If Stony Brook can continue to catapult long-range bombs during next weekend's America East Tournament with the same accuracy it was hurling three-point shots Sunday in its regular-season finale against Binghamton, this trying season of poor health and spotty offense could be quickly forgotten.
In sailing to a 67-42 victory, Stony Brook (13-16, 8-8) drowned Binghamton (7-22, 4-12) in a Niagara of sharp-shooting efficiency, converting 24 of 46 field-goal attempts, including a picture-postcard 10-for-19 on three-point attempts. Suddenly, the sometimes frightening months of an over-the-falls-in-a-barrel adventure felt closer to a joyride.
Binghamton never led - last tied at 12-12 - as Stony Brook scored a season-high 42 points in the first half and won every statistical comparison: Field-goal accuracy (Binghamton's was 29 percent), rebounding (33-27), assists (12-7), blocked shots (3-0), steals (6-5), fewer turnovers (9-14).
Junior post man Dallis Joyner, whose three consecutive baskets midway through the second half stretched Stony Brook's lead to 30 points at 62-32, finished with a season-high 16 points, added eight rebounds and made 6 of 8 free throws, reversing his team-low 41-percent season average. Junior guard Bryan Dougher added 15 points on 5-for-8 three-point shooting and guard Chris Martin, the team's only senior, contributed a career-high six assists, with four points and three rebounds.
Having missed 13 games after knee surgery, Martin is the embodiment of his team's 2010-11 campaign, played out during the total absence (also because of knee surgery) of last season's leading rebounder and all-around ace, Tommy Brenton.
"I had nerves for my last game, playing in front of a whole bunch of fans that I love,'' Martin said. "I thought I was going to be done for the season. But Rouse had the same thing done to him . I just tried to come back and help this team any way possible.''
As the conference tournament's No. 5 seed, Stony Brook will play No. 4 Albany at noon Saturday in Hartford, still with hope of qualifying for The Big Dance. Albany (9-7) won both of their regular-season meetings, but Stony Brook's 6-3 run to close out conference play has it feeling like a toughened survivor.
All 13 players on the team's roster - not counting the recuperating Brenton - saw action Sunday, including walk-on Ben Resner, and all of them scored except freshman guard Dave Coley, who played only two minutes because he recently returned from - what else? - a knee injury.
Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell, lamenting the 52 player-games lost to injuries, nevertheless welcomed the next bungee jump. "This weekend coming up, there'll be adversity,'' he said. "There's referees, the other team, the site. But if any team's ready for adversity, it'll be us in this tournament.''
