St. Francis (N.Y.) Edges Women's Hoops, 57-54

Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. - Senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) scored a season-high 21 points but Autumn Lau hit the go-ahead three pointer with 34 seconds left to give the St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers a 57-54 victory over the Stony Brook University women's basketball team on Friday afternoon.
Jeter also pulled down eight rebounds for the Seawolves, who forced the Terriers into 24 turnovers. Junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) added nine points and nine rebounds for SBU. Jasmin Robinson led the Terriers with 21 points.
Trailing by nine with 12 minutes remaining, St. Francis (N.Y.) went on a 12-1 run to take a 46-44 lead with just less than seven minutes remaining. Jacobs tied the game with a put-back hoop but an Ashley Wilcots bucket gave the Terriers the lead back.
But sophomore Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) followed with a jumper and Jacobs then hit two free throws to put SBU on top, 50-48, with 4:20 to go in the game. Sophomore Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich.) hit one of two free throws before Jeter hit two freebies to push the Stony Brook lead to five.
A fast-break hoop from Lau brought the Terriers within three with just over two minutes left. Jeter hit one of two free throws to make it 54-50 but a fast-break hoop from Robinson with 1:15 left cut the SBU lead to two. Lau followed with a three to give St. Francis (N.Y.) a 55-54 lead.
SBU called timeout with 29 seconds left but Jacobs missed on a lay-up and the Seawolves were forced to foul Lau. But Lau missed the front end of a one-and-one to give the Seawolves another chance. Jeter missed on a driving lay-up with four seconds to go and Robinson went to the line with 2.9 seconds left.
Robinson hit both free throws and the Terriers then deflected the inbounds pass of Jacobs at midcourt. Jeter grabbed the ball but was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.

Stony Brook scored the first four points of the game but the Terriers answered with a 12-0 run over the six minutes. Senior Jodie Plikus (Waterford, Conn.), back in the lineup after missing the last seven games due to injury, ended the Seawolves drought with a long three from the top of the key to make it 12-7.
Jasmine Robinson hit two free throws to push the St. Francis (N.Y.) lead to 14-7 before sophomore Taylor Burner (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) scored consecutive buckets to make it 14-11 with 7:46 left. Bridges tied the game at 17 a minute later with two free throws.
The Seawolves regained the lead with just less than five minutes to go on a Jeter jumper and sophomore Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) then hit one of two free throws to make it 24-21. A driving lay-up from Jeter made it 28-25 but Robinson scored the next five points to put the Terriers up two.
But Plikus responded with another three with just under a minute remaining and Burner scored on a put-back in the final seconds to send the Seawolves into the break with a 33-30 lead. Jeter led SBU with 10 points while Burner and Bridges scored eight apiece.
The Stony Brook defense took over to start the second half, holding the Terriers to just two field goals over the first nine and half minutes of the period. Jeter scored eight points over that stretch as the Seawolves took a 43-34 lead. St. Francis (N.Y.) did not go away though, scoring the next seven points to close within two.
Jacobs hit one of two free throws to end the Terriers run but Lau answered with a driving lay-up to cut the Stony Brook lead to one with seven and a half minutes remaining. Robinson followed with a three-point play to give St. Francis (N.Y.) the 46-44 advantage.
The Seawolves open conference play on Monday, hosting UMBC at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

IN MEMORIAM...RON LAVALLE 1943-2010

Stony Brook Athletics mourns the passing of Ron LaValle

Former Stony Brook men's lacrosse assistant coach was also instrumental in the founding of Stony Brook Medical Center.

Ron LaValle, former assistant men's lacrosse coach at Stony Brook University, passed away on Dec. 29 at the age of 67.

"The Long Island community lost a special friend with the passing of Ron LaValle," Stony Brook Director of Athletics Jim Fiore said. "While he played a vital role in helping our men's lacrosse program win our athletic department's first-ever America East Conference championship, his true legacy will be of a person that placed great emphasis on mentoring and shaping the scholar-athletes of Stony Brook University. An ardent supporter of Seawolves lacrosse, he was a great man that I am proud to have called a friend. We will miss Ron, and we join his loved ones in mourning his passing."

LaValle coached under former Seawolves head coach John Espey from 2001-04. During that time, he helped lead Stony Brook to the 2002 America East Conference championship and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

"Ron was a terrific coach, but the best thing he did for our program was mentor our student-athletes," Espey said. "He would give them advice about law school, medical school, the health sciences and other things; and our student-athletes loved him. Ron was a great person and an honorable man."

LaValle also spent more than 30 years as a CEO, COO and Associate/Assistant Director in various New York hospitals. He was instrumental in helping to start the Stony Brook Medical Center along with founding director Michael Elliott. LaValle also served his country as a shipboard engineering officer in the United States Navy for five years.

As an athlete, LaValle was a standout lacrosse player at Adelphi University, leading the team in scoring his junior and senior seasons and earning All-America honors in 1965. To this day, he is still ninth among all Division II Adelphi players in career assists with 74. He was elected to the Adelphi Hall of Fame in 1996.
"The entire Stony Brook University community, and our lacrosse family in particular, lost a great man in Ron LaValle," said current Stony Brook University Head Lacrosse Coach Rick Sowell. "The impact he had on young men was undeniable and I was always so impressed by the energy and passion he had for the game of lacrosse and support of the Stony Brook lacrosse program. As he was such a well-respected member of the national lacrosse community, I am sure I join so many others when I say that we will all miss Ron LaValle greatly."

LaValle is survived by his wife Cynthia, son Mark LaValle, daughter Michelle Levin, brother Kenneth P. LaValle, two grandchildren, Samantha and Sydney, and sister Stephany Duignan. A wake will be held Sunday, Jan. 2, at Robertaccio Funeral Home in Patchogue from 2-4 and 6-9 p.m. and a funeral mass will take place Monday, Jan. 3, at Infant Jesus Chapel at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson at 11 a.m. The body will be interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Coram.

Anthony Mayo big for Stony Brook

Thursday December 30, 2010 5:33 AM By Greg Logan

Photo credit: Photo by Gregory A. Shemitz

There was a moment midway through the second half of Stony Brook's 63-54 win over Colgate Wednesday night at Pritchard Gymnasium when 6-9 freshman center Anthony Mayo offered what might be a preview of good things to come for the Seawolves (5-6). A 9-0 run that gave SBU a 41-33 lead ended with a big-time move by Mayo that turned into a three-point play.
The big man from Philadelphia caught the ball with his back to the basket on the low right block and then spun to his right to toss in a left-handed hook and draw the foul, which he converted. That instinctive move was a thing of beauty that demonstrated the potential Mayo (pictured) has to grow into a force in the middle during his Stony Brook career.
Just after Colgate narrowed the Seawolves' lead to 49-45 on a three-pointer by Pat Moore, SBU's Preye Preboye penetrated deep under the basket and then flipped a slick pass back to Mayo, who faced up and popped in a 12-foot jumper just left of the lane. That was the last of Mayo's career-high 10 points on a night when he shot 4 of 7 from the field and added four rebounds. For only the second time in 11 games, Mayo failed to block a shot.
"He's getting better and better," Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell said of Mayo. "He can really shoot the ball. You saw a little bit of that tonight. He's getting better in practice. We're setting up more plays for him to shoot the ball because he really has a nice touch and can score around the basket. He'll continue to improve.
"We're excited about his offensive improvement, but he has to get better on defense. That's why I had to sub Dallis [Joyner] in. He's still easily screened, and some of the post guys have about 50 pounds on him. But he's going to be good. He's a freshman, and there are better days ahead for him for sure."
Pikiell put Mayo in the starting lineup five games ago at Columbia when Joyner missed the first of two games nursing an injured ankle, and the coach has stuck with that lineup, bringing Joyner off the bench the past three games. Against Colgate Mayo played 15 minutes compared to 25 for the veteran Joyner as Pikiell used them as an offense-defense 1-2 punch.
The thing is that Joyner can be effective on offense, too, as he showed with 3-for-3 shooting during an eight-point night that could have been much better had Joyner not missed five of seven foul shots. Colgate had two solid post players in Yaw Gyawu and Nick Pascale, and since Mayo tends to foul at an alarming rate and Joyner is much wider and stronger on defense, Pikiell chose to alternate them.
But the thought of going big with Joyner and Mayo on the floor together is a possibility down the line. "I would like to go with two bigs, but I want three guards on the floor when I go with two bigs," Pikiell said. "There's a lot of things I would like to try."
At 210 pounds, Mayo is a little wispy and can get bumped around. But when he learns to move his feet on defense to get position, he'll become an even better shot blocker and earn enough minutes to make a bigger impact on offense. Then, maybe the Seawolves can play a little more inside-out, which might take some of the pressure off their jump shooters.

