the Seawolves had given up in over 400 minutes of action. Stony Brook ends its season 6-10-4 while Brown is 11-2-5 and plays North Carolina on Sunday.
"I was proud of the team's effort," head coach Cesar Markovic said. "We gave everything we had but came up a bit short."
In the first minute of action, Brown's Dylan Remick set up a quality shot for Austin Mandel, but his header went two and half feet over the crossbar. The Bears' best opportunity of the first half came when Remick's service found leading scorer Nick Elenz-Martin, but his shot went wide right of the goal. It wasn't until the 25th minute that freshman Raphael Abreu (New York, N.Y.) recorded Stony Brook's first shot on goal.
Freshman Berian Gobeil (Montreal, Quebec) and sophomore Wilber Bonilla (Brentwood, N.Y.) each recorded shots for Stony Brook, but senior Collin Geoghegan (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) produced the best chance in the first half for the Seawolves, stealing a pass 10 yards from the midfield line then dribbling in, but his shot was saved by Brown keeper Paul Grandstrand.
Brown out shot Stony Brook, 14-4, in the first 45, and redshirt freshman Anthony Rogic (Boonton, N.J.) made four saves to Grandstrand's two.

A hand ball seven yards outside the 18-yard box allowed Stony Brook its best opportunity of the game. In the 53rd minute, freshman Leonardo Fernandes (North Babylon, N.Y.), who scored off a free kick in the America East Championship against UMBC, nearly scored but his attempt off the free kick went over the crossbar. The Seawolves continued their offensive momentum, producing quality shots on their next possession. Bonilla had the angle on his attempt, but it was blocked over the goal line setting up a corner kick. Following the corner kick, Gobeil's shot was blocked and Fernandes' attempt was saved by Grandstrand.
Brown's best chance to that point came late in the second half when TJ Thompson's shot hit the left post.

Stony Brook Battles Liberty For Share of Big South Title Saturday

Seawolves Play Final Game of 2009 Season
Stony Brook - Liberty game notes

Stony Brook, N.Y. -
Stony Brook's football team will have a chance to play for a share of the Big South championship on Saturday when the Seawolves will host Liberty at 1:00 p.m. in LaValle Stadium in the final regular season game for both teams. It will be a battle between the first-place Flames and the second-place Seawolves, with a victory by Stony Brook over the 16th ranked Flames giving SBU a share of the 2009 Big South title with Liberty. It will also be Senior Day, with the 2009 senior class honored in a pregame ceremony. All of the action can be heard over the airwaves on WUSB, 90.1 FM, starting at 12:45 p.m. In conjunction with the game, Stony Brook Athletics will be hosting a food drive in concert with Island Harvest. For every fan who donates a non-perishable food item, they will receive a discounted price for an admission ticket.
Kickoff It all comes down to the last game of the season for the 2009 Big South championship as second-place Stony Brook hosts first-place Liberty at LaValle Stadium with conference bragging rights on the line. The Sea¬wolves, who trail the Flames by one game in the standings, can claim a share of the Big South title with a victory on Saturday. A win would also give the Seawolves at least one victory against every team in the Big South in its two-year history in the league. Stony Brook, which can finish no worse than a tie for second in the final standings, has already won a school record four Big South games and will finish the season with a winning conference record for a second season in a row. Last week at Charleston Southern, Stony Brook's hopes of an outright Big South title came to an end in a tough, 30-27, overtime loss to the Buccaneers. The Seawolves came back from a 10-point third quarter deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter only to see Charleston Southern kick a field goal on its first possession in the overtime to win it. The Seawolves' ground game shifted into high gear against the Buccaneers, shredding their defense for a season-high 340 yards. For the first time this season the duo of Ed Gowins and Conte Cuttino went over the 100-yard mark, with Gowins rumbling for 177 and two TDs and Cuttino going for 163 yards and a score, moving the duo into second and third in the Big South in rushing. Gowins went over the 2,000-yard mark for his career while Cuttino, SBU's all-time rushing leader, eclipsed 3,500 yards.

The Opponent Liberty comes into the game at Stony Brook riding a six-game winning streak and sits in first place with a 5-0 conference mark after last week's 51-28 win at Gardner-Webb. The Flames have been putting up some big numbers lately, scoring over 50 points in four of their last five games, averaging 47.6 points in that stretch. Quarterback Tommy Beecher leads the conference in passing efficiency and averages 164 yards per game and has thrown just four interceptions. Mike Brown and Chris Summers are the top receiving targets and have over 1,100 receiving yards be¬tween them. Brown also has 343 yards rushing and has scored 10 TDs. On defense Liberty is tops in the Big South, allowing an average of 315 yards of total offense a game. The "D" has been stellar in the area of turnovers, picking up 29 for the season while the offense has surren¬dered just seven miscues, placing LU No. 1 in the nation with a turnover ratio of +2.2. Wes Cheek leads the team with 66 tackles, while Kajuan Lee has five interceptions to lead the Big South.
The SeriesThis will be the second meeting between Stony Brook and Liberty. In the first meeting last season in Virginia, the Flames held the Seawolves to 91 yards rushing and zero points in a 33-0 win in a contest that was SBU's debut in the Big South conference. Dayne Hoffman threw for 142 yards and Ed Gowins rushed for 55 to lead the Seawolves. The Flames, led by Rashad Jennings' 101 yards, rushed for 299 yards and held the ball for over 37 minutes in the win.

