It's not that Stony Brook no longer is dangerous from three-point range, at least not as long as senior Bryan Dougher is around. The difference from recent years is that the Seawolves no longer rely on three-pointers to generate as much of their offense.
In a game in which Dougher suffered through a 4-for-15 shooting drought and the Seawolves matched those figures from three-point range, errant long-distance shooting didn't matter. That's because Stony Brook overpowered New Hampshire, 61-52, with the front-line combination of Al Rapier, Tommy Brenton and Dallis Joyner.
Rapier led the Seawolves (10-7, 5-1 America East) with 14 points and nine rebounds. Brenton had nine of his 13 points in a 22-9 run that began the second half and gave Stony Brook its biggest lead over the Wildcats (6-10, 1-4) at 48-33. Rapier and Brenton combined to shoot 11-for-13 from the field, and Brenton had seven rebounds to help give Stony Brook a 32-21 advantage on the boards.
Dougher scored 10 points and Joyner had eight points and five rebounds. Stony Brook outscored UNH 34-18 in the paint and had a 21-4 margin in second-chance points.
Comparing this season's edition to recent Seawolves teams, coach Steve Pikiell said: "We're a different team; we're bigger. We've got three good post-up guys.''
That is a luxury in the America East Conference. The 6-5 Brenton missed last season with a dislocated knee, and when he returned this year, he shifted from power forward to small forward because of the 6-8 Rapier's improved play. At 6-7, 275 pounds, Joyner is a space-eater in the middle.
With the Seawolves coming off their first conference loss Saturday at Boston University, it was important for them to start fast against a team that always gives them fits. "It was a tough loss, but it motivated us,'' Rapier said.
Rapier and Joyner scored every point in Stony Brook's opening 12-5 salvo, using a variety of post moves. "Every game, we look inside to Al and Dallis,'' Brenton said. "Both of them shoot over 50 percent.''
Brenton also shoots better than 50 percent, and his 5-for-5 night didn't hurt. That's where the Seawolves went in the second half. "I was trying to be more aggressive,'' Brenton said. "I didn't want Al and Dallis to do all the work.''
In the final eight minutes, UNH put together a 19-11 run to move within 59-52, making four three-pointers in that stretch and going 9-for-22 overall. Alvin Abreu (20 points) and Patrick Konan (15) totaled 13 points in that span, but the Wildcats couldn't prevent Stony Brook from improving to 8-0 at home to maintain its grip on first place.