STEVE PIKIELL, THE VILLAGE TIMES HERALD, MAN OF THE YEAR

BY JOHN WESTERMANN

news@tbrnewspapers.com

Stony Brook University head

basketball coach Steve Pikiell is

the 2010 Village Times Herald

Man of the Year in Sports. Th e

Setauket resident, now in his

sixth season at the helm, has,

with grace and good humor,

elevated Seawolves basketball

to the top of the America East

Conference and onto the national

stage. Last year the Seawolves

hosted Big 10 power Illinois

in a fi rst-round game of

the NIT. His 2010-11 team plays

to sold-out houses on campus

and has appeared on television

nine times during this current

regular season. Pikiell appeared

on the Mike Francesa Show

on WFAN this fall to promote

Stony Brook basketball.

Unlike many coaches, the

outwardly placid Pikiell does not

scream at referees or throw colorful

tantrums on the bench. His

tough-as-nails team is a model of

decorum — except when a loose

ball is rolling through the paint.

Top-fl ight recruits, such as recently

signed 6-foot-8 Scott King

of the Holderness School, now

consider Stony Brook among the

attractive Division I options that

include a fi rst-class education.

Last year Pikiell was the fi rst

coach in Stony Brook history to

be named America East Coach

of the Year, All-Met Coach of

the Year and the Sporting News’

America Coach of the Year. His

SBU players were similarly honored

for both their play and

their academic achievements

— winning America East Conference

Player of the Year in the

person of Muhammad El-Amin

and Conference Scholar Athlete

of the Year, Andrew Goba,

awards for the fi rst time in program

history.

“Steve helps us keep the focus

on the student,” said Courtney

Sanfelippo, assistant athletic

director for student-athlete development.

“Practice, shootarounds,

departure times, I’m

involved in all the decisions. He

kind of puts an assistant coach

hat on me. It helps so much when

the players hear about academics

and discipline from the coach,

the man who holds their playing

time in his hands. Last year we

had a perfect APR score of 1,000,

meaning all of our players graduated

or returned eligible to play

this year.”

“Honestly,” Sanfelippo continued,

“that doesn’t always happen

in men’s basketball. On a

Friday night recently I had seven

players in the Goldstein Center

voluntarily writing papers,

which is pretty amazing.”

“What sets Steve apart are

his class, his loyalty to the university

and to his family,” said

Stony Brook athletic director Jim

Fiore. “He has a swagger that is

pleasantly persistent. He makes

you want to help him and his

program. And he’s been an incredible

representative for this

university. Steve has hall of fame

potential as a professional. His,

and our, best days are ahead of

us and we’re glad to be along for

the ride.”

A 1990 graduate of the University

of Connecticut, Pikiell

was a point guard and two-time

captain for the Huskies under

the legendary Jim Calhoun.

Both years of his captaincy the

Huskies advanced to the NCAA’s

Elite Eight. He then served his

sideline apprenticeship as an

assistant at UConn, Yale, Wesleyan,

Central Connecticut State

and George Washington University.

He is one of nine children.

He and his wife Kate have four

children.

“Steve’s a phenomenal coach

and an even better person,”

said Harborfields boys head

basketball coach Chris Agostino,

a neighbor and friend.

“I’m lucky enough to know

him on a personal level and

thrilled to see him win this

award. My former player Ben

Resner is a sophomore on his

Stony Brook team now. Ben has

coach written all over him, and

he couldn’t learn the profession

from a better man.”

Dougher leads Stony Brook over Colgate

By GREG LOGAN  greg.logan@newsday.com

Life since last season's NIT berth has been rough on Stony Brook's basketball team between the graduation of star Muhammad El-Amin and season-ending injuries to returning starters Tommy Brenton and Chris Martin. It threatened to get rougher last night at sold-out Pritchard Gymnasium when winless Colgate cut the Seawolves' lead to two with 5:06 to play.
But that was where this shakedown cruise of a season finally began to come together. Veteran Bryan Dougher scored eight of his 15 points in the Seawolves' 12-5 finishing run, and they held the Raiders to 1-for-10 shooting late to pull out a 63-54 victory. "It was winning time," Dougher said. "Coach [Steve Pikiell] tells us that's when the best players have to take over, and that's what I tried to do."
Last season, Dougher was the trusty sidekick to America East Player of the Year El-Amin, but this season, defenses have focused on him. Dougher only made one of four three-pointers, and the Seawolves (5-6) were a poor 3 of 15 from beyond the arc. But in the second half, they looked inside and got a boost from freshman center Anthony Mayo, who had his best game with 10 points and four rebounds, and from veteran forward Dallis Joyner, who had eight points, four rebounds and played tough defense at the end on 6-10 Colgate center Nick Pascale (9 points, 10 rebounds).
"We have to do a better job of getting the ball into the post," Dougher said. "We were settling for jumpers . . . We're different than last year when we had 'Mo.' We've got to find more balance in our scoring."
For a team trying to get back to .500, the schedule offered up a great opportunity against the winless Raiders (0-11), who were led by 13 points each from guard Pat Moore and forward Yaw Gyawu. They will be followed by the Seawolves' America East opener at UMBC (0-12).
But the Raiders came in hungry to win, and their effort showed in a 20-12 margin in first-half rebounds, although SBU held a tenuous 28-27 lead. At that point, Joyner had only two points and zero rebounds. "That's not like me to not get any rebounds," Joyner said.
The powerful 6-7, 270-pounder struggled earlier this season with an ankle injury, but he's past it now. Given the different makeup of this Stony Brook team, Joyner might have to assert himself more at the offensive end. "Coach tells me to post up as hard as I can and don't worry about misses," Joyner said, "Once I get in the post, I know [defenders] will dive down on me, and I'll have Bryan open. I like to kick it out. I love to see those guys hit a jump shot."
Hey, layups look just as pretty, and they're more reliable.

Men's hoops powers past Colgate 63-54 at sold out Pritchard

Bryan Dougher scored 12 of his game-high 15 points in the second half.

Junior guard Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored 12 of his game-high 15 points in the second half to lift Stony Brook to a 63-54 victory over Colgate Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,630 at Pritchard Gymnasium in Stony Brook, N.Y. In what was a true team effort, Dougher was one of nine Seawolves to score on the night, and five of the nine players had at least seven.

The Seawolves improve to 5-6 on the season and gain some momentum heading into conference play, which begins later this week. Colgate drops to 0-11 on the season.

"This was a great team effort tonight," said Seawolves head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We played strong defense and our leaders stepped up and made big plays at the end. It's nice to get this win and gain some momentum heading into conference play."

With the Seawolves up three, 53-50, with 2:35 remaining, Dougher connected on a 16-foot jumper as the shot clock was winding down to put the team up five. After a Colgate miss, the Seawolves used a minute of the clock as Dougher missed a three, Al Rapier grabbed an offensive rebound, and Dougher followed with a baseline jumper to give Stony Brook a seven-point advantage, 57-50, with 57 seconds left to play.