Men's Basketball Defeats Mount Saint Mary College, 87-53, In Home Opener

Senior Desmond Adedeji scores a career-high 16 points.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Desmond Adedeji (Landover Hills, Md.) scored a career-high 16 points and sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) came two assists shy of a triple-double as the Stony Brook University men's basketball team defeated the Mount Saint Mary College Blue Knights, 87-53, on Monday night at Pritchard Gymnasium in the Seawolves home opener. Stony Brook improves to 2-0 with the victory while the Blue Knights fall to 0-1.
"We didn't play with a lot of energy on the defensive end at the start tonight," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "But we picked up our energy as the game went on and our defense improved with it. We'll go back to practice and keep working hard and get ready for Wagner on Saturday."
Adedeji scored his 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting while Brenton added 11 to go along with 15 rebounds, a career-best eight assists and four steals. Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) chipped in with 15 points for the Seawolves, who shot 46.8 percent (37-79) from the field. Brenton was named the Seawolves America East Player of the Game.
The teams were tied at 10 six minutes into the game but Adedeji scored on an inside hoop and freshman Preye Preboye (Springfield, Mass) and senior Eddie Castellanos (Jersey City, N.J.) then followed with fast-break baskets to give SBU a 16-10 lead with 13 minutes left in the first half.
Chris Kingly hit one of his three first half three-pointers to cut the lead to 16-13 but El-Amin answered with a fast-break layup to start a 7-0 run that gave the Seawolves a 10-point lead midway through the half. The Blue Knights sliced their deficit to six with eight and half minutes left but Preboye get free for an alley-oop dunk off a an inbounds play to start a 9-0 spurt that put the Seawolves on top 33-18.

The Blue Knights trimmed the Stony Brook lead to 13 with just less than two minutes left after back-to-back threes from Kingly but El-Amin hit a three in the final minute to send SBU into the break with a 43-27 lead. El-Amin scored a game-high 11 points in the first half while Brenton chipped in with nine points and eight rebounds.
Stony Brook still led by 16 just over three minutes into the second half but El-Amin then scored on a fast-break to jump start a 14-0 Seawolves run that gave them their largest lead of the game to that point at 61-31. Adedeji had eight points during the run and Brenton capped the spurt with a dunk off a Adedeji miss.
Mount Saint Mary would get no closer than 28 the rest of the way as the Seawolves coasted to their second straight victory to open the season. It is the first time that SBU has started 2-0 since the 1997-98 campaign.
The Seawolves return to action on Saturday, traveling to Staten Island to take on Wagner. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Men's Basketball Opens 2009-10 Home Schedule On Monday Against Mt. St. Mary College

Seawolves look to improve to 2-0 on Monday against Mt. St. Mary.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University men's basketball team will tip-off its 2009-10 home schedule on Monday night, hosting Mt. St. Mary College at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Monday's contest will air locally on WUSB 90.1 FM and goseawolves.org with Mike Solano, Jeff Bernstein '92 and Curt Hylton announcing. The game can also be followed via live video streaming and gametracker at goseawolves.org. Tickets for Monday's game can be purchased at the Stony Brook University ticket office, by phone at 631-632-WOLF or online at www.goseawolves.org or at the door. The doors to Pritchard will open at 6 p.m.

Stony Brook opened the 2009-10 season with a 75-57 victory at Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday night. Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a game-high 25 points for the Seawolves, who held the Hawks to 35.3 shooting. Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 11 points for a balanced Stony Brook scoring attack that saw 10 different players score.

Coming of its best season in its 10-year Division I history, the Seawolves are entering their second season at newly renovated Pritchard Gymnasium. SBU defeated defending champion UMBC, Albany and Boston University at Pritchard last season and played to a program record five sellouts.

Stony Brook defeated Maryland Eastern Shore, 60-44, in its home opener last season behind 11 points from sophomore Danny Carter (London, England). The Seawolves also got a game-high 16 rebounds from sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.).

The 2008-09 season saw Stony Brook finish 16-14 overall and 8-8 in the America East, tying for fourth-place in the final regular season conference standings, the Seawolves best-ever America East finish. The 16 overall wins and eight conference victories were the most for Stony Brook in its eight years as a member of the league. 

The Seawolves will once again count on a defense that was a major reason for their success last season. In 2008-09, SBU led the America East in scoring defense (60.4 ppg), three-point field goal defense (.309), steals per game (8.8) and turnover margin (+2.8). The scoring defense and three-point field goal defense mark ranked 31st and 30th in the country, respectively, with the steals per game ranking 25th.

Located in Newburgh, N.Y., Mt. St. Mary College is coming off a 7-18 season in which it finished in seventh place in the Skyline Conference. First year head coach Ryan Kadlubowski returns three starters from last year squad including Carlos Valdez, the Skyline Rookie of the Year. Valdez averaged 11.0 points and 8.3 points per game last season.

