Bethlehem, Pa. - Stony Brook University's men's and women's tennis teams each cruised to wins over Lehigh on Monday afternoon. The women blanked the Mountain Hawks, 7-0, while the men won, 6-1.
The women started the match out by easily earning the doubles point. Senior Paola Rodolfi (Asuncion, Paraguay) and sophomore Prerana Appineni (Hyderabad, India) won, 8-1, at No. 1 while sophomore Anna Pieschl (Gothenburg, Sweden) and freshman Aylin Mehter (Massapequa, N.Y.) coasted to an 8-2 victory at No. 2. At No. 3, junior Fanny Charliquart (Gueugnon, France) and sophomore Katherine Hanson (Smithtown, N.Y.) also won, 8-3.
SBU cruised through the singles matches as well as freshman Nini Lagvilava (Tbilisi, Georgia) won 6-0, 6-1, at the No. 1 spot while Pieschl won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2. Rodolfi defeated Stacey Reich, 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3 while Appineni won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4. Mehter and junior Gayatri Krishnan (Chennai, India) dropped just one combined game at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.
Lehigh opened the men's match by taking the doubles point. Junior Ivan Rummel (Budapest, Hungary) and sophomore Max Sxtabholz (Paris, France) won the lone doubles match for the Seawolves, 8-5, at No. 3.

But SBU dominated in singles play, winning all six matches. Rummel, senior Jon Epstein (Silver Spring, Md.) and freshman Roope Kailaheimo (Helsinki, Finland) each won in straight sets at the first three singles spots.
After dropping the first set, sophomore Mitch Wong (Tampa, Fla.) rallied to win the final two sets at No. 4. Senior Ilan Shvartz (Haifa, Isreal) won in three sets at No. 6 while freshman Palash Tiwari won in straight sets at No. 5.
The men and women return to action on Tuesday, taking on UMBC.
WomenStony Brook 7, Lehigh 0Doubles1. Rodolfi/Appineni (SB) def. Arthofer/Piscitelli (LU) 8-12. Pieschl/Mehter (SB) def. Reich/Muething (LU) 8-23. Charliquart/Hanson (SB) def. Murasko-Blank/Breit (LU) 8-3
Singles1. Nini Lagvilava (SB) def. Julie Arthofer (LU) 6-0, 6-12. Anna Pieschl (SB) def. Liz Piscitelli (LU) 6-2, 6-03. Paola Rodolfi (SB) def. Stacey Reich (LU) 6-3, 6-04. Prerana Appineni (SB) def. Patricia Muething (LU) 6-1, 6-25. Aylin Mehter (SB) def. Kiera Murasko-Blank (LU) 6-0, 6-16. Gayatri Krishnan (SB) def. Izzy Breit (LU) 6-0, 6-0
MenStony Brook 6, Lehigh 1Doubles1. List/Laffey (LU) def. Kailahemo/Tiwari (SB) 8-62. Richardson/Savran (LU) def. Epstein/Wong (SB) 8-53. Rummel/Sztabholz (SB) def. Krueger/Silbert (LU) 8-5
Singles1. Ivan Rummel (SB) def. Troy List (LU) 6-3, 6-32. Jon Epstein (SB) def. Collin Laffey (LU) 6-4, 6-43. Roope Kailaheimo (SB) def. Leland Richardson (LU) 6-4, 6-34. Mitch Wong (SB) def. Edgars Rauza (LU) 6-7, 6-2, 7-55. Palash Tiwari (SB) def. Ryan Krueger (LU) 7-5, 6-46. Ilan Schvarz (SB) def. Andrew Krentz (LU) 4-6, 6-3, 14-12

Muhammad El-Amin Named To AP Honorable Mention All-America Team

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Senior guard Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) of the Stony Brook University men’s basketball team was named to the honorable mention Associated Press All-America team, it was announced on Monday. The leading scorer on the America East’s top team during the regular season, El-Amin is the first player in the program’s Division I history to earn postseason All-American honors. “What a terrific honor for Muhammad,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. “He has worked extremely hard in making himself a better player and couldn’t be more deserving of this [honor]. He has had two outstanding seasons for us and I couldn’t be more proud of him.” One of the most prolific scorers in school history, El-Amin set a Division I program record for points in a season this year (517). He also finished his two-year Seawolves career just 29 points short of 1,000. He ranked second in the America East in scoring during conference play (19.1 points per game) and scored 23 in the 82-78 victory over Vermont on Feb. 24 that clinched the Seawolves’ first America East regular season title. El-Amin was named America East Player by the Year at the conference’s awards banquet and also by Sporting News. He is the first Stony Brook player to earn either of those honors. Stony Brook set program records for overall wins (22) and conference wins (13) this season and won its first ever America East regular season title. The Seawolves also hosted Illinois in a first round NIT game, its first appearance in the postseason since moving to Division I.

Baseball Rallies But Falls To San Diego State, 11-10

San Diego, Calif. – Stony Brook University’s baseball team pounded out 16 hits and nearly rallied from an 11-3 deficit with seven ninth-inning runs but it wasn’t enough as the San Diego State Aztecs held on for a 11-10 victory over the Seawolves on Monday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Stony Brook falls to 7-11 with the loss. Trailing 11-3 entering the ninth, the Seawolves almost rallied to send the game to extra-innings. Senior Chris Maier (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and freshman John Adornetto (Commack, N.Y.) started the rally with run-scoring singles that cut the Aztec lead to 11-5. Maier then scored on a wild pitch and senior Robert Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single. A sacrifice fly from freshman William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) made it 11-8 and senior Michael Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) then doubled to drive in Dyer and bring the tying run to the plate. The Aztecs brought in reliever John Pecoraro and freshman Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario) promptly greeted him with a run-scoring single to make it 11-10. But Pecoraro then struck out sophomore Sal Intagliata (Franklin Square, N.Y.) to end the game. Tissenbaum led the Seawolves with three hits while Dyer, Stephan, junior Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) and sophomore Pat Cantwell (West Islip, N.Y.) chipped in with two each. SBU jumped to an early lead as Cantwell doubled to lead off the game and then moved to third on a bunt single from Marshall. Junior Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.) followed with an infield RBI single to drive in Cantwell. Marshall then stole third and score on a fielder’s choice from Dyer. San Diego State answered with two runs in the bottom of the first on run-scoring hits from Cory Vaughn and Jordan Van Hoosier. But the Seawolves grabbed the lead back in the second as Intagliata reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually came around to score on an RBI groundout from Cantwell. The Aztecs responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple from Jomel Torres, to take a 6-3 lead. San Diego State blew the game open in the sixth as Chris Wilson hit a three-run home run. The Aztecs then tacked on two more in the seventh to make it 11-3. The teams will wrap up their two-game set on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 9 p.m. EST.

