Named the Seawolves America East Player of the Game, Landers went 6-for-6 from the line and dished out five assists. Senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) added a season-high 15 points and eight rebounds while junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) recorded her fourth career double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds).
Trailing by eight with 15:35 remaining, Stony Brook (2-2) went on a 7-0 run over the next minute and a half to pull within one. A three from senior Jodie Plikus (Waterford, Conn.) tied the game at 54 before Stony Brook took the lead on two free throws from Landers midway through the half.
Nicholls State (2-2) rallied to take a 61-60 lead on KK Babin’s fourth three-pointer of the game but Landers answered with a three of her own to give the Seawolves the lead for good with 8:18 left. Stony Brook eventually pushed its lead to six on jumper from Jacobs.
The Colonels pulled within two on a Cassie Hearon lay-up with 57 seconds left but Jeter answered with two free throws on the other end to push the lead back to four. Landers hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to make it 79-74 but Kya DeGarmo banked in a long three with six seconds left to trim the Stony Brook advantage to two.
But Landers calmly knocked down two more free throws with three seconds left to seal the win for the Seawolves. Stony Brook won the battle of the boards, 39-35, and forced Nicholls State into 24 turnovers.
Stony Brook lead 17-12 in the early going before the Colonels hit three straight three-pointers to take a four-point lead. McCarthy followed with a lay-up to put Nicholls State on top by six midway through the first half.
The Seawolves answered with seven consecutive points to take a 24-23 lead before Richanda Bickham hit a three to give the Colonels the lead back. Nicholls State led by six with seven seconds left but Landers took the ball the length of the court for a lay-up as time expired to make it 38-34 at the half.
Nicholls State went 8-for-13 from three in the first half and shot 46.7 percent from the field. But SBU limited the Colonels to 36.4 shooting in the second half. Babin led four Nicholls State players in double-figures with 21 points.
The Seawolves will now break for Thanksgiving, returning to action on Tuesday against Monmouth at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