This will be the Seawolves fourth all-time meeting with the Blue Knights. Stony Brook has won the previous three match-ups with the last victory coming in a 60-47 triumph at Stony Brook Arena on Jan. 11, 1994.

All Stony Brook men's basketball season ticket packages as well individual game tickets, excluding Albany and Binghamton, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Stony Brook University ticket office, by phone at 631-632-WOLF or online at www.goseawolves.org. The athletic ticket office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and is located in the left corner of the atrium in Stony Brook Arena. Fans can also reach the ticket office by email at SeawolvesTickets@StonyBrook.edu.

Stony Brook Falls In Overtime at Charleston Southern, 30-27

Seawolves Suffer First Big South Loss of Season

Charleston, S.C. - Stony Brook overcame a 10-point third quarter deficit to tie the game, but Charleston Southern got a 43-yard field goal in the first overtime to take a 30-27 Big South football win this afternoon in Charleston. The loss dropped Stony Brook to 5-5 overall and gave the Seawolves their first conference loss of the season. SBU, 4-1 in the Big South, will have a chance to gain a share of the conference championship next Saturday at home against Liberty.

"I think we gave them about 14 points during the game," said Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore. "But I am happy that we were in it at the end. We played hard and came back, but we gave them those points we should not have. We do not like losing, but we hung tough and I am proud of our guys."

Charleston Southern struck quickly when Deon Lee returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a score. After stalling on its first drive of the day, Stony Brook took advantage of a Buccaneer miscue to put its first points on the board. Senior Tyler Santucci (New Kensington, Pa.) intercepted an A.J. Toscano pass on CSU's next possession, setting up SBU at the CSU 26-yard line. Senior Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.) took a direct snap 20 yards down to the six and then took it in the rest of the way on the next play, tying the game at 7-7 at the 10:17 mark.

Charleston Southern took advantage of the ensuing kickoff going out of bounds and drove 60 yards in just five plays to retake the lead. Toscano found Josh Atkinson for the 29-yard score that put the Buccaneers back on top.

Stony Brook came back to tie the contest again on its next drive, mixing the pass and run nicely to put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive that consumed nearly five minutes. Sophomore Ed Gowins (Bellport, N.Y.) took it up the middle for 23 -yards on the scoring play, knotting the score at 14-all with 2:54 left in the first quarter. 

In the second quarter Stony Brook held Charleston Southern to a pair of field goals by John Paglia, one from a CSU school record 51 yards, with both coming in the first five minutes of the quarter as the Buccaneers took a 20-14 lead. Redshirt freshman Wesley Skiffington (Brandon, Fla.) answered for the Seawolves, booting a 27-yard field goal with 8:26 showing on the clock that was set up by a 65-yard run by Gowins, to pull SBU within three. Stony Brook then drove down the field in the final minutes of the half, getting down to the CSU 13-yard line, but on a third down play sophomore Michael Coulter's (Yorba Linda, Calif.) pass was intercepted in the end zone by Chris Kuzdale with 16 second left on the clock. For the half the Seawolves out gained Charleston Southern, 251 yards to 168 for the Bucs, with Gowins going for 105 on just six carries.

On its first dive of the second half Stony Brook moved out to midfield before being forced to punt. The Seawolves were handed a golden opportunity when the Bucs muffed the punt and junior Arin West (Toms River, N.J.) jumped on the ball at the 16, his second straight game with a fumble recovery. SBU lost yardage on each of its next three plays, however, and Skiffington's 40-yard attempt fell short, keeping CSU on top by three.

Charleston Southern then came up with a big play on defense when Charles James stepped in front of a Coulter pass and returned it 51 yards for the score that put the Buccaneers up 27-17 midway through the third. Stony Brook used its ground attack on its next possession to get back into the game as Cuttino broke a 43 yard run and Gowins took it in from 14 yards out with 5:42 left to make it 27-24 in favor of CSU. Gowins' run took him over the 2,000-yard mark for his career, making him the sixth SBU back to reach that mark.

Stony Brook's defense then came up with a big play of its own. With CSU driving and in SBU territory, the Buccaneers fumbled on a pitch play and junior Joseph Kirkpatrick (Athens, Texas) scooped up the ball and rumbled 56 yards down the sideline to the CSU 14. The Seawolves could not get it in the end zone, but Skiffington's second field goal of the day tied it at 27-27 with 12:46 left.

Both teams challenged over the final minutes of regulation, but both defenses came up with the plays to keep the game tied and forced the overtime. Stony Brook started on offense, but on the first play Coulter was intercepted to halt the drive. The Seawolves' defense actually pushed the CSU offense back a yard on its three plays, but Paglia finished the game off with his boot.

Stony Brook finished with 422 yards of offense, 340 of which came on the ground. Gowins finished with 177 yards and a pair of scores, with Cuttino running for 163 yards and one score. For both backs it was a season-high in rushing yards. Charleston Southern totaled 293 yards, with Toscano completing 19 of 32 for 214 yards and a score to lead the Buccaneers.

Stony Brook is still within reach of a tie for the Big South championship and will host first place Liberty on Saturday, November 21 at 1:00 p.m. A win by the Seawolves over the Flames would give SBU a share of the title with Liberty.