Stony Brook Second In Commissioner's Cup Standings After Winter Season

Seawolves have 217 points

America East Release


Cambridge, Mass. - Stony Brook University's Department of Athletics maintained its second-place standing in the 2009-10 Stuart P. Haskell Jr. Commissioner's Cup following a successful winter season. Stony Brook added 100 points to its total to move to 217 on the year and trails Boston University by just 24 points.

The Seawolves received their highest point total of the season by claiming the first-ever America East regular season title in men's basketball. Stony Brook had its most successful men's basketball season in school history, posting a 22-10 overall record including a 13-3 mark in America East play. The women's basketball team finished the season in fourth place and advanced to the semifinals of the America East Championship.

After finishing in third place in 2008-09 for its best Commissioner's Cup finish in school history (275 points), Stony Brook is now just 58 points shy of last year's point total heading into the spring season. SBU currently holds a 25-point lead over third-place New Hampshire.

Baseball Rallies For 7-6 Extra Inning Win Over Fordham

Bronx, N.Y. (March 24, 2010) – Freshman Vincent Caesar (Massapequa, N.Y.) scored the game-tying run on a passed ball with two outs in the ninth and sophomore Pat Cantwell (West Islip, N.Y.) then drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI double in the 10th to lead the Stony Brook University baseball team to a 7-6 win over Fordham on Wednesday afternoon at Houlihan Park.

The Seawolves trailed 6-4 entering the ninth and were down to their last out with sophomore Sal Intagliata (Franklin Square, N.Y.) on first. But Caesar followed with a single and freshman William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) singled to center to drive in Intagliata. Caesar then scampered home on a passed ball to tie the game at six.

Carmona pitched a scoreless ninth to send the game to extra innings and freshman John Adornetto (Commack, N.Y.) singled with one out in the 10th. Freshman Tanner Nivins (Kitchener, Ontario) grounded to third for the second out but Cantwell drilled a double to center and Adornetto came all the way around to score and give SBU a 7-6 advantage.

Fordham put runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the 10th but Carmona struck out Stephen McSherry looking to end the game. Carmona earned the win with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief.

The game was tied at two after four innings but the Seawolves scored a run in the fifth on an Intagliata RBI single and then tacked on another run in the sixth on an Adornetto run-scoring single. But the Rams rallied to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the inning highlighted by run-scoring hits from Ryan McCrann and Angelo Ponte.

The Rams pushed their lead to 6-4 in the eighth on a Ryan David sacrifice fly. Brando Casalicchio took the loss for Fordham, allowing a run in 1.1 innings of relief.

The Seawolves will now begin a six-game seven-day trip to California beginning with a series against Pepperdine. The three-game set opens on Friday at 6 p.m. EST.

600!

Walk-Off Home Run Gives Softball Split With Rutgers; Bryant Earns 600th Career Victory

Bryant's 600th win is her 255th with the Seawolves

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Kendall Blumenthal (Frederick, Md.) hit a walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Stony Brook University's softball team a 2-0 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday afternoon at University Field. The victory was head coach Megan Bryant's 600th career win and number 255 at Stony Brook. The Seawolves dropped the second game of the doubleheader, 3-0, to move to 10-8 on the season.

The winningest coach in school history, Bryant has posted 20 or more wins in each of her nine season at Stony Brook and 19 times overall. She has reached the NCAA tournament twice, most recently with the Seawolves in 2008. Over the last two years, her teams have broken the school record for wins in a season, which currently stands at 36.

Senior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) battled Rutgers' Nicole Lindley pitch-for-pitch in the first game of the day as they both allowed just one hit each over the first six innings of play. In the top of the seventh, following a leadoff walk, Struzenberg allowed her second hit of the day which put runners on first and second. A passed ball moved the runners to second and third with just one out. However, Struzenberg struck out the final two batters of the inning, her ninth and tenth K's of the day, to keep Rutgers off the board.

In the bottom half of the inning, junior Brijette Martin (New York, N.Y.) led off with a bunt single. A sacrifice and a passed ball put her on third with just one out. A suicide squeeze attempt was unsuccessful, though, as Rutgers tagged Martin at the plate for the second out. Blumenthall then took a 1-1 pitch over the center field wall for the walk-off victory. The homer is Blumenthall's first of the season.

In game two, Rutgers' Holly Johnson no-hit the Seawolves to earn the 3-0 victory. Johnson almost threw a perfect game, but committed a throwing error in the first at-bat and hit one batter in the fifth.
Stony Brook opens conference play this weekend with a series at UMBC. The Seawolves will play a pair of games on Saturday, starting at 1:00 p.m. then finish with a single game on Sunday at noon.

#7/9 Cornell Edges #17/17 Men's Lacrosse, 12-9

Crowley leads Seawolves with six goals

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia) recorded four goals and junior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia) added two, but Cornell's Ryan Hurley tallied a game-high five goals and Rob Pannell posted a goal and six assists to lead the #7/9 (IL/USILA) Big Red to a 12-9 win over the Seawolves in non-conference action at LaValle Stadium on Tuesday night. Junior Adam Rand (Niantic, Conn.) won 17-of-25 faceoffs and senior Steven Waldeck (Levittown, N.Y.) had 10 ground balls for Stony Brook (4-3), which faced Cornell (6-1) for the first time since 2004.

"I'm disappointed in the outcome tonight, but I think good times are ahead," head coach Rick Sowell said. "Give Cornell credit, they made the best of some opportunities. "I like where this team is headed; our goals are the same as we head towards our final non-conference game and into America East play."

Cornell jumped out to a 3-0 lead five minutes into the game. But Stony Brook answered, scoring four straight goals, ending the first quarter with a 4-3 lead.

Hurley's 20th of the season tied the game with 12:38 left in the first half. Another goal wouldn't be scored until 11 minutes later as Crowley scored unassisted at 1:23. Roy Lang's goal with five seconds left tied the game at five going into the locker rooms.

Lang's goal was the first of six straight goals for the Big Red, who held Stony Brook scoreless for over 20 minutes, spanning three quarters. Sophomore Timmy Trenkle (Commack, N.Y.) ended the Seawolves' drought, scoring off an assist from sophomore Robbie Campbell (Delta, British Columbia). Senior Charlie Paar (Huntington, N.Y.) made four of his 10 saves in the third quarter.

Crowley, who scored three of his four goals unassisted, scored 43 seconds later, cutting Cornell's lead to 10-7.

The Big Red led 12-7 after goals from Chris Langton and Hurley. McBride's team-leading 28th goal of the season made it 12-8 and Crowley's tally made it a three-goal game with 2:55 left in regulation.

The final non-conference game is on Saturday against Bryant University in Rhode Island. Face-off is scheduled for 1 pm.