Dougher's efforts were the culmination of a strong Seawolves second half. After Colgate went on top 33-32 on Chad Johnson's jumper at 15:37, Stony Brook went on a 9-0 run to go up by eight points. Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) connected on a mid-range jumper and a layup to give SBU the lead. Preye Preboye (Springfield, Mass.) followed with a dunk off a Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) missed basket. Anthony Mayo (Philadelphia, Pa.) then capped the run with a three-point play after a strong push to the basket. The Seawolves led 41-33.

Colgate got within two, 51-49, after Yaw Gyawu's layup at 5:06, but Stony Brook clamped down on defense, holding the Raiders to just five points and 1-for-10 shooting the rest of the game.

Stony Brook shot 42 percent (24-for-57) from the field and only 52 percent (12-for-23) from the free throw line. Colgate shot 40 percent (20-for-50) for the game, but was held to 36 percent (10-for-28) in the second half, and the Raiders made just one of their last 10 shots in the game.

Pat Moore and Yaw Gyawu led the Raiders with 13 points apiece. In addition to Dougher's 15, Mayo added a career-high 10 points, and Joyner chipped in eight. Stony Brook took advantage of 16 Colgate turnovers that turned into 17 Seawolves points.

Stony Brook now turns its attention to America East competition as it begins defense of its 2009-10 regular season championship beginning Sunday, Jan. 2, at UMBC at 5 p.m. Two days later, Jan. 4, the Seawolves will host Vermont at Pritchard Gymnasium at 7 p.m. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or visit the Stony Brook Athletics online ticket office.

Stony Brook mourns the passing of Elizabeth Kelly

IN MEMORIAM

ELIZABETH KELLY 1990-2010

Patchogue native was on the women's swimming & diving team in the fall of 2009

Elizabeth Kelly (Patchogue, N.Y.), a former member of the Stony Brook University women's swimming & diving team, passed away on Dec. 22, 2010 at the age of 19 after a long battle with cancer. 

"Elizabeth was a wonderful young woman," said swimming & diving head coach Dave Alexander. "She was so excited to come swim for Stony Brook in front of her family and friends, and we were excited that she came to swim for us. Despite her illness, she never complained, and she never felt sorry for herself. We're going to miss her." 

Kelly joined the Stony Brook swimming and diving team in her freshman year in the fall of 2009 after coming out of St. John the Baptist High School, where she competed in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle and 50-yard backstroke. 

Kelly is survived by her parents, Thomas and Patricia, and her sister, Catherine. Religious services will be held at Moloney's Lake Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 132 Ronkonkoma Ave., Lake Ronkonkoma. Visiting hours are Sunday and Monday, 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Francis DeSales RC Church in Patchogue. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sunrise Fund at the Stony Brook Children Hospital for cancer research.

Vote for your favorite Stony Brook Athletics moment of 2010

VOTE NOW!

2010 was a banner year for Stony Brook Athletics, and now you the fans get to choose which moment was your favorite. The department has compiled its 10-best moments of 2010, and the most voted on moment will be crowned the top Seawolves Moment of the Year.


Below are descriptions of each moment, ranging from All-American performances to hosting postseason games on the Stony Brook campus. Voting begins today and will run until Jan. 2. Then visit GoSeawolves.org after the New Year holiday to see which moment will be declared the Seawolves Moment of the Year.

Baseball defeats NC State for its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory

The Seawolves, having won their third America East championship, were looking to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. After suffering an opening game loss to host Coastal Carolina, the Seawolves were matched up with North Carolina State in an elimination game. Stony Brook wasted no time as six of the first seven batters reached base and scored to put the Seawolves on top 6-0. Sophomore starter Tyler Johnson did the rest as he pitched eight innings and allowed only two runs on six hits while striking out 10. The Seawolves won 6-2, earning their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.

Football beats Gardner-Webb to clinch second straight Big South championship

The Seawolves made it two straight conference championships with a convincing 55-3 win over Gardner-Webb at LaValle Stadium. Junior tailback Brock Jackolski scored three touchdowns three different ways (rushing, receiving, kick return) and freshman Davonte Anderson picked off three Gardner-Webb passes. Jackolski finished with 256 all-purpose yards to lead the Seawolves. A dominant force in the conference, Stony Brook is now 13-4 all-time in the Big South with two conference championships.

Glenn Dubin donates $4.3 million for the construction of a new strength & conditioning center

Stony Brook alum Glenn Dubin '78 made the largest private donation ever to an athletics department within the SUNY system when he committed $4.3 million to the Seawolves for the construction of a new strength & conditioning center that will be named the Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center. The new center will be an 8,000 square-foot facility within the Indoor Sports Complex and is scheduled for completion in fall 2011. The new strength and conditioning facility will include weightlifting racks, dumbbell sets, Olympic platforms, a cardio fitness area, space for plyometric exercises and an office for the strength and conditioning staff.

Kevin Crowley named Stony Brook's first-ever first-team All-American

Crowley had one of the best seasons ever in Stony Brook men's lacrosse history. The junior midfielder from New Westminster, British Columbia produced 51 goals and 26 assists with the 51 goals setting a new Seawolves single-season record. He was already named unanimous America East Player of the Year and a finalist for the Tewaarton Award, but he capped it by becoming the first Stony Brook student-athlete in any sport to earn first-team All-America honors.

Lucy and Holly Van Dalen both earn All-America honors in outdoor track and cross country

The Van Dalen sisters had a big 2010 for the Seawolves. In June, Holly finished seventh in the 5,000 at the NCAA Outdoor Championship with a school-record time of 16:06.77 to become an All-American. One day later, Lucy placed eighth in the 1,500 to also earn All-America honors. The pair then dominated the cross country scene, finishing No. 1 and No. 2 at the America East Championship and NCAA Regionals and then becoming All-Americans with a sixth (Lucy) and seventh place (Holly) finish at the NCAA Championship in Terre Haute, Ind.

Men's Basketball beats Vermont to win America East regular season championship

In front of a sold-out Pritchard Gymnasium and the America East regular season championship on the line, the Seawolves came out firing against Vermont, scoring 15 of the game's first 18 points. From there, the Seawolves built a 19-point lead and held off a late Vermont rally to win 82-78 and clinch the title. It was Stony Brook men's basketball's first-ever regular season title and completed an incredible two-year comeback that saw the Seawolves go from a 3-13 record in 2008 to a 13-3 record in 2010. Muhammad El-Amin scored a team-high 23 points, and Dallis Joyner chipped in a career-high 20 to lead Stony Brook to its most important victory in program history.

Men's Basketball hosts Illinois in the NIT in front of a sold-out Stony Brook Arena crowd

Despite coming up short in the America East Tournament, Stony Brook men's basketball still earned its first-ever postseason appearance with a berth into the NIT. What was even more incredible was the fact that the Seawolves were charged with hosting Big Ten member and top-seed Illinois in the first round. Despite only three days notice, the Seawolves packed a Stony Brook Arena record 4,423 fans into the gym to witness Seawolves history. The raucous crowd that looked more like a sea of red saw the Seawolves jump out to a 7-0 lead, only further energizing the plethora of Seawolves fans in attendance. Although Stony Brook ultimately lost to the Fighting Illini, the Seawolves clearly had a tremendous home court advantage that was there to support a team that had been making school history all season long.

Men's Lacrosse hosts Virginia in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in front of a sold-out LaValle Stadium crowd

The men's lacrosse team, enjoying a tremendous 2010 season, had already won the America East Championship and had beaten Denver on its home field in the NCAA Tournament first round. However, now No. 1 seed Virginia was coming to town to play in the quarterfinals. In front of a standing room only crowd of 10,024, the Seawolves gave the Cavaliers everything they could handle in a 10-9 loss. Stony Brook trailed by four in the first half, but the Seawolves battled back to tie the game. It was tied 8-8 with five minutes to go, but Virginia scored twice to pull away. Despite the defeat, Stony Brook finished the season with a 13-4 mark and was No. 8 in the final national rankings.