El-Amin Leads Men's Basketball To 75-57 Victory Over Maryland-Eastern Shore in 2009-10 Season Opener

Senior Muhammad El-Amin scores game-high 25 points

Princess Anne, Md. - Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a game-high 25 points and the Stony Brook University men's basketball team held the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks to 35.3 shooting on its way to a 75-57 victory in the 2009-10 season opener for both teams on Friday night at the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center.

"This was a terrific win for us on the road against a very good Maryland Eastern Shore team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We got a great effort from a lot of guys and our defense, especially in the second half, was excellent.

El-Amin shot 9-for-20 from the field and led a balanced Seawolves scoring attack that saw 10 different players score. Sophomore Bryan Dougher(Scotch Plains, N.J.) chipped in with 11 points, all in the first half, and sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) collected a game-high nine rebounds.

The Hawks scored the first points of the game on a three from Hillary Haley but the Seawolves answered with a 10-4 run highlighted by four points from junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) and a thunderous fast-break dunk by El-Amin. UMES would answer with a 13-4 spurt to take a 20-14 lead with 12:56 remaining in the half.

Dougher ended the Hawks run with a floater in the lane and El-Amin followed with a three from the right side to cut SBU's deficit to one. The Hawks scored the next four points but Dougher answered with a three to kick start a 10-0 Stony Brook run that gave the Seawolves a 29-24 lead and forced UMES to take timeout with 6:03 remaining. SBU held the Hawks scoreless for nearly four minutes during the run. 

Mark Robertson banked in a three out of the UMES timeout but a three-point play from freshman Preye Preboye (Springfield, Mass.) pushed the SBU lead back to five with 4:49 left. El-Amin would score five of the Seawolves final seven points of the half to send Stony Brook into the break with a 40-28 lead.

El-Amin scored a game-high 13 points in the first half for the Seawolves, who held the Hawks to just one field goal over the final 9:25 of the period. Dougher added 11 points and Preboye chipped in with six.

Maryland-Eastern Shore scored seven of the first nine points of the second half to cut the Seawolves lead to seven but senior Desmond Adedeji (Landover Hills, Md.) then scored four straight points to give Stony Brook a 46-35 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the game. Neil Pitt answered with a long jumper on the other end but Preboye then slammed home a miss from sophomore Danny Carter (London, England) to push the Seawolves lead back to 11.

The Seawolves still led by 12 midway through the second half before a put-back hoop from Brenton and jumper from freshman Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) gave Stony Brook their largest lead of the game at 60-44 with 7:46 left in the contest.

Maryland-Eastern Shore would get no closer than 14 the rest of the way with the Seawolves building their lead to as much as 21 on an El-Amin layup with 2:15 remaining. It was the second straight year that Stony Brook has opened the season with a victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore.

The Seawolves return to action on Monday for their home opener, hosting Mt. St. Mary College at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Women's Basketball Falls In Season Opener to Princeton

Destiny Jacobs scores eight and grabs ten boards

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's women's basketball team dropped its 2009-10 season opener, 68-43, to Princeton on Friday night in Pritchard Gymnasium. The Seawolves were led by sophomore center Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) who scored eight points while grabbing ten rebounds. Paced by Niveen Rasheed's 18 points, the Tigers used a second-half surge to pull away from Stony Brook. With the loss Stony Brook stands at 0-1 on the season while Princeton opens with a 1-0 record.

"Destiny did a great job for us on the boards," said head coach Michele Cherry. "As a team, though, we need to play tougher and push back on our box outs. I thought the crowd was great tonight and we hope that kind of support continues throughout the season."

After falling behind early at 14-6, Stony Brook battled its way back behind a balanced offensive attack. A layup from junior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) would pull the Seawolves within one at 18-17. During the Seawolves 11-4 run, five different players tallied points.

Princeton answered right back, however, scoring eight of the next nine points, reopening its eight-point advantage on a three from Rasheed with 5:45 remaining in the half.

A layup from Jeter sandwiched by a pair of buckets from freshman Amanda Corona (North Hollywood, Calif.) cut the Tigers' lead down to four with 3:30 left, but those would be Stony Brook's last points of the half as Princeton went into the break leading 32-24.

The Tigers opened the second half with a hot shooting touch, connecting on four of their first five field goals to extend their advantage to 17 points. Stony Brook, on the other hand, struggled at the start of the second half, scoring its first field goal on a layup from senior Joia Daniels (Silver Spring, Md.) at the 15:49 mark which put the score at 43-28. 

Back-to-back buckets from Princeton's Addie Micir gave the Tigers a 20 point cushion with 14:33 remaining, which they maintained throughout the majority of the second half. Despite missing five of their final six field goal attempts, the Tigers still shot 43.3% from the field in the second half.

All five members of Stony Brook's freshmen class saw action tonight, with Sam Landers(Springfield, Va.) leading the way with five points and four rebounds.

Stony Brook's next game will be at home on Sunday when they welcome the Red Storm of St. John's to Pritchard Gymnasium. Tip is set for 2:00 p.m.

