Sophomore Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) added 10 points and nine rebounds while junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) had eight points and nine rebounds for the Seawolves, who had nine different players score. Stony Brook scored 24 points off 22 FDU turnovers and won the battle of the boards, 49-43.
After FDU scored the first basket of the game, the Seawolves went on an 11-0 run capped by a three-point play from senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) and short jumper from sophomore Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Another hoop from Bridges gave Stony Brook a 15-5 lead nearly midway through the half.
Stony Brook pushed its lead to 20-8 on a jumper from Gatling with just less than eight minutes remaining. The Knights scored the next four points before Gatling hit two free throws to push the SBU lead back to 10.
But the Knights then ran off six straight points, cutting the Stony Brook lead to 22-16 on a three from Alyssa Mayrose. Jasmyra Saunders followed with a fast-break hoop before Bridges ended the run with a free throw and a running bank shot.
FDU cut the Stony Brook lead back to four on a three-point play from Danielle Pankey but Jacobs answered with a jumper and Jeter then scored on a beautiful spin move in the lane to make it 29-21 with two minutes remaining until halftime.
Then, with 1.4 seconds remaining, junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) was fouled and made the first freebie before missing the second. But she grabbed her own rebound and put it in at the horn to send Stony Brook into the break with a 33-22 lead. The Seawolves held FDU to 28.6 percent shooting in the first half, as the Knights missed 17 of their first 20 shots.
Stony Brook jumped on the Knights to start the second half as Landers hit a three on Stony Brook’s first possession and then scored a fast-break hoop while getting fouled. Landers missed the free throw but the Seawolves got the rebound, leading to a three from junior Amanda Corona (North Hollywood, Calif.) that gave the SBU a 15-point lead.
The Seawolves led 50-34 with 9:16 remaining before the Knights scored six straight points to cut their deficit to 10. But sophomore Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) answered with a three and Landers then set up Jacobs for an easy lay-up to push the lead back to 15. FDU got no closer than 13 the rest of the way as the Seawolves evened their record at 2-2 on the homestand. Jeter finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and four steals while Bridges scored nine points, all in the first half, in addition to grabbing five rebounds.
Mariyah Laury led the Knights with 13 points while Alyssa Mayrose added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Landers was named the America East Player of the Game for the Seawolves.
The Seawolves conclude their five-game homestand on Sunday against Iona. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
