The win is Stony Brook's eighth in its last nine games and improves to the team's conference-leading record to 6-1. It is Stony Brook's seventh win over Maine in the teams' last 10 meetings, three of those now coming in Orono. The 6-1 mark is Stony Brook's best seven-game America East start in program history.
Senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) scored 10 points to lead the Seawolves. Brenton, senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) all scored nine points. The Seawolves overcame 32.8 percent shooting by outrebounding Maine, 43-40, including grabbing 17 offensive boards that led to 12 second chance points.
Stony Brook overcame 16 turnovers by turning up the defense on a Black Bears squad that came into the game averaging 73.4 points per game. Maine committed a season-high 22 turnovers that led to 16 Seawolves points. Maine was just 18-for-50 (36%) shooting from the field.
"This game was a grind on the road against a very talented Maine team," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We told ourselves that we needed a team effort to come away with a win, and that's what we got. Ten players played, and they all contributed points. We rebounded the ball very well, and we forced them to make turnovers. I'm proud of the effort."
Both teams struggled to shoot and hold onto the ball in the first half. Stony Brook was just 7-for-30 from the field and committed 11 turnovers. Maine was only 7-for-22 from the field and gave the ball away 14 times.
Neither team could get a basket for the game's first five minutes. Sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) nailed a three-pointer at 14:20 to finally give the scoreboard a crooked number.
Unfortunately for the Seawolves, that was their biggest lead of the first half. Neither team could generate enough offense to push past its opponent. Maine took its first lead of the game on a pair of Raheem Singleton free throws at 8:26 that made it 10-9. The Bears then had their biggest lead of the half, five points, after Justin Edwards drained a three-pointer.
On back-to-back possessions, senior Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) hit a layup, and Brenton hit a putback dunk after a Dougher miss to tie the game at 20-20, one of eight offensive rebounds Brenton had. The half ended with Xavier Pollard converting a layup in transition to send the Black Bears into halftime leading 22-20.
In the second half, the Seawolves got the offense going quickly as Coley put up six points as part of an 11-2 run to open the half. His basket at 15:41 made it 31-24 Seawolves.
Maine responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Singleton to cut SBU's lead to one, 31-30, but the Seawolves took control of the game with a 17-5 run. After Alasdair Fraser dunked the ball to make it 39-32, Stony Brook, Joyner responded with a dunk of his own at 10:43. The teams traded free throws, but the Seawolves capped the run as Rapier threw up a one-handed dunk off an assist from Coley, and Dougher drained a three-pointer to give SBU its largest lead of the game, 13, and make it 48-35 with 6:43 to play in the game.
Maine stayed within striking distance and closed the gap to four, 50-46, with 2:18 to play after a Pollard layup, but the Seawolves put the dagger in the game moments later. With 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Brenton inbounded the ball to Dougher on the wing, and the senior sniper converted the three-point attempt to make it a seven-point game again, 53-46. Stony Brook then made its free throws to finish the game off.
Stony Brook now heads back to New York for a three-game homestand, beginning Wednesday against Hartford at 7 p.m.