Baseball Defeats Seton Hall, 4-2, In Final Game of Seton Hall Strike Out Cancer Tournament

Seawolves win for the third time in the last four games.

Junior Stephen Marino

Box Score

South Orange, N.J. - Freshman Adam Brown (Melville, N.Y.) hurled a six-hitter and the Stony Brook University baseball team used a three-run second on its way to a 4-2 win over Seton Hall in its final game of the Seton Hall Strike Out Cancer Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field. SBU has now won three of its last four and is 5-8 on the season.

Brown allowed one earned run and walked just two. Senior Robert Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) had three hits to lead the Seawolves, while freshman Travis Jankowski (Lancaster, Pa.) chipped in with two hits and an RBI.

Dyer sparked the three-run second as he singled to lead off and moved to second on single from junior Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.). FreshmanMaxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario) then sacrificed the runners to second and third. But senior Justin Echevarria (Uniondale, N.Y.) followed with a grounder to third for the second out.

But Jankowski then reached on an infield single to drive in Dyer before sophomore Sal Intagliata (Franklin Square, N.Y.) drilled a two-run double to left-center to put the Seawolves up 3-0. SBU tacked on a run in the third on a Tissenbaum RBI groundout.

Brown, meanwhile, cruised through the first four innings before the Pirates got on the board in the fifth on a Ryan Sullivan RBI single. But Brown did not allow a runner past first over the next three innings as Stony Brook headed to the ninth with a two-run lead.

Frank Esposito walked with one out in the Seton Hall ninth and then scored on a triple from Michael Betz. But Brown struck out Sean Gusrang for the second out and then got a Giuseppe Papaccio on a grounder to short to end the game.

It is the first collegiate win for Brown (1-2), who struck out three. Jon Prosinski took the loss for the Pirates, allowing four runs on five hits in 2.0 innings.

The Seawolves return to action on Wednesday, traveling to take on Fordham. Game time is set for 3 p.m.

Struzenberg Breaks Shutout Record With a No-Hitter Against Fairfield

Struzenberg records her 19th career

	Senior Crista Cerrone

Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) set her second record in as many days, when she threw a shutout against Fairfield on Sunday afternoon. Struzenberg's no-hit gem was her 19th career shutout, breaking the record which was set in 2002 by Stephanie Poetzsch. Struzenberg broke the record for career wins yesterday in the Seawolves victory over Holy Cross. Stony Brook's 5-0 win gave it a record of 9-7 on the season and a perfect 4-0 mark during the Stony Brook Invitational this weekend.

Senior Vicki Kavitsky (Cherry Hill, N.J.) got the Seawolves off to a strong start, lining the fifth pitch of the game to left center for a double. She would score later in the inning on a pair of wild pitches to put SBU on top 1-0.

That was enough run support for Struzenberg, who faced just one more batter than the minimum in her seven innings of work. Fairfield managed to reach base just three times on walks, but twice those runners were retired. Struzenberg picked up seven strikeouts, including the final batter of the game.

Kavitsky went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles. Senior Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.) hit Stony Brook's first home run of the weekend, a two-run two-out blast to center in the fourth inning. Junior Brijette Martin (New York, N.Y.) and sophomore Bernadette Tenuto (Audubon, N.J.) also had RBI for the Seawolves.

Pair of Shutouts Gives Softball Two Wins During Day One of Stony Brook Invitational

Seawolves face Holy Cross on Saturday

Box Score
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Colleen Matthes (Severn, Md.) and senior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) both recorded complete-game shutouts as Stony Brook's softball team defeated Yale, 3-0, and Quinnipiac, 1-0, during the Stony Brook Invitational on Friday afternoon. Struzenberg allowed just one hit and both pitchers recorded six strikeouts. Stony Brook is now 7-7 on the season.
In the first game of the day, Yale loaded the bases with one out, but Matthes recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. She allowed just three more hits over the next six innings while retiring the side in order on four occasions.
Stony Brook's offense managed eight hits against the Bulldogs, but all three runs came in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out, senior Vicki Kavitsky (Cherry Hill, N.J.) drove a 1-0 pitch to the right centerfield gap to score two. The next batter, junior Brijette Martin (New York, N.Y.), would then ground out to short, scoring the Seawolves' third run of the inning. Kavitsky went 3-for-4 in the game.
The second game of the day was an absolute pitchers' duel, as neither team recorded a hit before the sixth inning. Quinnipiac's Mina Duffy opened the bottom half of the sixth with a hard hit ball to left center, but she was caught trying to stretch a single into a double as Martin quickly relayed the ball into second for the first out. A pair of walks put runners on first and second, but Struzenberg got the next hitter to fly to left for the final out.
Kavitsky then led off the top of the seventh by lining a double down the left field line. After a sacrifice moved Kavitsky to third, senior Casey Jacobs (Davie, Fla.) came to the plate with two outs. Sitting in an 0-2 count, Jacobs fouled off a pair and watched three balls go by to fill the count. She then hit the eighth pitch of the at-bat through the right side of the infield for the eventual game-winning RBI.

Struzenberg, who already set the school record for career strikeouts this season, tied a pair of records today, recording her 58th career win and her 18th career shutout.
Stony Brook will play one game tomorrow, facing Holy Cross at 12:00 p.m.

Newsday Article - Greg Logan - 3/18/10

Less than a month ago, Stony Brook Arena was a dimly lit, dusty cavern with big curtains suspended from the rafters to separate several basketball courts for recreational play by the students. But in the blink of an eye, it was transformed last night into the site of a National Invitation Tournament first-round matchup between Division I neophyte Stony Brook and Big Ten power Illinois, which is five years removed from playing for the NCAA title.
TV trucks were lined up north of the arena, running cable, and banks of klieg lights in the rafters lit the spit-polished court as if it were Madison Square Garden. Pretty heady stuff for a program that seemed light years away from this kind of moment when athletic director Jim Fiore, who is in his seventh year, hired coach Steve Pikiell five seasons ago.
"You can imagine seven years ago people in Setauket didn't know we had an athletic program," Fiore said, referring to the nearby Three Village community.
"If we had 10,000 tickets tonight, we'd be sold out. This game has been sold out for two days."
Until now, one of the primary links between the university and the surrounding community was the soccer fields by the commuter parking lot south of campus that Three Village Soccer uses. That began to change when the football stadium went up over pockets of protest from some in the area. But that suspicion slowly has given way to a sense of excitement and pride.
Instead of fears associated with NIMBY syndrome that is pervasive on Long Island, there's a growing sense of pride as if people are telling themselves, "An NIT game in our backyard. Who would have believed such a thing?"
A crowd of 4,423 crammed Stony Brook Arena last night with SRO fans standing on the running track ringing the building above the grandstands. Judging by the volume and total student involvement to the end of Stony Brook's gutty 76-66 loss to Illinois, there's a growing sense of identity on campus.
When the Seawolves pulled within five at 59-54 on Chris Martin's three-point play with seven minutes left, the place erupted like any other big-time college game. It was . . . fun. A true college atmosphere, the kind of thing that makes you want to come back for more.
When Stony Brook came out of a timeout at that juncture, both Bryan Dougher and Muhammad El-Amin had open looks from three-point range and a chance to make it a two-point game, but neither could get the ball to go down. Illinois coach Bruce Weber expressed admiration for the job Pikiell has done at a place with no basketball tradition.
"We've got a good program, and people are starting to take notice," Pikiell said. "This isn't just a lacrosse town anymore. We're going to try and make it a basketball town . . . Now the community is involved and students are involved. It's Division I basketball. The environment was great tonight, and they really saw a dose of March Madness and that hasn't been the case. It's exciting. It really is."
Without a doubt, Fiore hired the right man to make Stony Brook basketball matter. Describing what he saw in Pikiell, Fiore said, "Steve was a good fit philosophically, he was a good fit for what it took in recruiting, and he was naïve enough to think he could get it done here."
If nothing else, Pikiell and his players succeeded in bringing a dead arena to life for one shining night.