Muhammad El-Amin named America East Player of the Year

Senior guard Muhammad El-Amin was a scoring machine for the Seawolves, who went 22-10 for its best Division I season ever. The Lansing, Mich., native scored 517 points on the season, a Stony Brook Division I record, and averaged 16.7 points per game. During America East play, El-Amin amped up his scoring to 19.1 points per game. He scored in double figures in 27 of 31 games and scored 20-plus points in 11 games. He sealed his award with a 23-point performance against Vermont in the game that ultimately decided the America East regular season championship.

Women's Cross Country finishes seventh at the NCAA Championship

In what was Stony Brook's best-ever performance at a national championship event, the women's cross country team finished seventh in the nation at the 2010 NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Ind., placing ahead of schools like Syracuse, Arizona, Oregon, Stanford and North Carolina. The Seawolves were led by twin sisters Lucy and Holly Van Dalen, who finished sixth and seventh, respectively, to earn All-America honors. Also contributing to the incredible finish were Annie Keown, Hayley Green, Olivia Burne, Kristal Conklin and Carolina Cortes.

Women's Hoops Falls to ODU, 71-47

Norfolk, Va. - Stony Brook University's women's basketball team held the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs to 33 percent shooting in the second half but Tia Lewis scored a game-high 22 points to lead ODU to a 71-47 victory on Tuesday at the Ted Constant Center.


Junior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) led the Seawolves with a career-high 13 points while sophomore Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) tallied nine. Lewis added 11 rebounds for the Lady Monarchs, while Jasmine Parker chipped in with 14 points.

ODU (5-4) scored seven of the first nine points of the game before jumpers from junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) and Landers brought the Seawolves within one. SBU trailed 11-10 following two free throws from Landers but the Lady Monarchs then went on a 13-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a 24-12 lead. Parker scored the last seven points of the run for ODU.

Davis ended the spurt with a driving lay-up but ODU scored eight of the next 10 points to take a 32-16 advantage with five minutes left. A jumper from the left elbow by sophomore Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich.) made it 34-20 but the Lady Monarchs scored four straight points to take its largest lead of the game to that point.

Landers then hit one of two free throws but Brittany Campbell scored an inside hoop and LaNia Charity hit two free throws with 0.2 seconds left to send ODU into the break with a 42-21 lead. Landers led SBU with five first-half points but the Lady Monarchs scored 18 points off 11 Stony Brook turnovers and out-rebounded the Seawolves 30-15.

Back-to-back hoops from junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) early in the second half cut the ODU lead to 19 but Kquanise Byrd answered with a long three with the shot clock winding down to push the Old Dominion lead to 49-27. SBU held the Lady Monarchs scoreless over the next four and a half minutes but could only score one basket over that span.
Rebecca Allison ended the ODU drought with a fast-break lay-up to push the lead to 51-29. A three from sophomore Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) cut the Old Dominion lead to 51-32 before ODU scored the next six points to push its lead to 57-32 with just under seven minutes left.

Davis answered with a driving lay-up and then stole the ball from Shadasia Green in the backcourt and went in for the easy lay-in. Lewis converted a three-point play on the other end but sophomore Juanita Cochran (Saginaw, Mich.) then scored on a put-back and Davis followed with another hoop to make it 60-40.

But Parker then scored five straight points to build the lead back to 25 as ODU handed the Seawolves their fifth straight loss. Stony Brook (3-8) forced the Lady Monarchs into a season-high 28 turnovers but shot 28.6 percent from the field.

The Seawolves will now be off until Dec. 31, when they travel to take on St. Francis (N.Y.). Game is set for 2 p.m. (WUSB)

Lacrosse Magazine chooses Crowley DI preseason player of the year

Stony Brook picked fourth in preseason rankings
Baltimore, Md. - Senior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia) is Lacrosse Magazine's Division I Preseason Player of the Year, and Stony Brook is picked fourth in its poll, the publication announced on Monday.

Crowley, a 6-4 midfielder who became the Seawolves' first ever first-team All-American, had one of the best seasons by a Stony Brook lacrosse player. The 2010 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association's (USILA) Enners Award winner, given to the nation's top Division I men's lacrosse player, he recorded 51 goals and 26 assists to earn America East Player of the Year honors. A Tewaaraton Award finalist, his 51 goals are a single-season program record and he's the only player in school history in the top five in goals (101) and assists (75). Crowley is just 26 points shy of the all-time record of 201.

The Seawolves were picked fourth behind Syracuse, Virginia and North Carolina. SBU will face three teams in Lacrosse Magazine's top 20, the Cavaliers, Cornell and Delaware. All three games will be at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

Dougher nominated for Bob Cousy Award

Seawolves junior point guard one of 66 candidates for prestigious award.

Stony Brook men's basketball junior point guard Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) has been named one of 66 candidates for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday. This is Dougher's second nomination, having also been one of 72 candidates during the 2009-10 season.

The 6'1 graduate of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School has made his mark on the Pritchard Gymnasium floor at Stony Brook. In just 72 career games, Dougher has produced the second-most three-pointers in school history with 195, and he is only 27 triples away from breaking the record. With 926 career points, he is also poised to become the 21st player in program history, and only the fourth in the Division I era, to score 1,000 points.

This season, Dougher is averaging 14.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He also is averaging 3.4 three-pointers made per game, which ranks him in the top 10 in the entire nation.

The original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 by Jan. 3, final 10 by Feb. 3, and final five by March 3. A Hall of Fame appointed screening committee will be narrowing down the candidates from 20 to 10 to 5 prior to a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee evaluating the final five candidates and ultimately choosing the winner. Both of the Hall of Fame committee’s are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2011 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Monday, April 4 in Houston as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included: Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina) and Greivis Vasquez (Maryland). For more information on the 2011 Bob Cousy Award, log on to www.cousyaward.com.

Stony Brook trying to endure

Stony Brook trying to endure

By Marcus Henry, Newsday

It’s been a tough stretch for Stony Brook.

The Seawolves quest to repeat as America East champs took another blow when it was announced senior guard Chris Martin will be lost for indefinite period after tearing his right meniscus.

Facing Notre Dame without the veteran leadership of Martin and Tommy Brenton, who won’t play this season because of an off-season knee injury, was just too much for Stony Brook, as it fell, 88-62, in South Bend o Sunday.

Seawolves coach Steve Pikiell lauded the veteran play of the 24th-ranked Irish.

"Notre Dame was a real good team, a veteran team that works hard and is well-coached," he said.

"It was a tough game for us. Our veterans really struggled today and in order for us to play in a game like this, you need them to play well,” he said. “You just have to learn from this, move on and hope you don't face an offensive team like this again."

Notre Dame was a difficult matchup for us. They have size and experience at every position."

Martin is scheduled to undergo surgery this week. His timetable for return won’t be determined until after the procedure.

But there is a bright side. Freshman guard Anthony Jackson had 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the loss. Fellow freshman Dave Coley added 11 points and sophomore guard Marcus Rouse led the Seawolves with 15 points.

As Pikiell stated earlier, Stony Brook needs veterans like Bryan Dougher and Dallis Joyner to have solid efforts every game. But there's nothing wrong with seeing a young trio begin to find their way.

Coley and Jackson were highly-touted recruits. If either one of them can get it going, the loss of Martin won't be felt as much.

But make no mistake about it, Martin is a bull of a guard. He knows how to run the offense and he's capable of making big plays down the stretch. He will be missed.

Men's hoops drops road game at Notre Dame

Marcus Rouse has team-high 15 points in the defeat.
The Stony Brook men's basketball team hung tough with Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish made nine three-pointers and shot 54 percent from the field to pick up a 88-62 win over the Seawolves Sunday afternoon at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Ind. Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) led the Seawolves with 15 points.

"Notre Dame was a real good team, a veteran team that works hard and is well-coached," head coach Steve Pikiell said. It was a tough game for us. Our veterans really struggled today and in order for us to play in a game like this, you need them to play well. You just have to learn from this, move on and hope you don't face an offensive team like this again."

