By Greg Logan, NewsdayFor a team that is unaccustomed to such a height as first place in the America East and the notion of a big game with implications that extend to a possible postseason bid, Stony Brook handled the pressure remarkably well in an 83-64 victory over third-place Maine last night at Pritchard Gymnasium. The students rose to the occasion, too, nearly filling the joint on a snowbound night.
It's hard to imagine a more complete game than the one the Seawolves (17-7, 9-2) played. Chris Martin scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half, and Muhammad El-Amin heated up to, oh, infra-red in the second half with 22 of his 24 points, including a 4-for-4 performance from deep in three-point range.
When the Wolves weren't putting the ball in the hole, they were hounding the Black Bears (16-9, 8-4) relentlessly on defense. Maine shot only 33 percent from the field in the first half, and the Bears committed 15 turnovers that nullified any threat of a comeback.
The Seawolves also got 14 points from Dallis Joyner and 10 from Bryan Dougher, and Tommy Brenton was tough inside with seven points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Gerald McLemore topped Maine with 22 points.
"We were excited about the crowd and the atmosphere," Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell said. "We had a blizzard outside, but the students and the community came. So, I'm very appreciative of their efforts, and I think they appreciated how we played.
"I like the way we defended in the first half; we outrebounded them . We've had some games like this, but the whole package of running, getting off to a good start and getting a really good win in a great atmosphere against a good team that beat Boston College . . . we played well."
What wasn't to like? With El-Amin and Dougher drawing Maine's defensive attention early, Martin was aggressive in penetrating the lane to get his shot. When the Bears switched to a 2-3 zone during a 13-0 Wolves run, Martin completed a three-point play for an early 24-11 lead.
Stony Brook's defense forced 12 first-half turnovers, and Brenton was everywhere, getting steals, going to the offensive boards and feeding his teammates for layups. "I like to do the small things that help the team," Brenton said. "I got lucky with a few rebounds and steals."
Maine's switch to zone temporarily slowed the Wolves, but when Martin hit the only three he took from the corner, it ignited a 15-0 Stony Brook run to finish the first half with a 42-19 lead. At that point, El-Amin had only two foul shots and was 0-for-3 from the field, but that didn't last.
Maine surged to cut Stony Brook's lead to 55-41, but Brenton hit a three and then El-Amin went off, scoring 13 straight Seawolves points, including three from NBA three-point range. That made it 71-45, and the Bears could have boarded the bus home right then.
"Mo was quiet in the first half, but he was lighting it up in practice," Pikiell said. "He was due, and his teammates did a good job of finding him when he was ready to score."
Looks like the Seawolves might be ready for bigger things.
It's hard to imagine a more complete game than the one the Seawolves (17-7, 9-2) played. Chris Martin scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half, and Muhammad El-Amin heated up to, oh, infra-red in the second half with 22 of his 24 points, including a 4-for-4 performance from deep in three-point range.
When the Wolves weren't putting the ball in the hole, they were hounding the Black Bears (16-9, 8-4) relentlessly on defense. Maine shot only 33 percent from the field in the first half, and the Bears committed 15 turnovers that nullified any threat of a comeback.
The Seawolves also got 14 points from Dallis Joyner and 10 from Bryan Dougher, and Tommy Brenton was tough inside with seven points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Gerald McLemore topped Maine with 22 points.
"We were excited about the crowd and the atmosphere," Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell said. "We had a blizzard outside, but the students and the community came. So, I'm very appreciative of their efforts, and I think they appreciated how we played.
"I like the way we defended in the first half; we outrebounded them . We've had some games like this, but the whole package of running, getting off to a good start and getting a really good win in a great atmosphere against a good team that beat Boston College . . . we played well."
What wasn't to like? With El-Amin and Dougher drawing Maine's defensive attention early, Martin was aggressive in penetrating the lane to get his shot. When the Bears switched to a 2-3 zone during a 13-0 Wolves run, Martin completed a three-point play for an early 24-11 lead.
Stony Brook's defense forced 12 first-half turnovers, and Brenton was everywhere, getting steals, going to the offensive boards and feeding his teammates for layups. "I like to do the small things that help the team," Brenton said. "I got lucky with a few rebounds and steals."
Maine's switch to zone temporarily slowed the Wolves, but when Martin hit the only three he took from the corner, it ignited a 15-0 Stony Brook run to finish the first half with a 42-19 lead. At that point, El-Amin had only two foul shots and was 0-for-3 from the field, but that didn't last.
Maine surged to cut Stony Brook's lead to 55-41, but Brenton hit a three and then El-Amin went off, scoring 13 straight Seawolves points, including three from NBA three-point range. That made it 71-45, and the Bears could have boarded the bus home right then.
"Mo was quiet in the first half, but he was lighting it up in practice," Pikiell said. "He was due, and his teammates did a good job of finding him when he was ready to score."
Looks like the Seawolves might be ready for bigger things.