Football Travels To South Carolina For Key Big South Game At Charleston Southern

Seawolves Look To Stay Undefeated In Big South Play Against Buccaneers

Stony Brook, N.Y. -

After a much deserved week off, Stony Brook will be back in action this week as it begins a key two-game stretch to end the season with a Big South championship at stake. The Seawolves come into their game at Charleston Southern (the team it tied for second in the Big South last year) with a perfect 4-0 mark in Big South play. Tied with Liberty at 4-0, a victory be each this weekend would mean that next week's game on Long Island between the Seawolves and Flames would determine the 2009 Big South champion. An SBU win would also extend its current win streak to four games, the longest since the 2006 season, as well as give SBU wins in its last five Big South games dating back to last season. Two weeks ago the Seawolves knocked Gardner-Webb from the ranks of the Big South undefeated with a 24-14 win in Boiling Springs. Stony Brook scored 17 unanswered second half points to secure the victory, getting a game-clinching 21-yard pass from Michael Coulter to Jordan Gush with 2:29 remaining. Senior Conte Cuttino accounted for 113 yards of all-purpose yards to pace the offense while the SBU defense came up with four fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a score by safety Arin West. This will be the second straight game for Stony Brook against a top passing team as CSU has risen to the top of the conference rankings in passing offense. The

The Opponent
Winners of two straight and four of their last six, Charleston Southern will be playing just its fourth home game of the season, with the Buccaneers sporting a 2-1 record at CSU Stadium this season. Charleston Southern has seen its offense click recently, totaling 77 points over the last two games, including a 46-32 win last week at Presbyterian in which CSU interceped four passes. The Buccaneers have been doing it with an offense (currently No. 1 in the Big South) that averages 206 yards in the passing game and 164 on the ground. Through the air quarterback A.J. Toscano has thrown for 1,680 yards and 10 scores and is third in the league with his nearly 200 yards per game average. His favorite target is wideout Gerald Stevenson who leads the Big South with his 63.6 receiving yards per game. Stevenson is one of those do it all players for CSU, as he also leads the team in rushing (38.3 yards per game) and is second in the Big South with his 142.3 all-purpose yards. On defense CSU is one of the stingier teams in the league giving up yards via the pass, surrendering 160.7 yards to rank second. The Buccaneers have been hard hit on the ground, however, giving up 225.9 an outing.

The Series
This will be the second meeting between Stony Brook and Charleston Southern. In the first meeting last season on Long Island, the Seawolves got a TD pass from Dayne Hoffman to Adrian Sawyer with 1:06 to go to pull out a 20-19 victory. Conte Cuttino ran for 107 yards (going over the 2,000-yard career mark in the process) and caught a pair of passes for Stony Brook. Gerald Stevenson scored twice on 30+ yard passes and finished with 143 yards on seven catches.

Men's Soccer Defeats Hartford, 3-2, In Shootout; Will Play UMBC For America East Championship on Sunday

Seawolves advance to America East title game for first time since 2005

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook's men's soccer team will be playing for an America East title after defeating Hartford, 3-2, in penalty kicks on Wednesday evening at LaValle Stadium. Senior Oscar Leis (Ozone Park, N.Y.) scored the Seawolves' third goal of the shootout and redshirt freshman Anthony Rogic (Boonton, N.J.) made two saves including Vernon Perinchief's final attempt for Hartford. Stretching its unbeaten streak to six games, #2 Stony Brook is 5-9-4 and will play #5 UMBC for the Championship at 5 pm on Sunday. Hartford is 8-8-2.

After 110 minutes of scoreless play, senior Collin Geoghegan (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and Hartford's Carlos Villa connected on their attempts, as did freshman Berian Gobeil (Montreal, Quebec) and Bojan Delibasic. Hawks keeper Nenad Cudic saved sophomore Serigne Sylla's (New York, N.Y.) attempt, setting up a must-save from Rogic, and he was up to the task, matching Cudic's save to keep the shootout at 2-2.

Leis, who did not play in regulation or overtime, scored to give the Seawolves the edge. Sam Groves came on to take Hartford's attempt, but his shot hit the left post and bounded away. Freshman Leonardo Fernandes (North Babylon, N.Y.) took Stony Brook's fifth and final attempt, but his shot was saved, giving Hartford one last chance. But Rogic, who posted a 0.60 during conference play, stoned Perinchief to give the Seawolves their first appearance in the finals since winning it in 2005.

Rogic made six saves in the game, including a point-blank stop on Hartford's Cedomir Tomcic in double overtime. Cudic finished with seven saves.

In the regular season meeting against the Retrievers, they topped the Seawolves, 2-0. Stony Brook is 4-2 against UMBC under head coach Cesar Markovic and has never lost to the Retrievers in three previous matches at home.

Men's Basketball Wraps up Preseason Practice With First Game at Maryland-Eastern Shore on Friday

Seawolves to open 2009-10 season at Maryland-Eastern Shore on Friday at 7 p.m.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Coming off its best season in its ten year Division I history, the Stony Brook University men's basketball team kicks off the 2009-10 season on Friday night, traveling to take on the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Friday's contest will air locally on WUSB 90.1 FM and goseawolves.org with Curt Hylton announcing. The game can also be followed via gametracker at goseawolves.org.