Stony Brook played well in the first half, defending the three-point line enough to stay with the Fighting Irish early on. The Seawolves took a 10-8 lead on Dave Coley's (Brooklyn, N.Y.) three-pointer at 14:52, but the Irish then went on a 10-2 run to open up an eight-point advantage, 18-10.

The Seawolves stayed within striking distance, thanks to Rouse's efforts. He drilled a three-pointer at 10:11 and sank an off-balance, mid-range jumper at 9:00 to get SBU within six. Notre Dame went up 11 Carleton Scott's triple at 7:59, but Stony Brook fought back once again as Eric McAlister (Hightstown, N.J.) grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a layup, and Coley followed with a defensive rebound off an ND miss and went down the court and hit a bucket to pull the Seawolves within three, 29-26.

The half didn't end well though as Notre Dame went on an 8-0 run to go up 13 at halftime. After Anthony Mayo's (Philadelphia, Pa.) 15-footer at 3:33 made it 33-28, four different Irish players converted layups to make it 41-28 at the break. Stony Brook was 0-for-4 with a turnover in the half's final three minutes.

In the second half, Notre Dame went up 23, 58-35, after Jack Cooley's three-point play, but Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) gave the Seawolves hope. He knocked down an NBA-range three-pointer at 14:26, then stole the ball from Eric Atkins, who fouled Jackson on the reach-in. Jackson then got the ball back and drilled another three-pointer to pick up some momentum and get the Seawolves within 17, 58-41, with 14:16 to play.

However, Notre Dame proved to be too strong as the Irish reined three-pointers. Three consecutive triples capped by Ben Hansbrough's fastbreak three off a Scott Martin steal put the Irish up by 29, 72-43, a margin Stony Brook could not recover from.

Stony Brook shot 37.7 percent for the game and got to the foul line only eight times, making just four shots. Notre Dame outrebounded the Seawolves 42-33 and turned nine offensive rebounds into 16 points. In addition to hitting all the big three-pointers, Notre Dame also outscored Stony Brook in the paint 36-18.

Supplementing Rouse's 15 points, Jackson added 12 and Coley had 11. Tim Abromaitis led Notre Dame with 22 points, and Scott had 20 points on a perfect shooting day (8-for-8, 4-for-4 from 3).

The Seawolves will break for the holidays and return to action Wednesday, Dec. 29 against Colgate (WUSB) at Pritchard Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

Stony Brook Men's Basketball Special Olympics Clinic - Dec. 12, 2010

Football movement affects FCS schools like Stony Brook

 By Greg Logan, Newsday 
For now, the Big Ten has put a moratorium on expansion after adding Nebraska and while waiting for the feedback from its regional television network about the effect on revenue expansion. But once the wheels were set in motion at the top of the BCS pyramid, there was bound to be a trickle-down effect, and it's playing out now and ultimately might break a trail that Stony Brook could follow.

Obviously, there has been considerable movement among FBS conferences with the Big East adding TCU, Colorado and Utah going to the Pacific-10, Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada shifting to the Mountain West and BYU going independent. The Big East also has asked Villanova, a basketball member, to consider upgrading its football program to the FBS level from the Football Championship Subdivision, which is the equivalent of the old I-AA. Villanova's administration still is debating the pros and cons of that proposal.

But just to show how far-reaching movement in the college football world has become, consider two lesser-known developments recently. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, a committee from the Mid-American Conference, which includes Buffalo University, was at Massachusetts discussing its pending move from the Colonial Athletic Association.

Look for that to happen. The Minutemen lost to Michigan by only five points this season at Ann Arbor and are ready to take the next step up the food chain from FCS to FBS.

The Patriot League, which spent the past 18 months studying the question of whether to start granting football scholarships, voted on Wednesday to table the subject for another two years. The question was driven by Bucknell, which has been awarding scholarships. Most schools in the Patriot give the equivalent of 63 scholarships allowed in FCS, but it's called grants-in-aid or financial aid.

Of course, Stony Brook already offers 63 scholarships as a member of the Big South in football. But the Seawolves played Lafayette from the Patriot League this season and UMass, losing close games to each one. Next season, the Seawolves meet Buffalo of the MAC in addition to the recently announced opener at Texas-El Paso of Conference USA.

In 2012, Stony Brook meets Army, which is in the Patriot League for all sports except football, playing as a FCS independent. The Seawolves will play another as-yet-unnamed FBS school that year. Similarly, they have scheduled Boston College of the ACC in 2013 and reserved a date for another FBS school, and they are working on a proposed deal to meet Cincinnati of the Big East in 2014 plus another FBS school.

There's no mistaking the path Stony Brook is on to grow its football program. It really is more a matter of time before SBU joins the shifting tides in search of a larger football platform.

Van Dalens to be featured on NCAA highlight show on CBS

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Seniors Lucy van Dalen and Holly van Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand) of the Stony Brook women's cross country team will be featured as part of the NCAA's Fall Highlight Spectacular on CBS on Saturday. The show will air from 1-2 p.m. eastern.

A camera crew followed the twin sisters in Terre Haute, Ind. last month, as they prepared for the NCAA cross country championships.

Lucy and Holly each earned All-America honors after finishing sixth and seventh, respectively. The Seawolves, who entered race 14th in the country, placed seventh.

CBS produces a Fall, Winter and Spring show. Each seasonal show features highlights and unique NCAA student-athlete stories from a variety of Division I, II and III championships.

Football holds annual awards banquet

Priore hands out individual awards; names 2011 captains
2010 Stony Brook Football Photo Gallery

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook football team held their annual awards banquet at the Student Activities Center on Sunday evening. Head football coach Chuck Priore handed out individual awards as well as announcing the Seawolves' 2011 captains.

The Ernest Owusu Offensive MVP went to junior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.). Jackolski totaled 12 touchdowns (nine rushing, two receiving and one kick return) en route to earning All-Big South first-team honors in his first year with the Seawolves. Against Gardner-Webb, he scored touchdowns on a 94-yard kick return, 19-yard pass and a six-yard rush. He totaled 1,966 yards, leading the Big South with 178.7 all-purpose yards.

Senior Arin West (Toms River, N.J.) was named the team's Defensive MVP. West earned All-Big South first-team honors after leading Stony Brook and all conference defensive backs with 85 tackles. He finished his four-year career among the school's all-time leader in tackles.

Sophomore Rich Vitale (Higganum, Conn.) earned the Ray Downey Special Teams MVP. Vitale recovered two fumbles, one against South Florida, which led to a touchdown, and a fumble recovery in the end zone against VMI.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year went to redshirt freshman Michael Bamiro (Tobyhanna, Pa.). Bamiro started 10 games at right tackle, and blocked for a rushing attack that ranked ninth in FCS with 218 yards per game and featured two 1,000-yard rushers.

Freshman Jawara Dudley (Roosevelt, N.Y.) was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Dudley moved into the starting lineup after the third game of the season, and finished the season with 49 tackles. He had a game-high 12 tackles against Lafayette, earning Big South Freshman of the Week honors.

West also earned the Fred Kemp Award, given to the upperclassman, who is dedicated to excellence on and off the field, while leading the team with pride and intensity. The Mark Motroni Award, which goes to the upperclassman, who demonstrates great pride in the Stony Brook football program and consistently exhibits unselfish dedication to the team, was awarded to senior Stephen Schwicke (East Patchogue, N.Y.).

Senior Paul Fenaroli (Monroe, Conn.) received the Work Horse Award and junior Michael Coulter (Yorba Linda, Calif.) earned the Academic Award. Coulter also was awarded the 2010 Outstanding College Scholar-Athlete Award by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Suffolk County chapter. A biochemistry major with a minor in Spanish, Coulter owns a 3.76 GPA.

Priore also announced that the 2011 captains will be Jackolski, Coulter, senior Ryan Haber (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) and senior Joe Faiella (Freehold, N.J.).