Men’s Basketball Battles But Falls To Illinois, 76-66, In First Round of NIT

Steve Pikiell Post-Game Press Conference
Playing its first postseason game in the program’s Division I history, the No. 8 Stony Brook men’s basketball team gave No. 1 Illinois all it could handle before ultimately falling, 76-66, in a first round NIT game on a Wednesday night at a sold-out Stony Brook Arena. Sophomore Bryan Dougher(Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored a game-high 21 points for the Seawolves, while senior Muhammad El-Amin(Lansing, Mich.) chipped in with 16. Stony Brook finishes its record-breaking season, 22-10. The crowd of 4,423 was the largest in program history.

“First, I want to thank all the people that came out tonight and made this a great environment,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiellsaid. “I’m really proud of my team and the way we battled tonight and all season. We had a terrific year and I think our future is bright.”

After trailing by just two at halftime, the Seawolves saw the Fightin Illini go on a 17-7 run to start the second half to take a 55-43 lead. But SBU clawed back, cutting the lead to five on a three-point play from sophomore Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) with seven minutes to play.

Stony Brook still trailed by just six with 3:39 to go following a driving lay-up from El-Amin. Neither team scored over the next two minutes before Mike Tisdale drilled a three with the shot clock winding down to give Illinois a 68-59 advantage with just less than a minute and a half remaining.

Dougher then missed a three on the other end and Tisdale then hit two free throws with 59 seconds left to put the game away. Mike Davis led four Illinois players in double-figures with 17 points while Demetri McCamey added 16 points and nine assists.

Feeding off the energy of the crowd, Stony Brook surged to an early 7-0 lead behind a three from El-Amin and lay-ups from Dougher and Martin. Illinois answered with eight straight points of its own but El-Amin answered with a jumper and Dougher followed with a steal and a lay-up to give SBU an 11-8 lead.

Illinois rallied to take a 25-20 advantage with seven minutes to go but the Seawolves scored nine of the next 11 points to take a two-point lead. The lead then exchanged hands four times over the nect four minutes before a Martin lay-up tied the game at 36 with 30 seconds left. McCamey hit a long jumper as time expired to send the Illini into the break with a 38-36 lead.

Stony Brook out-scored Illinois 24-10 in the paint and scored 22 points of 17 Illinois turnovers. The Illini won the battle of the boards, 38-25, and shot 52.9 percent for the game.

El-Amin finished his two-year Stony Brook career just 29 points short of 1,000 and set the Seawolves Division I program record for points in a season this year with 517. Dougher went 5-for-10 from three-point range on Wednesday and finished the season with a school record 95 threes.

Compitello, Crowley Lead #12/15 Men's Lacrosse To 21-6 Win Over St. John's

Compitello scores career-high seven points, Crowley tallies career-high five goals

Final Stats
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Tom Compitello (Hauppauge, N.Y.) tallied a career-high seven points (three goals, four assists) and junior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia) scored a career-high five goals and added two assists to lead the #12/15 Stony Brook men's lacrosse team to a 21-6 win over St. John's on Tuesday night. 11 different players scored a goal for the Seawolves (4-1), who led 14-2 at halftime. Sophomore Kyle Belton (Langley, British Columbia) tied a career-high with three goals. Charlie Holenstein led St. John's (2-3) with two goals.
"Tonight was a great all-around performance by our team," head coach Rick Sowell said. "It's a credit to our guys that there was no lull after an emotional win at Delaware. We've got a lot of guys capable of scoring and showed that tonight."
It took Stony Brook's high-powered offense some time to get going, but it took a 4-0 lead after Crowley's second goal of the game. St. John's scored two goals just five seconds apart to close to within two, however the Seawolves answered with three goals to close out the first quarter with a 7-2 lead.
Six different players scored goals for Stony Brook in the second quarter as it led 14-2 at halftime. Junior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia), one the nation's leading scorers, was held to just two goals, but added a season-high two assists. Belton scored two of his three goals in the second quarter.
Stony Brook's defense was outstanding, limiting the Red Storm scoreless in the second and third quarter, respectively. Senior Charlie Paar (Huntington, N.Y.) made 13 saves before leaving the game after three quarters.

Crowley's goal at 10:43 of the third quarter gave Stony Brook a 15-goal advantage, 17-2. St. John's scored four of its six goals in the fourth quarter. Senior Steven Waldeck (Levittown, N.Y.), sophomore Graham Adams (Royal Oak, Mich.), senior Chris Scott (North Babylon, N.Y.) and sophomore Tyler McCabe (Coram, N.Y.) each scored goals in the fourth quarter as Stony Brook scored 21 goals for the second time this season.
The Seawolves return to action on Saturday afternoon as they host Denver at 1 pm in the first game of a lacrosse doubleheader. The women's team faces Columbia at 4 pm.

Stony Brook to host Illinois in NIT Wednesday night

Originally published: March 14, 2010 10:20 PM
Updated: March 14, 2010 10:22 PM
By MARK HERRMANN mark.herrmann@newsday.com

Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell summed up the Seawolves' year neatly in one brief phrase, "Our season of firsts." Now Stony Brook is celebrating one last, impressive first. It will make its inaugural visit to the postseason as a host, playing Illinois in the NIT Wednesday night.

"I'm just really happy for our guys," Pikiell said, adding that his players immediately dispersed after a quick team meeting at the athletic center last night, wanting to spread the news. "They've worked really hard. Now we've got a lot of work to do in the next few days."

