WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- Fans streamed into Monmouth's gleaming Multipurpose Activities Center in the early-morning darkness Tuesday. The Hawks' pep band competed with one from Stony Brook. The student sections at both ends of the floor were alive and bouncing. In short, it was a great atmosphere for college basketball -- even if it was 6 a.m.
What some schools won't do to get on TV.
Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell even reminded his players before the game that, when he was in their living rooms recruiting them, he promised they'd be on ESPN one day. He just didn't say it would be before dawn as part of ESPN's 24-hour Tip-Off Marathon.
"We tried to call Duke and see if they would switch and give us the 6 p.m. game, but they wouldn't do it," Pikiell joked. "It's good for the program and good for the kids."
It didn't make for artistic basketball. Stony Brook shot 34.5 percent from the field; Monmouth was worse at 29.8 percent, and each team made only 2 of 16 three-point attempts. But ESPN couldn't have asked for a more exciting wakeup call as Stony Brook overcame a nine-point deficit in the final eight minutes to pull out a 51-49 victory behind the leadership of junior Bryan Dougher and senior Chris Martin.
"We had a couple 6 a.m. practices, so we were a little used to it," said Dougher, who shot only 3 of 14 from the field but scored six of his nine points in the Seawolves' 17-6 finishing run. "Once the ball goes up, it's like a 7 p.m. game."
Monmouth led, 34-23, early in the second half, let it slip after a 9-0 Stony Brook run and then seemed to take control at 43-34 with 8:18 left to play. But the Seawolves dug in defensively, and Dougher started the comeback with a three-pointer. Freshman center Anthony Mayo made a three-point play to finally knot the score at 44 with 4:06 left.
At the 1:44 mark, Martin appeared to hit a three-pointer from the right wing for the lead, but it was ruled a two-pointer to tie at 46. "I just wanted to make a jump shot," said Martin, who led Stony Brook with 13 points. "I'd been missing every one I took. I wanted to see one go down. Two or three didn't matter."
Monmouth regained a 49-46 lead on a three-point play by R.J. Rutledge from Baldwin with 1:15 left. But Dougher hit a running bank shot, and after a Monmouth turnover, Martin made two foul shots to give the Seawolves a 50-49 lead with 23.5 seconds to play. Rutledge missed a three, and after Dougher made one of two foul shots, Hawks coach Dave Calloway chose not to call timeout in the final six seconds. Stony Brook survived when Marcus Ware missed a deep three at the buzzer.
Suddenly, the 3 a.m. wakeup call the Seawolves answered at their hotel seemed worth it. As Martin said, "Get up, have fun, ESPN - you can't beat it."
