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.