Stony Brook loses at home to Sacred Heart, 75-66

The Stony Brook men's basketball team took a 75-66 loss to Sacred Heart Saturday at Pritchard Gymnasium despite 18 points on six three-pointers from junior guard Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.).

Sacred Heart's Shane Gibson had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead four Pioneers who scored in double figures. SHU shot 45.5 percent in the contest and outrebounded the Seawolves 34-30.

"We had taken two steps forward over the last two games, but we took a step back today," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Here at home, we have to play strong defense and hold teams under their season average for scoring, but we didn't do that today. But we will learn from this and we'll keep getting better."

Stony Brook led for most of the first half as the team rode Dougher's hot hand. With the margin only in SBU's favor by two, 12-10, Dougher connected on a three at 9:38 to make it a five-point advantage. Later in the half as the Pioneers closed to within one, Dougher rattled off three triples between 4:11 and 1:58 to put Stony Brook on top 33-27.

However, the pesky Pioneers stayed with SBU as Evan Kelley sank a three with five seconds left to put them only down one, 33-32, at halftime.

Sacred Heart opened the second half on a 13-4 run as Gibson scored nine of the 13 points, including the dagger three-pointer at 15:20 that made it 45-37.

Stony Brook fought back as Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.), Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) and Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) all made scoring contributions to tie the game at 54-54 after Rapier's layup at 6:35.

The Pioneers responded with Gibson, who tallied his fourth three-pointer of the game at 5:47 to break the stalemate start a 10-0 run that put Sacred Heart up for good. After Gibson missed a three, Sacred Heart's Chris Evans grabbed one of 11 Pioneer offensive rebounds. Jerrell Thompson then sank a three to quickly put his team up six. Thompson followed with free throws after two consecutive Seawolves turnovers, and then Stan Dulaire capped the run with a dunk. Sacred Heart led 64-54 with 3:32 remaining in the game.

Stony Brook got as close as four, 64-60, with under a minute to play, but the Pioneers went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute.

Both teams shot the ball well - the Seawolves were 44.9 percent from the floor and the Pioneers were 45.5 percent from the floor. Stony Brook struggled from the free throw line, making only 15 of 23 shots.

In addition to Gibson's 19, Thompson had 16 points, and Kelley and Dulaire each had 11. To complement Dougher's 18 for Stony Brook, Rapier finished with 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting, and Martin chipped in 10 points. Dallis Joyner grabbed 11 rebounds to lead both teams.

Stony Brook will break for finals and return to the court Sunday, Dec. 19 at Notre Dame at 4:30 p.m. The game will be broadcasted LIVE on WUSB and televised nationally televised on ESPNU.

Women’s Hoops falls to George Washington, 69-49

Washington, D.C. (Dec. 11, 2010) – The Stony Brook University women’s basketball team lost its third straight game on Saturday afternoon at the Smith Center as the George Washington Colonials shot 50 percent on their way to a 69-49 victory. Stony Brook was led by 15 points from Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.).


Landers went 3-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc as she scored in double-figures for the fifth time in the last seven games. Junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds; her second double-double of the season. The Seawolves out-scored the Colonials 31-28 in the second half but couldn’t overcome a 23-point halftime deficit.

The Seawolves got early threes from Landers and Amanda Corona (North Hollywood, Calif.) but with the game tied at six, the Colonials went on a 9-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 15-8 lead. A jumper from sophomore Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) cut the SBU deficit to 19-14 but GW answered with nine straight points to make it 28-14.

Back-to-back jumper from Jacobs and senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) brought SBU within 10 with five minutes to go but GW scored the final 13 points of the half to take a 41-18 lead into the break. The Colonials shot 56 percent in the first half and made 10 of their 11 free throws.

George Washington came out strong to start the second half, scoring 13 of the first 14 points before Landers knocked down her second triple of the game. Landers followed with two free throws and another three to spark a 9-1 Stony Brook run that made it 57-31.

A three-point play from Jacobs with six minutes to go made it 62-36 but the Colonials answered with four straight points to build its lead to 30. Stony Brook scored 13 of the final 16 points of the game but it wasn’t enough as George Washington improved to 5-0 at the Smith Center this season.

Tara Booker led George Washington with 11 points, while Kye Allums added 10. Stony Brook scored 22 points off 19 George Washington turnovers and had 17 second chance points.

The Seawolves will now break for final exams, returning to action on Dec. 19 at LIU. Game time is set for 1 p.m. LIVE ON WUSB

Football To Play at UTEP in 2011

Stony Brook, N.Y. – The Stony Brook football team will open the 2011 season at University of Texas at El Paso, head coach Chuck Priore announced on Friday. The Seawolves will travel to face the Miners on September 3.


“This is a great opportunity for our team to play another FBS school,” Priore said. “It also is a chance for our fans and alumni to watch our team play in a storied venue like the Sun Bowl.”

Stony Brook returns eight offensive and nine defensive starters to a team that won its second straight share of the Big South Conference title. Eight players earned all-conference honors, including first-team selections in sophomore Miguel Maysonet (Riverhead, N.Y.), junior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.), who are the only two players from one team to rush for more than 1,000 yards in Division I this season.

UTEP, which went 6-6 this season, is a member of Conference USA. The Miners will face BYU in the New Mexico Bowl next Saturday.

The Sun Bowl, home of UTEP football, will host a bowl game for the 77th time. Notre Dame will take on Miami in El Paso on December 31.

Download GameTracker Mobile on your handheld device!

Fans can now get up-to-the-minute Seawolves information on their Android or BlackBerry mobile devices.

Fans of Stony Brook Athletics now have a new way to follow live Seawolves action through their mobile devices. The CBSSports.com College Network GameTracker Mobile application provides Seawolves fans up-to-the minute headlines, live scoring, box scores and complete rosters.

GameTracker Mobile is available for free to Android and BlackBerry users. Search the Android Market Store or BlackBerry App World Store to download Stony Brook's GameTracker Mobile today.

Coley's last-second bucket lift men's hoops to win

Freshman guard scores nine points, none bigger than his layup with 1.2 seconds left in the game.


The Stony Brook men's basketball team trailed Holy Cross for most the game, but led when it mattered most as freshman guard Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hit a game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Seawolves to a 54-53 win Tuesday night at the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass.


Stony Brook (4-4) shot only 35.8 percent and did not lead the entire second half until Coley's electric basket.

"We made some big shots, got some defensive stops and grinded one out tonight," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Dave made a big play at the end for us."

Stony Brook trailed the game for all but six minutes and 13 seconds. The Seawolves were down 50-45 with 6:07 left after Andrew Beinert's three-pointer put the Crusaders up five. After two minutes of neither team scoring, Bryan Dougher knocked down his first three-pointer of the game to get Stony Brook within two, 50-48, with 4:04 left to play.

Holy Cross (0-7) went back on top by five, 53-48, with 3:37 on the clock after a free throw by R.J. Evans and a layup by Andrew Keister. However, Dougher answered with a pair of free throws to push it back to three, and Coley gained some separation from his defender to knock down an 18-foot jumper to make it 53-52 with 1:57 on the clock.

Stony Brook committed a couple of fouls late that sent the Crusaders to the free throw line, but on two separate occasions, they missed the front end of a 1-and-1. With 30 seconds remaining, Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) lob passed the ball to Danny Carter (Windsor, England) on an in-bound pass, but Carter missed the layup. Holy Cross went to the free throw line, but Eric Obeysekere missed the 1-and-1.

Stony Brook put the ball in Coley's hands, and with 17 seconds left, he lost control of the ball. A scrum ensued and the referees called a jump ball with the possession arrow in Stony Brook's favor. With once last chance and seven seconds on the clock, Coely took the ball and drove to the hoop, avoided a defender's hand and sank the layup for the win.

The win was impressive for Stony Brook, which came back from a first-half that saw the Seawolves shoot only 25 percent from the field (7-for-28). The Seawolves also overcame being outrebounded 39-28. The Seawolves capitalized on 22 Holy Cross turnovers that turned into 17 SBU points.