The 2008-09 season saw Stony Brook finish 16-14 overall and 8-8 in the America East Conference, tying for fourth-place in the final regular season conference standings, the Seawolves best-ever America East Conference finish. The 16 overall wins and eight conference victories were the most for Stony Brook in its eight years as a member of the America East Conference.

Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell brings back a wealth of experience from that squad as he returns nine letterwinners including four starters. The group of returning starters is led by 2009 America East all conference second team selection Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.). The 6-5 senior guard ranked seventh in the America East in scoring last season (15.7 points per game).

El-Amin was selected to the preseason all-conference team for the Seawolves, who were picked fourth in America East preseason coaches poll. It was the highest ever preseason ranking for Stony Brook.

Stony Brook also brings back a talented quartet of sophomores that set numerous program records last season. Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) and Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) were both named to the America East All-Rookie team, the first time in program history that two players have been named All-Rookie.

Brenton, Dougher and Danny Carter (London England) also combined to win the America East Rookie of the Week award seven times, the first time in program history that three different players have won the honor in the same season. Dougher and freshman Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) were two of just 20 freshmen in the country to start every game.

Joining the returners is perhaps the best recruiting class in the program's history as Pikiell welcomes four freshmen - swingman Preye Preboye (Springfield, Mass), shooting guard Lenny Hayes (Voorhees, N.J.), forward Eric McAlister (Hightstown, N.J.) and guard Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.)- as well as a transfer Patrick Dame (West Greenwich, R.I.) to his squad. The size, athleticism and versatility of the newcomers will give them a chance to contribute right away.

SBU will begin its season by playing eight of its first 11 games on the road. Pikiell's squad proved to be a formidable opponent on the road last season, winning a program record nine games away from home, including victories over Air Force and defending conference champion UMBC.

The Seawolves will once again count on a defense that was a major reason for their success last season. In 2008-09, SBU led the America East in scoring defense (60.4 ppg), three-point field goal defense (.309), steals per game (8.8) and turnover margin (+2.8). The scoring defense and three-point field goal defense mark ranked 31st and 30th in the country, respectively, with the steals per game ranking 25th.

Friday's game will mark the fourth season in a row that SBU has taken on Maryland-Eastern Shore. Stony Brook defeated the Hawks 60-44 last year at Pritchard Gymnasium after falling to the host Hawks 53-52 the previous season. Maryland-Eastern Shore is led by senior Neil Pitt, who was named to the All-MEAC preseason first team. Pitt averaged 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Hawks last season on his way to earning a spot on the All-MEAC second team.

Click Here to view the complete 2009-10 Stony Brook Men's Basketball Media Guide.

All Stony Brook men's basketball season ticket packages as well individual game tickets, excluding Albany and Binghamton, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Stony Brook University ticket office, by phone at 631-632-WOLF or online at www.goseawolves.org. The athletic ticket office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and is located in the left corner of the atrium in Stony Brook Arena. Fans can also reach the ticket office by email at SeawolvesTickets@StonyBrook.edu.

Volleyball Falls In Home Finale

Volleyball Falls In Home Finale
Six seniors were recognized prior to the match

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Playing in its last home match of the 2009 season, Stony Brook University's volleyball team fell to Albany, 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-20), on Sunday afternoon in Pritchard Gymnasium. Senior Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.) paced the offense with 14 kills while junior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) recorded 20 digs. With the loss, Stony Brook moves to 13-12 (5-4) on the season while Albany improves to 19-6 (9-0).

Following the senior day ceremony, the Seawolves came out flat, falling behind 6-1 behind three kills from Albany's Kalyn Mostert. SBU struggled to get things going offensively, as it recorded just six kills in the set. A pair of aces from Calinda and five service errors by the Great Danes kept the Seawolves within striking distance, but Albany's offense, which hit .410 in the set, was too much as they pulled out the 25-18 win.

Stony Brook was slow out of the gate again in the second set. Albany rattled off five points before the Seawolves were on the board. SBU would battle back, however, going on a 7-1 run to take its first lead of the match at 8-7. Senior Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Ariz.) and junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) both recorded a pair of kills during the comeback. From there the two teams traded points before the Seawolves used a 5-0 run to extend their lead to three at 15-12. Behind the offense of Valerie Sourbeer, who recorded a set-high eight kills, the Great Danes slowly inched their way back into the set, eventually tying the score at 19-19. With the score knotted at 21-21, back-to-back kills by Sourbeer gave Albany a lead it would not relinquish as the Great Danes took a two set advantage.

For the third-straight set Stony Brook dug itself an early hole as Albany jumped out to a 5-0 lead. A kill from freshman Corinne Perry (Northport, N.Y.) and back-to-back aces by senior Lindsey Gordon (N. Patchogue, N.Y.) helped put the Seawolves back in the game, closing the gap to one at 6-5. Albany would score four of the next five points, however, to extend the advantage to four. SBU pulled within two at 10-8 on kill from Calinda, but would never get any closer as Albany finished the match with a 25-20 victory.
Stony Brook's senior class combined for 26 kills, 19 digs and four aces in its final home match. The Seawolves now travel to New Hampshire for a crucial match on Saturday. With a victory, Stony Brook will secure itself a place in the four-team America East Championship which will be held on the weekend of November 20th.

