Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. - In his return to his home borough, junior Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored a game-high 19 points, including 13 as part of a first-half ending 24-7 run to lead the Stony Brook men's basketball team to a 77-61 win over St. Francis Brooklyn Tuesday night at Pope Physical Education Center.
The win is the third straight for Stony Brook, which is now 7-2 this season, the program's best nine-game start in its Div. I history. In addition to his 19 points, Coley, a product of Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, had eight rebounds. Junior Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) added 15 points, and freshman Jameel Warney (Plainfield, N.J.) had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Senior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) had seven rebounds, becoming Stony Brook's all-time leading rebounder with 910 for his career.
Coach Steve Pikiell's Reaction
"We played defense tonight, and I thought that was a big key. And I wanted to get to the free throw line, and we got to the free throw line. We did the things we needed to do to win. We jumped out and played well tonight."
Turning Point
Trailing 17-16 mid first-half, the Seawolves ignited a 24-7 half-ending run, led by Coley. He bombed a three-pointer to put SB on top 23-17. Later, he stripped a Terriers player and went up for a fastbreak layup to give the Seawolves their first double-digit lead, 30-20. To end the half, he took the game clock down and then drilled a three-pointer from 22 feet to send the Seawolves into the locker room up 40-24.
St. Francis got as close as nine points in the second half, as the Seawolves answered every Terrier run with big shots and defensive stops. They also went 17-for-20 from the free throw line in the second half, taking advantage of Terriers foul trouble.
By the Numbers
The win is the third straight for Stony Brook, which is now 7-2 this season, the program's best nine-game start in its Div. I history. In addition to his 19 points, Coley, a product of Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, had eight rebounds. Junior Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) added 15 points, and freshman Jameel Warney (Plainfield, N.J.) had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Senior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) had seven rebounds, becoming Stony Brook's all-time leading rebounder with 910 for his career.
Coach Steve Pikiell's Reaction
"We played defense tonight, and I thought that was a big key. And I wanted to get to the free throw line, and we got to the free throw line. We did the things we needed to do to win. We jumped out and played well tonight."
Turning Point
Trailing 17-16 mid first-half, the Seawolves ignited a 24-7 half-ending run, led by Coley. He bombed a three-pointer to put SB on top 23-17. Later, he stripped a Terriers player and went up for a fastbreak layup to give the Seawolves their first double-digit lead, 30-20. To end the half, he took the game clock down and then drilled a three-pointer from 22 feet to send the Seawolves into the locker room up 40-24.
St. Francis got as close as nine points in the second half, as the Seawolves answered every Terrier run with big shots and defensive stops. They also went 17-for-20 from the free throw line in the second half, taking advantage of Terriers foul trouble.
By the Numbers
- Stony Brook outrebounded St. Francis 41-29, the 29th time in the last 33 games the Seawolves have outrebounded their opponent.
- The Seawolves shot 48.1% for the game, including 60% in the first half.
- The SB defense held St. Francis under 40% shooting (39.3%), giving the Seawolves a 6-0 record this season and 66-18 record in the Pikiell era when doing accomplishing the feat.
- Brenton added five assists and now has six games of five assists or more this season.
- The Seawolves outscored the Terriers in the paint 34-26 and have now outscored their last five opponents in the paint 142-90.
- Coley's 13 first-half points were the most he's had in a first half in his career. His previous high was 10 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson in 2011.
- Stony Brook was 23-for-30 from the free throw line to St. Francis' 9-for-14.
- Brenton surpassed Yves Simon (1987-91) for the Stony Brook rebounding record. He already was the school's all-time leading Div. I rebounder. He is now only 90 rebounds away from 1,000 and would be only the eighth America East player to ever reach that mark.
- Stony Brook's nine-game start surpasses the 2009-10 team, which was 6-3.
- Stony Brook also surpassed the 2009-10 team for best five-game road start with a 4-1 record.
- Stony Brook improved to 1-1 against St. Francis all-time and is now 5-4 against NEC teams since the start of the 2009-10 season.
- Stony Brook has held a halftime lead over all nine of its opponents this season.
Up Next
Stony Brook is back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at Sacred Heart at 7 p.m.