Carter led the Seawolves with 10 points. Pikiell played 11 Seawolves and nine of them put points on the scoreboard. Devin Brown led Holy Cross with 21 points, but only had five in the second half as the Crusaders could not get the ball in his hands.

Stony Brook is back in action Saturday at home against Sacred Heart at Pritchard Gym at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcasted LIVE on WUSB and televised on MSG-Plus. It will be "Santa Comes to Stony Brook Day" and all fans will be able to get their picture taken with Santa Claus from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for only $2.

Baseball signs five to NLIs

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook University baseball team signed five players to National Letters of Intent in the early signing period, head coach Matt Senk announced today. The class will arrive on campus in the fall of 2011 and begin their collegiate baseball careers in the spring of 2012.


The five signees are right-hander Nick Brass, outfielder/left-hander Steven Goldstein, catcher Kevin Krause, infielder Cole Peragine and outfielder/first baseman Mike Roehrig.

"Nick, Steven, Kevin, Cole and Mike possess the positive attributes and qualities we look for in a Stony Brook baseball player," Senk said. "They are hardworking, talented, team-oriented and have a strong desire to improve and become successful in the classroom and on the field. I am extremely excited about these five young men and their future at Stony Brook University."

Kevin Krause
Catcher

Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville

2010 first team all-city selection ... 2010 first team all-state selection ... three-time Staten Island Advanced All-Star ... hit .431 with 25 runs scored and 23 RBI as a junior ... earned the Muche-Ohalek Award for the Staten Island baseball player who best combines athletic ability, citizenship and sportsmanship ... earned the Staten Island Baseball Oldtimers outstanding player award ... led Tottenville to 2010 PSAL championship ... led PSAL with a .460 batting average as a sophomore.

Senk on Krause:

"When we first saw Kevin play, you knew right away he is someone special. Behind the plate, Kevin is as accomplished a catcher for his age as I've ever seen. At the plate, it is more of the same; great approach, beautiful swing, plus power. Kevin will continue in what has become a very long line of outstanding catchers for Stony Brook."

Nick Brass
RHP
Mastic Beach, N.Y./William Floyd
Named the No. 22 prospect on Long Island for the Class of 2011 by Blue Chip Prospects.

Senk on Brass:

"Along with Nick's overall athleticism, desire to win and prototypical body type, he also has an electric fastball. He will only get better and better. We are so happy to have Nick in the program and the sky is the limit for him at Stony Brook."


Steven Goldstein
OF/LHP
East Meadow, N.Y./St. Dominic
Named No. 1 prospect in Long Island for Class of 2011 by Blue Chip Prospects ... hit .323 with three home runs and 67 stolen bases for Long Island Titans this summer.

Senk on Goldstein:

"Steve brings many tools to this incoming class. He can hit for average and power, possesses above average arm strength from the outfield and on the mound and what I love most about Steve is his great baseball instincts and desire to win. His overall potential is extremely exciting."

Cole Peragine
Infielder
Belle Ewart, Ontario/Belle Ewart

Played for Cambridge Terriers AAU team ... named 2009 Terriers MVP and top hitter ... represented Ontario at the U-17 Canada Cup National Championship in Kindersley Saskachewa ... attended Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Ontario, Canada ... named 2010 Nantyr Shores student-athlete of the year and Baseball MVP.

Senk on Peragine:

"Cole possesses all the tools to be a successful infielder; great hands, plus arm and exceptional footwork and instincts. Offensively, Cole is improving significantly as a switch hitter and brings a workmanlike approach to every at-bat. Cole is the perfect fit for our style of play."

Mike Roehrig
Outfielder/First baseman
Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst

Hit .465 as a junior ... drove in 31 runs ... led Lindenhurst to state championship ... a two-time all-league selection ... earned a 2010 Suffolk County gold glove.

Senk on Roehrig:

"Mike is a gifted baseball player and an outstanding student and person. His overall skill set is tremendous, especially his hitting and fielding. Mike has been part of a state championship team, which you can never minimize when it comes to the intangibles necessary to win. "

Iona edges Women's Hoops, 71-67

Jeter leads Seawolves with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) led three Seawolves in double-figures with a game-high 16 points but the Iona Gaels used a late 9-0 run to defeat the Stony Brook University women's basketball team, 71-67, on Sunday at Pritchard Gymnasium.

Named the Seawolves America East Player of the Game, Jeter also pulled down 10 rebounds as she recorded her first double-double this season. Sophomore Sam Landers (Hamilton, Va.) added 15 while junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Stony Brook led 65-62 following a jumper from junior Tamiel Murray (Teneck, N.Y.) with 2:32 left in regulation but Catherline Lutz answered with a long jumper before Diana Hubbard hit a jumper with 30 seconds left to give Iona a 66-65 lead.

The Seawolves then turned it over on their next possession and Iona then made five of six free throws in the final 23 seconds to seal the victory. Anda Ivkovic led the Gaels with 15 points while Kristina Ford recorded a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds).

Stony Brook jumped to a 7-2 lead just five minutes in behind two hoops from Jeter and a three from Murray. Iona rallied to within two on a Hubbard three before Jeter answered with a fast-break bucket.

The Gaels tied it at 16 on a Ford lay-in with eight minutes to go but Jeter then scored on a tough fade-away jumper in the lane to give Stony Brook the lead back. Iona took its first lead of the game on a three-point play from Ivkovic with 4:04 remaining and Tomica Bacic followed with a put-back hoop to make it 23-20.

SBU scored eight of the next 12 points to take a one-point lead but Samantha Kopp scored with 20 seconds left to send Iona into the break with a 29-28 lead. The Gaels scored the first points of the second half before Jeter scored two straight hoops to give Stony Brook a one-point lead.

Iona answered with six straight points to take its largest lead of the game but the Seawolves responded with six straight points of their own, four from Jacobs, to re-gain the lead. Iona went ahead 41-38 on a three from Ford with 15:09 left, but the Seawolves then went on an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to take a 49-43 lead. Murray and Landers each hit a three during the run.
The Seawolves led by eight following a free throw from Jacobs before Catherine Lutz hit back-to-back threes to cut the Stony Brook lead to two with eight minutes left in the game. But Landers answered with a three from the right wing to give the Seawolves a 57-52 advantage.

Stony Brook won the battle of the boards, 48-42, but the Gaels scored 18 points off 22 Seawolves turnovers. SBU held Iona to 39.1 percent shooting, the second straight opponent it's held under 40 percent shooting.

The Seawolves will now play eight of their next nine games on the road beginning with match-up at George Mason on Thursday. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Men's hoops falls one point short at Columbia

Seawolves shoot a season-high 49.1 percent, but lose to Lions.

Columbia's John Daniels sank a free throw with 2.7 seconds left to give the Lions a 73-72 win over the Stony Brook men's basketball team Saturday afternoon at Levien Gym in New York, N.Y. Juniors Danny Carter (Windsor, England) and Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) each scored 13 points to lead Stony Brook.
Daniels had gotten to the line after Carter fouled him on an offensive rebound. The play succeeded junior Al Rapier's (Chicago, Ill.) free throw with 23 seconds left that tied the game at 72-72.
The victory was a result of Columbia erasing Stony Brook's 18-point first-half lead. The Lions connected on 11 three-pointers in the game, their third 10-plus three-point effort of the season.
"It was a great game between two exciting teams," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I thought we played really well, but Columbia was one point better than us today. We got a great effort out of our veterans and our younger guys. We just fell a little short today."
The first half proved to be a game of runs as each team took its turn lighting up the scoreboard. Stony Brook made 13 of its first 17 shots and used a 17-4 run to open up a 21-7 lead. Six different Seawolves scored during the run, led by Anthony Mayo, who made three baskets in a span of two minutes.
Later on, a 7-0 run on a three-pointer by Dougher and back-to-back baskets by Coley gave Stony Brook its largest lead of the game, 18 points, making the score 33-15 with 8:19 left in the first half.
Columbia then ended the half on a 22-6 run, using six three-pointers to catapult its offense. After Dougher's jumper at 5:29 made the score 35-18, Columbia knocked down triples in three of its next four possessions. Lions guard Steve Frankoski made three of the six three-pointers, including the game-tying one with 1:22 left in the half to make it 37-37.