Volleyball Moves Into A Tie For Second With Sweep of Binghamton

Gordon hits .714

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Behind a season-high .371 team hitting percentage, Stony Brook University's volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-13) sweep of Binghamton on Friday night in Pritchard Gymnasium. In the team's lone Friday night home match of the season, seniors Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.), Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Ariz.) and Lindsey Gordon (N. Patchogue, N.Y.) all recorded double-digit kills. Gordon was errorless in her 14 attacks for a match-high .714 attack percentage. With the win, Stony Brook moves to 13-11 (5-3 America East) and into a tie for second place with UMBC, while Binghamton drops to 11-14 (3-5).

Stony Brook came out aggressive in the first set, jumping in front 5-1 behind two kills from Calinda and an ace by junior Jeanette Gibbs (Port Jefferson, N.Y.). The Bearcats crawled their way back into it, however, eventually using a 4-0 run to move in front by two at 10-8. A kill by Anna Lejina, her fourth of the set, put Binghamton up 13-9 before the Seawolves bounced back, scoring nine of the next 11 points to regain the lead at 18-15. Junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) notched three kills during SBU's run. A Binghamton timeout could not slow the Seawolves as they went on to take the first set 25-17, allowing the Bearcats to record just one kill the rest of the way.

While Stony Brook's offense did record a .390 hitting percentage in the second set, it was the defense that led the way to its second set win. SBU recorded 19 digs in the frame, including four each from Gibbs and sophomore Bianca Hernandez (East Moriches, N.Y.). Despite not recording a block, Stony Brook's frontline continuously denied Binghamton's attack. Leading 7-4, Headen and freshman Sally Downs (Coppell, Texas) returned three-consecutive attacks by the Bearcats, with Downs eventually recording an unassisted kill. The Seawolves would record six unassisted kills in the set as Binghamton struggled handling serves.

Despite a back-and-forth start to the third set, Stony Brook saved its best for last, committing just one error while racking up five blocks and holding the Bearcats to a .094 attack percentage. Ahead by just two at 10-8, back-to-back aces by Doremus kicked off a 10-4 run by the Seawolves which helped secure the win.
Stony Brook wraps up its 2009 home schedule with a match against Albany on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Prior to the start, Stony Brook's Department of Athletics and the Seawolves volleyball team will honor this year's senior class of Michelle Burrola (Glendale, Ariz.) Harmonie Calinda, Lisa Doremus, Lindsey Gordon, Justine Hoffmann (Wading River, N.Y.) and Jamie Watson (New City, N.Y.).

Steve Pikiell Report Returns For Fifth Season On WUSB

Segment will begin on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 10:05 p.m.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The 'Steve Pikiell Report' featuring fifth-year Stony Brook University head men's basketball coach Steve Pikiell will return once again on the longtime radio home for Stony Brook Athletics, WUSB (90.1 FM). The fifth-year segment featured on the "Sports Section" will start on Sunday, November 9 and continue every Sunday until the end of the 2009-10 season.

Veteran Seawolves broadcaster Jeff Bernstein will co-host the segment with various WUSB sports staffers and discuss game recaps/summaries and previews for the upcoming week. The segment will air at 10:05 p.m. each week.

The Seawolves open up the 2009-10 campaign on Friday, Nov. 13, traveling to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore. SBU opens its home schedule on Monday, Nov. 16, hosting Mt. St. Mary College at Pritchard Gymnasium. All 29 Seawolves men's basketball regular season games as well as any additional postseason contests will be aired live on WUSB 90.1 FM.

All Stony Brook men's basketball season ticket packages as well individual game tickets, excluding Albany and Binghamton, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Stony Brook University ticket office, by phone at 631-632-WOLF or online at www.goseawolves.org.

The athletic ticket office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and is located in the left corner of the atrium in Stony Brook Arena. Fans can also reach the ticket office by email at SeawolvesTickets@StonyBrook.edu.

Fernandes, Rogic Lead Men's Soccer Over Hartford, 1-0

Seawolves will be #2 seed in upcoming America East Tournament

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Freshman Leonardo Fernandes (North Babylon, N.Y.) scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season and redshirt freshmanAnthony Rogic (Boonton, N.J.) made a career-high eight saves as the Stony Brook men's soccer team defeated Hartford, 1-0, on Senior Night at LaValle Stadium on Saturday night. With the win, the Seawolves locked up the #2 seed and earned a bye in next week's America East Tournament. Unbeaten in the last five games, Stony Brook is 5-9-3, 4-2-1. Hartford is 7-7-2, 4-2-1.

Rogic, who has allowed just two goals in the last five games, came up brilliantly on Hartford's first and only legitimate scoring chance. Sam Groves dribbled around a defender and blasted a shot that went through senior Collin Geoghegan's (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) legs. Anticipating a high shot, Rogic dived high to his left to make the save and keep the game scoreless.

On Stony Brook's next possession, a throw-in gave Stony Brook the early lead. In the 21st minute, freshman Antonio Crespi's (North Babylon, N.Y.) throw-in bounced through the box and found the leg of Fernandes, who tucked the shot into the lower right hand corner for the score.

