Orono, Maine - Senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) scored a career-high 28 points and junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) forced a key turnover in the final seconds to lead the Stony Brook women's basketball team to a 73-70 win over the Maine Black Bears on Sunday at Alfond Arena.
Jeter scored 18 of her 28 in the first half and also pulled down 10 rebounds as she recorded her third double-double of the season and scored over 20 points for the third time in the last four games. Sophomore Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) and junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) each added 12 points for the Seawolves (4-15, 1-6 AE), who snapped a 12-game losing streak.
A Landers jumper with 53 seconds left gave Stony Brook a 71-67 lead but Tanna Ross knocked down a three with 43 seconds to go and the Black Bears then forced SBU into a shot clock violation. Maine gave the ball to Katelyn Vanderhoff, who dribbled near midcourt as the clock wound under 10 seconds.
Vanderhoff made her move with five seconds to go but Murray tipped the ball away and Jeter grabbed it and was fouled with a tenth of a second left. She knocked down both free throws and Maine was unable to get a game-tying shot off.
The Seawolves jumped to a 13-8 lead, as all five Stony Brook starters scored in the first five minutes. Maine rallied to tie the game at 21 with 9:30 left on a jumper from Samantha Baranowski before Jeter answered with back-to-back hoops.
Maine again rallied, tying it at 25 on a Ross jumper. But Jeter responded with a jumper and a three-point play to give SBU a 30-25 lead with just over three minutes left. The Black Bears scored five of the next seven points to pull within two but Jeter scored the final three points of the half to send Stony Brook into the break with a 35-30 advantage.
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Stony Brook came out strong to start the second half, scoring the first six points to take its largest lead of the game, 41-30, and force a Maine timeout. The Black Bears responded with a 14-5 run over the next four minutes to pull within two before sophomore Amanda Corona (North Hollywood, Calif.) drilled a three from right wing to push the Stony Brook lead back to five.
But Maine scored eight of the next 10 points to take its first lead before Jeter hit two free throws to put Stony Brook back in front, 53-52. Baranowski answered with a put-back hoop before Jeter hit two more free throws.
Maine led 57-55 with 9:05 left but Stony Brook scored six of the next eight points, four from Landers, to take a 61-59 lead. An Amber Smith jumper tied at the game at 61 with six minutes left but Jeter scored a fast-break hoop to break the tie and Jacobs followed with back-to-back buckets to give the Seawolves a 67-61 lead with 3:52 left.
Vanderhoff led four Maine players in double-figures with 17 points. Murray led the Seawolves with five assists and also had four of Stony Brook's 14 steals.
The Seawolves return to action on Wednesday, traveling to take on Hartford. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