Stony Brook went without a field goal for over five minutes during Columbia's run until Dougher hit a quick jumper with three seconds left to send the Seawolves into halftime with a 39-37 lead.

The second half was a slugfest that featured 13 lead changes. Stony Brook went up four points on Anthony Jackson's (Columbus, Ohio) three-point play at 13:43, 52-48, but Columbia kept battling. The Seawolves again went up four, 65-61, with 6:53 to play after a three-point play from Leonard Hayes (Voorhees, N.J.), but Columbia's Frankoski answered with three consecutive three-pointers , followed by a pair of free throws from Mark Cisco to put Columbia on top 72-65 with 2:53 to play.
But the Seawolves did not back down and stayed in the game. Dougher sank a three-pointer to quiet the crowd and then Rapier followed with a three-point play after taking the ball nearly the length of the court off a rebound from Anthony Mayo (Philadelphia, Pa.). Stony Brook was within one, 72-71.
Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) then stole the ball from Noruwa Agho, and got it to Dougher, who missed a shot that Agho rebounded, but Rouse again came up with a steal to keep possession. He fed the ball to Rapier, who drove inside and got fouled. He made the first free throw, but missed the second.
With 23 seconds left, Columbia got the ball in Brian Barbour's hands, but he missed a layup. A scrum for the rebound ensued, and it ended up in Daniels' hands at which point Carter was called for bumping him, setting up the game-winning free throw. Daniels intentionally missed the second free throw, Carter grabbed the rebound and attempted to pass to Dougher. The ball was knocked out of bounds as time expired. However, the referees placed 0.4 seconds back on the clock. However, Carter's baseball pass down towards the basket was stolen, ending the game.
Despite the loss, Stony Brook had its best shooting performance of the season, going 27-for-55 from the field (49.1 percent) and 8-for-20 from three (40 percent). The Seawolves also fared well at the free throw line, making 10 of 13 shots (76.9 percent). In addition to Dougher and Carter's 13, Rapier chipped in 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Columbia shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60) for the game and 42.3 percent (11-for-26) from three. The Lions outrebounded the Seawolves 40-28, scoring 14 second-chance points.
Stony Brook will return to the court Tuesday at Holy Cross at 7 p.m. The Seawolves' next home game will be Saturday, Dec. 11 against Sacred Heart at Pritchard Gymnasium at 2 p.m. The game will be televised on MSG-Plus, and it will be Santa Day, in which all fans can get their picture taken with Santa Claus for $2. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or visit the Stony Brook Athletics ticket office online.

Women’s Hoops rolls to 68-51 victory over FDU

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Sophomore Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) led a balanced Seawolves scoring attack with 14 points and the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team held Fairleigh Dickinson to 34 percent shooting on its way to a 68-51 victory over the Knights on Thursday night at Pritchard Gymnasium.
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.

Dougher's heroics can't rescue Stony Brook

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

One desperation shot went down for Stony Brook's Bryan Dougher with 4.3 seconds left in overtime last night at Pritchard Gym. It came from deep on the right side and drew contact from Lehigh's Mackey McKnight before it banked in off the glass.

The whistle blew, but it was only to stop the clock and allow the refs to check whether Dougher's feet were behind the three-point line. They weren't. It was a two that left the Seawolves trailing by one in a game they once led by 14 points. McKnight could have been called for a foul, but that didn't happen either.

So, after Lehigh's C.J. McCollum made two foul shots with 4.1 seconds left to increase the Mountain Hawks' lead to 79-76, Dougher was left to try one last desperation shot. He let fly from about 40 feet and watched as it banked off the glass and the front rim, sealing a loss that dropped the Seawolves to 3-3.

Dougher did everything he could to pull it out, finishing with 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including 5-for-10 accuracy from behind the three-point line. But he didn't have enough help from a Stony Brook team struggling to blend in some new faces and establish an identity.

Junior college transfer Al Rapier made his first start and contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. The player he replaced in the starting lineup, freshman point guard Dave Coley, added nine points, but four turnovers limited his playing time. Senior Chris Martin struggled through a 1-for-9 shooting night.

Still, the Seawolves could have won had they been better than 12-for-21 at the foul line. By contrast, Lehigh (4-3) was 18-for-20 from the stripe. You could say that was the difference, or you could say that McCollum simply got away from Stony Brook's defense in the second half when he scored 23 of his 31 points.

Lehigh also had an advantage inside with 6-9 center Gabe Knutson, whose eight points and four rebounds in the first half helped Lehigh stay within striking distance at halftime, trailing 38-30. He finished with 18 points.

A 7-0 Lehigh run early in the second half that cut the deficit to 40-37 prompted Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell to pull all five starters at the 18:34 mark. They were back two minutes later when the Hawks got within one at 42-41 on a Knutson layup. Dougher had nine points in a 17-4 run that gave the Seawolves their biggest lead at 59-45, but the Hawks' McCollum took over and Stony Brook almost seemed powerless to stop him.

Lehigh outlasts men's basketball in overtime

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Lehigh sophomore guard C.J. McCollum connected on a layup with 35 seconds remaining in overtime to break a 73-73 tie and lift the Mountain Hawks to a 79-76 victory over Stony Brook Wednesday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. McCollum finished with a game-high 31 points. Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) led the Seawolves with 26 points.


The Seawolves had ample chances to tie the game, but couldn’t convert. Junior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) drew a foul after McCollum’s basket, but he missed the first free throw. He made the second, and then Lehigh’s Mackey McKnight was fouled and made both his free throws to put the Mountain Hawks up 77-74 with 11 seconds remaining.

It appeared Dougher tied the game with a bank-shot that was initially called a three-pointer, but replay showed that his foot was on the three-point line, making it a two. After another SBU foul, McCollum made both of his free throws, and Dougher missed a wild three-point attempt at the buzzer.

“It’s tough to win games when you give up almost 80 points at home,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. “We need to get back to playing defense and rebound the ball.”

The tough ending for Stony Brook came as it lost a 14-point, second-half lead. The Seawolves had gone up 59-45 with 9:40 remaining after an 11-0 run that included a big three-pointer by Dougher.

McCollum willed Lehigh back into the game with 13 points in the remaining 9:27 of regulation. His free throws at 1:42 tied the game at 66-66 and sent it into overtime. Stony Brook scored just four points in the final 7:12 of regulation.

Dougher put the Seawolves on top 73-70 with 1:20 remaining in overtime with a big layup on a drive to the lane along the baseline. But Lehigh responded as McCollum came up with a loose ball offensive rebound off his own three-point miss and fed a wide-open Michael Ojo for a three to tie the game. McCollum then stole the ball from Stony Brook and came down in transition for a fastbreak layup to put the Mountain Hawks on top for good.

Stony Brook shot 40.6 percent as a team and capitalized on 22 Lehigh turnovers that turned into 29 points. However, the Seawolves struggled with free throws, going only 12-for-21 (57.1 percent) from the free throw line, including just 6-for-11 in the second half and overtime. Dougher, the America East Player of the Game, scored 26 points on 10-of-20 from the field, including 5-for-10 from behind the arc.

Lehigh shot 45 percent for the game and made 90 percent of its free throws (18-for-20). In addition to McCollum’s 31, Gabe Knutson chipped in 18.

Stony Brook is back in action Saturday at Columbia at 4 p.m. Following a Dec. 7 road game at Columbia, the Seawolves’ next home game will be Saturday, Dec. 11 against Sacred Heart at Pritchard Gymnasium at 2 p.m. The game will be televised on MSG-Plus, and it will be Santa Day, in which all fans can get their picture taken with Santa Claus for $2. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or visit the Stony Brook Athletics ticket office online.