Despite outshooting Stony Brook, 23-10, Hartford never managed any kind of scoring threat the rest of the game.

The 13 points recorded during conference play by Stony Brook is the most since 2005 when it went 6-1-1 on its way to an America East Championship and the NCAA Tournament. 

Stony Brook will await the winner of #3 Hartford and #6 Boston University to be played on November 7 at 7 pm. Prior to the game, seniors Diego Acero (Greenport, N.Y.), Oscar Leis(Ozone Park, N.Y.), Damion Brown (Kingston, Jamaica), James Palumbo (Carmel, N.Y.) and Geoghegan were honored.

Stony Brook Keeps Big South Record Perfect With 24-14 Win At Gardner-Webb

Sewaolves Remain Undefeated In Big South Play

Boiling Springs, N.C. - On a gray, rainy day in North Carolina, Stony Brook's football team overcame an early deficit and spoiled Gardner-Webb's homecoming with a 24-14 victory. Trailing 14-7 at the half, the Seawolves dominated the second half, limiting the Runnin' Bulldogs to just six yards rushing in the final 30 minutes and forcing three turnovers that helped the offense score 17 unanswered points. Senior Conte Cuttino (Uniondale, N.Y.) ran for 73 yards and sophomore Michael Coulter (Yorba Linda, Calif.) threw for a pair of scores as SBU remained undefeated at 4-0 in the Big South, improving to 5-4 overall.

"We played great defense the entire game," said Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore. "I have to give a lot of credit to our offense as well. They could have been down, but that drive in the fourth quarter was as good a fourth quarter drive that I have seen. I am proud of our team. We are a four-quarter team and we got it done today."

After both teams punted on their first possessions, Gardner-Webb (5-3, 2-1 Big South) struck first in the game. Freshman Drew Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.) pinned the Runnin' Bulldogs back on their own 15 after a 47-yard punt, but GWU was able to put together a nine-play drive that ended up putting points on the board. Aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty that moved the ball into Stony Brook's end of the field, Gardner-Webb quarterback Stan Doolittle scrambled up the middle and broke through to the end zone for a 27-yard score to make it 7-0 with 6:06 left in the first. Stony Brook's offense had trouble moving the ball in the opening quarter, and was held to 13 yards of offense as the score remained at 7-0 entering the second quarter. 

Stony Brook started the offense moving in the second quarter, bumping its output up to 101 yards. The improved play paid off midway through the quarter when the Seawolves put their first points on the board. Starting on its own 21, SBU moved the ball steadily down the field before the drive appeared to stall on the GWU 30-yard line. Facing a fourth and four, Coulter had enough time in the pocket to find junior Donald Porter (Charles Town, W.Va.) who had found his way behind the defense down the left side line. Porter took the pass and dove into the end zone for the score to tie the game at 7-7 with 4:52 showing. Gardner-Webb answered on its next drive, however, when Doolittle found Marquis Sanders open in the left side of the end zone and with less than a minute left in the half the Bulldogs had regained the lead.

Stony Brook drove into Gardner-Webb territory on its first possession of the second half, but the drive stalled and the Seawolves were forced to punt. On the Bulldog's third play the ball popped out of the pile at the 16-yard line where junior Arin West scooped up the ball and took it into the end zone untouched for the game-tying score at the 11:04 mark. It was his first and the team's second defensive score of the year. The Stony Brook defense came up with two more big plays in the quarter, with sophomore Ryan Haber (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) recovering another GWU fumble to stop one drive, and the defensive line coming up with a stop on a fourth and inches that gave Stony Brook the ball at the GWU 45-yard line. The Seawolves took advantage of the play, eventually getting down to the GWU 10 on an over the shoulder catch by freshman Jordan Gush (Richardson, Texas). The drive stalled there, however, but SBU was still able to take its first lead of the afternoon when freshman Wesley Skiffington (Brandon, Fla.) booted a 27-yard field goal with 1:46 left in the third.

Stony Brook never trailed again. In the fourth quarter the Seawolves' defense held Gardner-Webb to 21 yards, including just two on the ground. With 10 minutes left in the game SBU took over on its own 23-yard line and began what proved to be the game-clinching drive. Cuttino ran seven times for 46 yards on the drive, picking up a pair of first downs along with way. Faced with a third and nine with a little more than two minutes to play, Coulter found Gush in the end zone, who dove and scooped the ball up for a 21-yard score.

Gardner-Webb got the ball back out to midfield, but senior Daniel Muy (Tallahassee, Fla.) jumped on another GWU fumble, its fourth of the day, snuffing out any last chance for the Bulldogs.

Cuttino finished with 73 yards on the ground and caught one pass for 40 yards to lead the Stony Brook offense. Coulter completed just nine passes, but they were good for 158 yards and a pair of scores. Gardner-Webb out gained Stony Brook, 315-287, but could not overcome four turnovers. Senior Tyler Santucci (New Kensington, Pa.) led the defense with 12 tackles, with West finishing with 11.

Stony Brook will be off this week, returning to Big South action on November 14 when it again ventures South, this time to take on Charleston Southern. Game time between the Seawolves and Buccaneers is set for 1:30 p.m.