Stony Brook (22-9) will be joined in the NIT by St. John's, which has been the subject of speculation about a coaching change. St. John's will visit Memphis Wednesday at 9 p.m.

Hard work brought unexpected results for the Seawolves, who still are making their way as a Division I program. They won the America East regular-season title, which clinched an automatic NIT berth, and would have hosted the conference championship game and had a good shot at anNCAA bid but lost to Boston University in the semifinals.

"The tournament didn't go the way we wanted it to," Pikiell said. " . . . But this will be exciting around here. This will be a chance to show what a great university we have."

The NIT game will start at 9 p.m. and will be shown on ESPNU. It will be played at Stony Brook Arena, adjacent to Pritchard Gymnasium, the court on which the Seawolves were nearly unbeatable this season. Pritchard is too small for the postseason, though, so the university spent roughly $75,000 for emergency renovations on the arena, athletic director Jim Fiore said. He added that Stony Brook put in a bid to host an NIT game and heard at about 8:30 last night that the bid had been accepted.

The Illini (19-14) had been on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament yesterday, having lost a Big Tensemifinal to Ohio State, 88-81, in double overtime Saturday. "I've watched them on TV a few times this year," said Pikiell, who played in The Big Dance with Connecticut, which also is in the NIT. "I know they have a 7-1 center, Mike Tisdale, so we have our work cut out for us."

But just being on the same court will be a win for Stony Brook. "We've never been in the postseason, we've never had a Big Ten team here, we've never been on ESPN," Fiore said. "Now we have all three."

El-Amin, Pikiell Honored by Sporting News

El-Amin Named America East Player of the Year; Pikiell named America East Coach of the Year.
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior guard Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) of the Stony Brook University men's basketball team was named the America East Player of the Year on Friday by the Sporting News. The leading scorer on the America East's top team during the regular season, El-Amin was named the Kevin Roberson America East Player of the Year at the conference's awards banquet last Friday. After leading the Seawolves to their best season in the program's Division I history, Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell was also honored by the Sporting News as he was named America East Coach of the Year.
In his second season at Stony Brook, El-Amin is just 45 points from 1,000 and has already set the program's Division I record for points in a season (501). El-Amin ranked second in the America East in scoring during conference play (19.1 points per game) and scored 23 in the 82-78 victory over Vermont on Feb. 24 that clinched the Seawolves' first America East regular season title.
In his fifth season at the helm of the Seawolves, Pikiell has guided SBU to a record-breaking 2009-10 season. In addition to claiming the schools first ever regular season title, Stony Brook set program records for overall wins (22) and conference wins (13) and earned its first ever postseason berth. Pikiell was also selected the America East Coach of the Year at the conference's annual awards banquet last Friday.
Stony Brook gained an automatic bid to the 32-team National Invitation Tournament (NIT) after winning the America East regular season title. The Seawolves first round NIT opponent will be announced on Sunday, March 14.

SAY IT AINT SO JOE, NATHAN MAY MISS 2010 SEASON

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins suddenly have a glaring concern about closing games for the first time since Joe Nathan took over in 2004.

Tests on Nathan's right throwing elbow have revealed a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that could require season-ending Tommy John surgery. Nathan's 246 saves over six seasons are the most in the majors during that span.

The Twins shared the grim news on Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla., before their exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals. General manager Bill Smith said the plan is to first give Nathan time to let soreness and swelling subside, and build strength in the muscles around the joint, before a final decision about surgery.

In the meantime, a second opinion will be sought from Dr. James Andrews, the noted surgeon who removed bone spurs and chips from the elbow in October. The ulnar collateral ligament is replaced in the Tommy John procedure, which typically takes 12 to 18 months to recover from.

Nathan will try to pitch again in two weeks. If he can't, the four-time All-Star will have surgery. His season then would almost certainly be over, perhaps putting his status for next year in question, too.

An emotional Nathan said he's prepared to try to pitch through pain.

"If I'm able to go out there and throw, then I'll definitely give it a shot," Nathan told reporters in Fort Myers. "The only reason that I would get a surgery done is if I'm just unable to go out there."

It is possible to pitch through the injury.

"I could be one of those guys. I might not be," Nathan said.

But if his elbow hurts like it did on Saturday, when he first felt discomfort and was removed from an exhibition game against Boston?

"Then there's just no chance," Nathan said.

Nathan and the Twins initially believed this weekend he was just dealing with general stiffness and soreness. He flew to Minnesota to meet with team physician Dr. Dan Buss on Monday.

The surgery decision won't be delayed too long.

"They've got to prepare for the season, too," Nathan said.

The 35-year-old Nathan signed a $47 million contract two years ago that guarantees him $11.25 million this season and next. The Twins have a $12.5 million option for 2012, with a $2 million buyout.

"Obviously this wasn't the news I wanted to hear," Nathan said. "It definitely came as a bit of a surprise, but at the same time I've got to be patient right now and take this a step at a time. We'll see how it feels in a week or two."

Nathan was 2-2 with a 2.10 ERA last year, with a career-high 47 saves. He was vulnerable down the stretch, surrendering four of his seven home runs in the final month of the regular season. He gave up a tying two-run shot to Alex Rodriguez in the ninth inning of a Game 2 loss to the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

Losing Nathan for any amount of time would be a big blow to the Twins, who shored up their lineup and are eager to celebrate the opening of their new ballpark, Target Field, with another trip to the playoffs.

"That's going to be a huge drop for them," Chicago White Sox infielder Omar Vizquel said at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona. "It's not going to be easy to replace a guy like him. He pretty much guarantees a save every time."

Right-handers Jon Rauch and Matt Guerrier are probably the top two candidates to replace Nathan, but Rauch is the only Twins reliever with even limited prior experience as a closer. Rob Delaney and Anthony Slama are well-regarded prospects who could be considered.

"Right now, until they tell us, 'Joe's not going to pitch,' he's our closer," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We'll go from there, but we have to start looking in other directions and start the process. This kind of all of a sudden came up, and it is what it is. No one's going to cry for us. We just have to kind of make our way through it."

Guerrier wasn't ready to talk about replacements.

"I'm more concerned about how he's doing," Guerrier said. "He's still pretty emotional."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen remembered one comeback by his team against Nathan, last summer.

"Besides that, I don't remember if we even scared the guy. He's so good against us," Guillen said. "I'd rather face anybody out there, no matter what kind of pitcher they are, than face Nathan."

Nathan's injury was the news of the day around Minnesota's AL Central rivals.

"The Twins seem more than any team when people go down, whether it's players or pitchers, to have other guys step right in," White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said. "It seems they never rest a beat. So they will probably do the same thing with that: It will be some player that no one is even thinking about right now that will probably be lights out for them."

