The Seawolves are 3-0 in America East for just the second time in program history (also during the 2009-10 season) and hold a half-game lead over Maine for first place in America East. The team also extended its home winning streak to eight consecutive games, including a perfect 7-0 mark this season.
Stony Brook shot a season-high 56.4 percent from the field including a blistering 72 percent in the first half. The Seawolves also hit a season-best 10 three-pointers in just 16 attempts (62.5%). The last time SBU hit 10 three-pointers in a game was also against Albany back on March 5, 2011. Stony Brook also outrebounded Albany, 38-28, and had 18 assists to just 11 turnovers.
Dougher went 7-for-13 from the field and hit all five of his threes in the second half while sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) chipped in with 11 points, all in the first half.
"I liked the way our played defense today. We defended enough to hold Albany under their season average in points and shooting, and I thought that was the difference. Our offense did a great job today, but our defense is what won us the game."
Albany used the three-point shot to stay in the game early as their first four field goals came from long distance.
Mike Black's second three of the game tied the score at 12-12 just over eight minutes in, but Stony Brook went on a 19-6 run over the next five minutes sparked by three straight three-pointers from Jackson and six points from junior Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.).
A driving lay-up from junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.), who had six points, six rebounds and seven assists, gave SBU its largest lead of the game, 31-18, with 7:04 remaining, but Albany out-scored the Seawolves 12-6 over the next four minutes to trim its deficit to seven.
Senior Danny Carter (Windsor, England) answered with Stony Brook's fifth three-pointer of the half, and Joyner then sandwiched two inside hoops around a Logan Aronhalt three as SBU took a 44-33 lead into halftime.
The 44 points matched a season-high for a half, as all nine Stony Brook players that played in the opening half scored led by Jackson's 11.
SBU continued its hot shooting at the start of the second half as Dougher hit two threes in the first three minutes of the period before Rouse hit another jumper to give the Seawolves a 55-37 advantage, their largest lead of the game.
Stony Brook was leading, 59-42, following a Joyner dunk, but the Great Danes outscored SBU, 18-10, over the next eight minutes to cut the Seawolves lead to nine on a Black lay-up with 5:40 left in the game.
Dougher then bookended a 10-4 Stony Brook spurt with his fourth and fifth threes of the half that gave Stony Brook a 79-64 lead, and Albany got no closer than 13 the rest of the way.
Stony Brook will go for its sixth straight win on Wednesday, traveling to take on UMBC. Game time is set for 7 p.m
