Seawolves win 20 games for first time in 11 years in Division I.
Albany, N.Y. - Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a game-high 19 points including the game-winning jumper with 1.8 seconds left to send the Stony Brook University men's basketball team to a 68-66 win over the Albany Great Danes at SEFCU Arena on Friday night. It is the 20th win of the season for the Seawolves, who have won nine straight games. Stony Brook improves to 12-2 in the America East with the win, a full game ahead of second place Vermont.
"I couldn't be prouder of our guys," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We made the stops we needed to make down the stretch against a tough Albany team and Muhammad [El-Amin] then stepped up and made a huge shot."
El-Amin scored 11 of his 19 in the second half and was named the America East Player of the Game for Stony Brook (20-7, 12-2 AE). Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) chipped in with 11, knocking down three of five shots from three-point land. He now has 78 threes on the season, a new program record. Sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, his third straight game with double-digit rebounds.
Albany led 59-56 with six minutes remaining when freshman Marcus Rourse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) knocked down a three from the left wing to tie it up. The teams traded hoops over the next minute before Mike Black drilled a three with the shot clock winding down to give Albany a 64-61 lead with 3:37 remaining.
Doguher had an answer though, hitting a three with just over two and a half minutes left to tie the game. The teams traded hoops over the next minute before the Seawolves (20-7, 12-2 AE) forced an Albany miss to re-gain possession with 37 seconds left.
Stony Brook called timeout and then worked the ball to El-Amin, who drove from the top of the key to the right elbow before pulling up and drilling a 15-footer to give the Seawolves a 68-66 lead. Albany was then unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer.
SBU used the three-point shot to take a 14-2 lead just over five minutes into the game. El-Amin and Dougher each knocked down one and junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) drilled two. Brenton pushed the Stony Brook lead to 14 at the 12 minute mark as he stole the ball from Blake Metcalf and took it the length of the court for a dunk.
The Seawolves lead grew to 23-7 on a Dougher floater before Albany ran off nine straight points to close within seven. Joyner ended the run with a short jump hook in the lane and freshman Preye Preboye (Springfield. Mass.) then completed a three-point play to push the Stony Brook lead back to 12.
An Andrew Goba (Durban, South Africa) lay-in off a feed from Preboye gave Stony Brook a 33-18 lead with three minutes to go in the half. But Albany scored 11 of the final 13 points of the half, including a Will Harris three at the buzzer, to cut the Seawolves lead to 35-29 at the break.
Stony Brook came out strong to start the second half as El-Amin knocked down a long three and Preboye got free for an easy lay-in. But Albany responded with a 13-2 run over the next three minutes to tie the game at 42. Dougher answered with a three though as the Seawolves scored seven of the next nine points to take a 49-44 lead. Albany eventually rallied to take a 55-54 advantage on a Tim Ambrose put-back hoop but El-Amin answered with a fade-away jumper from the left wing to give the Seawolves the lead back. Harris scored a team-high 17 points for Albany while Scotty McRae chipped in with 16.
The Seawolves return to action on Wednesday, hosting Vermont at Pritchard Gymnasium in a game that will be televised on MSG Plus. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The Seawolves will honor their four seniors - El-Amin, Goba, Eddie Castellanos (Jersey City, N.J.) and Desmond Adedeji (Landover, Md.)- prior to the game.
Albany, N.Y. - Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a game-high 19 points including the game-winning jumper with 1.8 seconds left to send the Stony Brook University men's basketball team to a 68-66 win over the Albany Great Danes at SEFCU Arena on Friday night. It is the 20th win of the season for the Seawolves, who have won nine straight games. Stony Brook improves to 12-2 in the America East with the win, a full game ahead of second place Vermont.
"I couldn't be prouder of our guys," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We made the stops we needed to make down the stretch against a tough Albany team and Muhammad [El-Amin] then stepped up and made a huge shot."
El-Amin scored 11 of his 19 in the second half and was named the America East Player of the Game for Stony Brook (20-7, 12-2 AE). Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) chipped in with 11, knocking down three of five shots from three-point land. He now has 78 threes on the season, a new program record. Sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, his third straight game with double-digit rebounds.
Albany led 59-56 with six minutes remaining when freshman Marcus Rourse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) knocked down a three from the left wing to tie it up. The teams traded hoops over the next minute before Mike Black drilled a three with the shot clock winding down to give Albany a 64-61 lead with 3:37 remaining.
Doguher had an answer though, hitting a three with just over two and a half minutes left to tie the game. The teams traded hoops over the next minute before the Seawolves (20-7, 12-2 AE) forced an Albany miss to re-gain possession with 37 seconds left.
Stony Brook called timeout and then worked the ball to El-Amin, who drove from the top of the key to the right elbow before pulling up and drilling a 15-footer to give the Seawolves a 68-66 lead. Albany was then unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer.
SBU used the three-point shot to take a 14-2 lead just over five minutes into the game. El-Amin and Dougher each knocked down one and junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) drilled two. Brenton pushed the Stony Brook lead to 14 at the 12 minute mark as he stole the ball from Blake Metcalf and took it the length of the court for a dunk.
The Seawolves lead grew to 23-7 on a Dougher floater before Albany ran off nine straight points to close within seven. Joyner ended the run with a short jump hook in the lane and freshman Preye Preboye (Springfield. Mass.) then completed a three-point play to push the Stony Brook lead back to 12.
An Andrew Goba (Durban, South Africa) lay-in off a feed from Preboye gave Stony Brook a 33-18 lead with three minutes to go in the half. But Albany scored 11 of the final 13 points of the half, including a Will Harris three at the buzzer, to cut the Seawolves lead to 35-29 at the break.
Stony Brook came out strong to start the second half as El-Amin knocked down a long three and Preboye got free for an easy lay-in. But Albany responded with a 13-2 run over the next three minutes to tie the game at 42. Dougher answered with a three though as the Seawolves scored seven of the next nine points to take a 49-44 lead. Albany eventually rallied to take a 55-54 advantage on a Tim Ambrose put-back hoop but El-Amin answered with a fade-away jumper from the left wing to give the Seawolves the lead back. Harris scored a team-high 17 points for Albany while Scotty McRae chipped in with 16.
The Seawolves return to action on Wednesday, hosting Vermont at Pritchard Gymnasium in a game that will be televised on MSG Plus. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The Seawolves will honor their four seniors - El-Amin, Goba, Eddie Castellanos (Jersey City, N.J.) and Desmond Adedeji (Landover, Md.)- prior to the game.