STONY BROOK BASKETBALL...FLYIN' HIGH

McBride named America East Player of the Week

Cambridge, Mass. - For the second time this season, junior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia) has been named America East Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. McBride scored a game-high six goals in a 14-11 win over Towson on Saturday. It was the 12th time in his career he scored four or more goals in a game. His sixth and final goal of the game gave him 100 for his career in just 34 games. With the win over the Tigers, Stony Brook is now ranked 18th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll and 14th in the Coaches poll.

Men's Basketball Falls To Boston University, 70-63, In America East Semifinals

Senior Muhammad El-Amin scores game-high 20 points.


West Hartford, Conn. - Trailing by 13 points at halftime, Stony Brook University men's basketball team rallied to take a five-point lead with 6:42 remaining but Boston University ended the game on a 22-10 run to defeat the Seawolves, 70-63, in an America East Semifinal game on Sunday night at Chase Arena. Senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) scored a game-high 20 for Stony Brook while sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) chipped in with 16. Stony Brook will now await its opponent in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which it received an automatic bid to by virtue of winning the America East regular season title. First round NIT games are scheduled for March 16 or 17. It will be the first postseason appearance in program history for the Seawolves.

"What a terrific basketball game," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I couldn't be prouder of my guys and the effort and heart they showed tonight and all season. Give credit to BU, they made the plays they had to make down the stretch."

El-Amin's 20 points give him 501 on the season. He is the first Stony Brook player to score over 500 points since the Seawolves jumped to Division I. Junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) added 11 points while sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) had seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Seawolves, who are now 22-9.

Stony Brook led by one with five and half minutes left when Dougher drilled a three to give Stony Brook a 56-52 advantage. Tyler Morris hit two free throws to bring BU within two and Corey Lowe then drilled a three to give the Terriers the lead. John Holland followed with a driving hoop to give BU a 59-56 advantage.

Jake O'Brien hit two free throws to push the Terriers lead to five but Brenton answered with a driving hoop and Martin then hit two free throws to make it 61-60 with 2:35 to go. Holland scored to make it 63-60 and Dougher then missed a long three on Stony Brook's next possession. O'Brien followed with an inside hoop but Dougher drilled a three from the right wing to draw SBU within two.

But Lowe scored on a follow hoop though with 40 seconds and BU then forced a Stony Brook turnover. Carlos Strong followed with two free throws to ice the game for the Terriers.

Stony Brook jumped on the Terriers early behind El-Amin, who hit three three-pointers over the first two and half minutes to give SBU a 9-3 lead. BU answered with an 11-1 run though over the next four minutes to take a four-point lead. The Terriers pushed their lead to seven on a Lowe three before SBU scored five straight points, three by Brenton, to climb within two.

SBU eventually crept within one on a Martin hoop before Valadas Surutis hit a three to give kick start a 15-0 BU run that gave the Terriers a 37-21 lead. Dougher drilled a three with time winding down to cut SBU deficit to 13 at the break.

A Dougher three on Stony Brook's first possession of the second half cut the BU lead to 37-27 and sophomore Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) and Martin then scored back-to-back hoops to cut SBU's deficit to six. Another Dougher three made it 37-34. SBU eventually tied the game on a Martin free throw with 15:34 to go.

O'Brien scored BU's first points of the second half on the Terriers next possession but Martin responded with short jumper to tie it at 39. The Seawolves took their lead since the early going at the 12 minute mark as El-Amin drilled a three off a feed from sophomore Danny Carter (London, England).

Stony Brook still lead by two with just less than eight minutes left when John Holland tied the game with a tough runner in the lane. But El-Amin answered with a fade-away jumper to put SBU back on top. El-Amin stretched the Stony Brook lead to five with two free throws but BU answered with four straight points to climb within one five and a half minutes to go.

No. 4 Stony Brook Falls in America East Women's Basketball Semifinals to No. 1 Hartford, 65-43

Jeter scores 19

West Hartford, Conn. - Trailing by just eight with under five minutes left in the second half, No. 4 Stony Brook fell just short of an upset bid of No. 1 Hartford in the semifinals of the America East Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday afternoon in Chase Arena. Junior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) scored a game-high 19 and grabbed nine rebounds. Junior Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) joined Jeter in double figures with 11 points. Stony Brook finishes the 2009-10 season with a 10-20 record.

"I'm really proud of the effort we showed today," said head coach Michele Cherry. "We battled all season and really came together as a team. We've really improved from the start of the season to now, and it showed today. Hartford is a great team and they deserve a lot of credit for the way they've played today, and all season long."

As it has all season, Stony Brook relied on its defense as it jumped out to a 4-0 lead. The Seawolves held Hartford scoreless over until the 16:15 mark and didn't allow the Hawks a field goal for more than five minutes.

Hartford would not stay down for long, however, as they scored eight unanswered points to take a 12-6 lead with 10:54 left in the first half. Stony Brook would claw its way back into the game, eventually pulling within two on a jumper from Jeter with 3:43 remaining. On the next Hartford possession, senior Joia Daniels (Silver Spring, Md.) poked the ball free and had an open court in front of her, but unluckily bumped into an official allowing Hartford to regain possession. In the ensuing scramble, Hartford's Jackie Smith found teammate Diana Delva for an easy layup, putting the Hawks up four.

A layup by Daniels followed by a pair of free throws from sophomore Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) would knot the score at 25-25 with 2:41 remaining, but the Hawks would outscore Stony Brook 9-1 down the stretch to take an eight-point lead at halftime.

Behind a balanced scoring attack, SBU recorded eight of the first 11 points in the second half to cut the Hawks' lead to just three with 14:46 left. However, back-to-back threes from Mary Silvia pushed Hartford's advantage back to nine.

Stony Brook would get as close as eight at the 5:33 mark on a jumper by Jeter, but that would be the Seawolves final points of the game as Hartford finished the contest off with on a 14-0 run.

Head Coach Matt Senk becomes first coach in program history to win 500 games.

