Albany, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's women's basketball team led by as many as eight in the second half but the Albany Great Danes used a late 13-1 run to defeat the Seawolves, 65-55, on Thursday at SEFCU Arena. Senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) led Stony Brook with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Sophomore Juanita Cochran (Saginaw, Mich.) added eight points and nine rebounds while junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) had nine points and seven rebounds. Ebone Henry led Albany (15-11, 8-5 AE) with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Stony Brook (5-20, 2-11 AE) led 47-41 with nine minutes left but Albany scored 13 of the next 14 points to take a 54-48 lead with 4:25 to go. Cochran hit one of two free throws to end the run but Albany grabbed three offensive rebounds on their next possession before scoring on a Keyana Williams tip-in with the shot clock expiring to make it 56-49.
Junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) hit a jumper to bring SBU within five but Henry drilled a three on the other end to put the game away. Albany shot 46.2 percent from the field in the second half while holding the Seawolves to 30 percent shooting.
Murray hit a long jumper for the first hoop of the game but Albany scored the next seven points to take an early five-point lead. The Great Danes built their lead to 13-6 before Stony Brook answered with a 12-4 run to tie the game at 18 with 7:36 left. Jeter had six points in the run.
Albany held the Seawolves scoreless over the next five minutes, but could manage only four points of their own over that stretch. Sophomore Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) ended the drought with a three from the right wing before Jacobs hit two free throws with two minutes left to give Stony Brook its first lead since the early going.
Jeter followed with a short jumper and Jacobs then hit two more free throws to put Stony Brook in front, 27-22. SBU then forced an Albany miss on the ensuing possession and Murray leaked out for an easy lay-up to send the Seawolves into the break with a 29-22 lead. Stony Brook held Albany scoreless for the final 5:26 of the half.
The Great Danes quickly erased the Stony Brook lead though, scoring seven points over the first 1:20 of the second half to tie the game at 29. But SBU responded with an 8-0 run capped by three from junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.).
Stony Brook still lead by eight with 14 minutes left following a three-point play from Murray but Albany scored seven straight points over the next three minutes to get within one. Cochran answered with a put-back hoop but Jeter fouled out on the ensuing possession and Julie Forester hit two free throws to make it 42-41.
The Seawolves once agains responded though as Klupenger knocked down a three and Cochran followed with another hoop to make it 47-41.
Stony Brook returns to action on Sunday, traveling to take on Boston University. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