Game 1 Box ScoreGame 2 Box Score

Wilmington, N.C. - Sophomore Tyler Johnson (Chatsworth, Calif.) allowed just two runs in 7.1 innings and struck out 10 to lead the Stony Brook University baseball team to a 3-2 win over the Akron Zips in its 2010 season opener on Saturday morning at Brooks Field. Stony Brook defeated UNC-Wilmington, 6-2, in its second game of the day behind three hits and three RBI from senior Rob Dyer (Selden, N.Y.). With the win over Akron, Stony Brook head coach Matt Senk became the first coach in program history and the third in America East history to win 500 games.
The all-time wins leader in Stony Brook baseball history, Senk has enjoyed 17 winning seasons with SBU and has won 30 or more games seven times. He has compiled a 298-231 record and two America East tournament titles since the Seawolves move to Division I in 2000.
Stony Brook jumped on top in the second against the Zips as freshman Tanner Nivins (Kitchener, Ontario), in his first collegiate at-bat, drilled a homer to center with two outs. Johnson cruised early on as he retired the first 12 Akron batters, five by strikeout.
Junior Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.) pushed the Seawolves lead to 2-0 in the fifth as he led off the inning with a home run to left. Johnson allowed his first base runner in the fifth as Kyle Hallet doubled to start the inning. But Johnson then picked Hallet off and retired the next two hitters on a strike out and a ground out to keep the Zips off the board.
The Seawolves picked up another run in the seventh as sophomore Sal Intagliata (Franklin Square, N.Y.) walked with one out and then moved to second on a single from senior Justin Echevarria (Uniondale, N.Y.) Senior Chris Maier (Farmingdale, N.Y.) followed with a run-scoring single to put SBU on top 3-0.

Akron finally got on the board in the eighth as Johnson hit Brian Kordal and then gave up a two-run home run to Brandon White. But freshman Jasvir Rakkar (Brampton, Ontario) then entered the game and retired the next two hitters to get out of the jam.
Freshman William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) entered the game in ninth for the Seawolves and retired the side in order to secure Senk's 500th win. Johnson allowed just two hits in his 7.1 innings and did not walk a batter.
UNC-Wilmington grabbed the early lead over SBU in the second game of the day as Andrew Cain hit a solo home run with two outs in the fourth against sophomore starter Nick Tropeano (West Islip, N.Y.). But Stony Brook rallied to take the lead in the fifth on run-scoring singles from senior Michael Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) and Dyer.
The Seawolves tacked on two more in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from junior Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) and an RBI double from sophomore Pat Cantwell (West Islip, N.Y.). SBU put the game away with two more runs in the eighth on a two-out two-run double off the bat of Dyer.
Tropeano picked up the win for Stony Brook as he allowed two runs on four hits in 7.1 innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked just two. Freshman Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario) recorded three hits for the Seawolves.
Stony Brook will play two more games on Sunday at Brooks Field, taking on Akron at 10 a.m. before squaring off against UNC-Wilmington at 1:30 p.m.

No. 1 Stony Brook Defeats No. 8 Albany, 68-59, To Advance To America East Semifinals

Seawolves to play winner of No. 4 Boston University/No. 5 Hartford on Sunday at 5 p.m.

West Hartford, Conn. - Sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) scored 13 points and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds to lead the top-seeded Stony Brook University men's basketball to a 68-59 win over the No. 8 Albany Great Danes on Saturday afternoon at Chase Arena in an America East quarterfinal game. It is the first time since 2004 that the Seawolves have advanced to the semifinals. SBU will now take on the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal game between No. 4 Boston University and No. 5 Hartford on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Chase Arena.

"Terrific win for our team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We struggled a bit offensively but our defense was really solid all day and that's what won us the game. Chris [Martin] was able to get the line early to get us going and Tommy played an outstanding all-around game.

It was the seventh double-double of the season for Brenton, who has recorded double-digit rebounds in five of his last six games. Junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) scored a team-high 15 points as he knocked down 12 of his 15 free throw attempts. Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) each chipped in with 12 points for the Seawolves, who held Albany to 33.3 percent shooting.

Albany jumped to a 11-7 lead behind seven early points from Will Harris before freshman Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) drilled a three to bring SBU within one. The Great Danes answered with a 7-2 run to take a six-point lead but Martin then hit one of two free throws and freshman Preye Preboye (Springfield, Mass.) followed with an acrobatic lay-in off a feed from Brenton to trim the Albany lead to three.

A Harris hoop put the Great Danes back up by five but the Seawolves then ran off 10 straight points to take a five-point lead with three minutes remaining in the half. SBU held Albany scoreless for almost seven minutes during the run.
A Logan Aronhalt three ended the Albany drought before Martin hit two free throws to give SBU a 27-23 advantage. The Great Danes scored five of the next seven points to draw within one but a put-back dunk from sophomore Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) with 30 seconds left sent Stony Brook into the break with a 31-28 lead.

Joyner scored the first hoop of the second half, slamming home a feed from Brenton. But Albany responded by scoring eight of the next 11 points to tie the game at 36. The Seawolves scored the next four points though, on a Brenton drunk and an El-Amin hoop, to take the lead for good.

The Stony Brook advantage would grow to seven with 16 minutes remaining as Dougher drilled his first triple of the game. Stony Brook still led by six midway through the half but Brenton then completed a three-point play and followed with two free throws to give the Seawolves a 54-43 lead with seven and a half minutes remaining.

Tim Ambrose scored the next hoop but Dougher scored on a reverse lay-up and then followed with a three to give Stony Brook its largest lead of the game, 59-45, with four and a half minutes left. Albany hit four late threes to close within six with 46 seconds remaining. But the Seawolves hit three free throws over the final 44 seconds to put the game away.

Stony Brook Eliminates Binghamton, Advances to America East Semis

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Fourth-seeded Stony Brook nearly led from beginning to end, pulling out a 71-60 victory over fifth-seeded Binghamton Friday night at the Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion in the quarterfinals of the 2010 America East Championship presented by Newman's Own.
The Seawolves (10-19, 7-9 America East Conference) were led by junior guard Misha Horsey's 20 points, 16 of which were scored in the second half to help Stony Brook seal the victory over the Bearcats (11-19, 7-9 AE).
"I told [Horsey] during one of the timeouts, 'You need to start taking shots,'" said Stony Brook head coach Michele Cherry, who won her first-ever America East Championship game. "She looked to be more aggressive."
"I don't think she thought she needed to put the team on her back, but that's essentially what she did."
Stony Brook took control of the game from the beginning. Junior forward Kirsten Jeter scored eight of her 15 points to start the game for the Seawolves, giving them the early 8-2 lead.
After Binghamton crept back, Stony Brook broke the game open. With about 16 minutes to go in the first half, the Seawolves went on an 18-4 run, giving them a 15-point lead.
The early deficit put the Bearcats at a serious disadvantage early that they weren't able to recover from.
"Come tournament time, you've got to be ready to go," Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl said. "By the time we had finally settled in, they had gotten a big enough lead and jump on us that it was really hard to recover."
Binghamton worked its way back into the game, coming as close as four on a three by junior guard Jackie Ward with 10:08 left to go.
However, Horsey would then take control and give Stony Brook a comfortable lead that they would not relinquish.
Sophomore guard Andrea Holmes added a game-high 22 points for the Bearcats in the losing effort.
The Seawolves advance to the America East Championship semifinals on Sunday, where they will face top-seeded host Hartford.

Muhammad El-Amin Named MBB Player of Year; Brenton/Dougher Second Team; Steve Pikiell, Coach of the Year in 2010 America East Awards!

Men's Basketball All-Conference Team (PDF)

West Hartford, Conn. (March 5, 2010) – Senior guard Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) of the Stony Brook University men’s basketball team was named the Kevin Roberson America East Player of the Year on Friday at the conference’s annual awards banquet. The leading scorer on the America East’s top team during the regular season, El-Amin is the first player in program history to earn the conference’s top honor. Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell became the first coach in school history to earn America East Coach of the Year honors after leading the Seawolves to their first America East regular season title and a 21-7 overall record. In addition, sophomores Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) were named to All-America East second team and senior Andrew Goba (Durban, South Africa) was selected to the America East All-Academic team. Brenton also earned a spot on America East All-Defensive team. El-Amin also became the first Stony Brook player ever selected to the five-player All-America East first team. In his second season with the Seawolves, El-Amin is just 77 points from 1,000 and just 14 points from setting the program’s Division I record for points in a season. El-Amin ranked second in the America East in scoring during conference play (19.1 points per game) and scored 23 in the 82-78 victory over Vermont on Feb. 24 that clinched the Seawolves’ first America East regular season title. Brenton led the America East in rebounding (9.6 per game) for the second straight season in addition to ranking second in steals (1.8 per game) and eighth in assists (2.8 per game). The 6-5 forward grabbed 279 rebounds, breaking his own Division I program record of 266 that he set last season. A 2009 America East All-Rookie selection, Brenton became the 14th player in school history to record 500 rebounds on Feb. 13 against Binghamton. Dougher shot an America East best 50.5 percent from three during conference play and ranked third in the America East with 3.1 threes per game. The 6-1 guard set a program record for threes in a season (83) and his overall three-point percentage of 40.8 percent ranks 14th in the country. An America East All-Rookie selection last season, Dougher also ranked 10th in the conference in scoring (13.6 points per game). A two-time captain, Goba has played in 25 games this season. He has also excelled off the court as he is a two-time Dean’s list selection and a three-time America East honor roll recipient. Last May he earned a Bachelors of Science in Health Science with a 3.03 GPA and this year he is working on a second baccalaureate in philosophy. In his fifth season at the helm of the Seawolves, Pikiell guided SBU to a record-breaking 2009-10 regular season. In addition to claiming the schools first ever regular season title, Stony Brook set program records for overall wins (21) and conference wins (13). In search of its first America East Tournament title, top-seeded Stony Brook opens the 2010 America East Tournament on Saturday against No. 8 Albany. Game time is set for 12 p.m.

KIRSTEN JETER NAMED SECOND-TEAM ALL AMERICA EAST

West Hartford, Conn. - Junior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) of Stony Brook's women's basketball team was named to the America East All-Conference second team today at the conference's awards banquet held in the Harry Jack Gray Conference Center on the University of Hartford campus on Thursday afternoon. Jeter led the Seawolves this season in scoring (14.2 ppg), rebounding (7.4 rpg) and steals (2.1).
"I'm very grateful to the coaches in the America East Conference for recognizing Kirsten," said head coach Michele Cherry. "I'm happy for Kirsten that all of her hard work and outstanding play throughout the season did not go unnoticed."
This is the third time Jeter has been named to an all-conference team, making the third team last season and the all-rookie team as a freshman. Earlier this season, Jeter became the 14th player in program history to record 1,000 career points. She is also just the sixth player to have at least 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds.

Steve Marcus Article, Newsday 3/2

Stony Brook University making the NCAA Tournament but not Hofstra? For years, that seemed impossible in men's basketball. Now, it is plausible. And it is because of the conferences and venues.
This is a haunting time of the year for Hofstra. It is approaching the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament and the very unfriendly confines of Richmond Coliseum, where good winning seasons always end in southern discomfort.
For Hofstra, it is a reminder of a decision made by a previous administration in 2001 that negatively impacts the basketball team to this day: Hofstra removed itself from the America East Conference - along with Delaware, Drexel and Towson - with the thought of helping its football team gain conference affiliation and also for the promise of a higher basketball profile and multiple NCAA bids in the CAA. But no former America East school has won the CAA Tournament.
Will this year be any different? Hofstra will play its first game in the tournament against Georgia State Friday on a supposedly neutral court. But whatever fan base shows up will root for the underdog Panthers, a 10th seed. A Hofstra victory only ups the eventual hometown ante and the likelihood of eventually facing the cream of the CAA in Old Dominion or Virginia Commonwealth.
The southern feel of the venue is inescapable and Hofstra, with teams much stronger than this edition, has been unable to conquer the atmosphere that undoubtedly favors the opponent.
Hofstra (18-13) has won at least 20 games four times since leaving the America East and has no NCAA bids to show for it. Each of those seasons ended with a loss in Richmond.
Stony Brook, a favorite for the first time in the America East, has a much more neutral road to qualify for the Big Dance. It will play its first tournament game Saturday in Hartford's Chase Arena. You can be sure Stony Brook will arrange for a ferry load of fans. It wouldn't be surprising to see Stony Brook's marching band invade the arena.
Hometown Hartford doesn't figure to get past Maine in its first game. No local rooting interest exists after that. Win twice in Hartford and Stony Brook, as the regular-season champion, is entitled to be home for the tournament championship game. Even at hastily prepared Stony Brook Arena, the atmosphere will help ensure a Stony Brook victory, just as it did for Hofstra in 2000 and 2001.
And if Stony Brook doesn't make it to the NCAA Tournament, it is already assured of an NIT bid. Hofstra is not. It will have to look toward the obscure College Basketball Invitational.
Why is Hofstra on this treadmill and why does it stay in the CAA? The decision to leave America East was largely based on football, which it has dropped, starting next season.
At the time of its decision, Hofstra had no conference for its football team and the CAA offered inclusion in what was then called the Atlantic 10. Even with the abolishment of football, Hofstra would gladly move all of its programs into the A-10, if invited. (University president Stuart Rabinowitz implied as much to WFAN's Mike Francesa during an interview in December about dropping football.) But there are no openings - and little interest by A-10 members.
This means that one good winning season after another ends in predictable fashion - a loss in the CAA Tournament in Richmond.
At some point, maybe even this season, Hofstra basketball coach Tom Pecora will throw up his hands and look elsewhere. He turned down Seton Hall in the past. Will he do the same if, for instance, Fordham calls? That would get him into the A-10, albeit with a bottom feeder.
The solution available to Hofstra - and one it should consider - is to go back to America East. It refuses to seek détente with Stony Brook, which Hofstra has dropped from its men's basketball schedule, and also believes backpedaling would hurt its image. But it would create a great local rivalry and enable both to shoot for college basketball's ultimate prize