Post Game Press Conference | Box Score
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) scored a career-high 18 points, including six in the Seawolves game-ending 8-0 run, to lead the Stony Brook University men's basketball team to a hard fought 69-60 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders on Thursday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium. Stony Brook improves to 8-5 with the victory while Holy Cross falls to 2-11.
"I was proud of the way our team played today," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We got great contributions from a lot of guys and made the stops we needed to make down the stretch to win the game."
Stony Brook's America East Player of the Game, Brenton also grabbed 11 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season. SophomoreBryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 18 points for Stony Brook, while senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) chipped in with 12 points and a career-high six steals. Stony Brook turned the ball over just eight times and scored 29 points off 18 Holy Cross turnovers.
Stony Brook led by two with six and a half minutes left following a free throw from Andrew Keister but freshman Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) answered with a three to put Stony Brook in front 58-53. Holy Cross scored seven of the next 10 points though to close within one with 3:49 remaining in the game.
That would be the last points the Crusaders scored as Brenton put in an El-Amin miss on the Seawolves next possession to put SBU up by three. The Seawolves then forced a turnover on the Crusaders ensuing possession and El-Amin fed Brenton for a thunderous dunk on the other end that put SBU up 65-60 with 2:15 remaining.
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Brenton put the game away less than a minute later as he knocked down two free throws to give the Seawolves a seven-point lead they would not relinquish. Brenton was 8-for-9 from the free throw line for the Seawolves, who totaled their second most assists this season (16).
The Seawolves jumped on the Crusaders early on, scoring the first 11 points of the game. Dougher had eight of those points on two three-pointers and a runner in the lane. Holy Cross scored the next five points to climb within six but Stony Brook answered with six straight points to push its lead to 17-6 just under six minutes into the game.
Stony Brook still led by 11 midway through the half following an inside hoop from Brenton but Holy Cross then went on a 9-2 run over the next four minutes to draw within four with 5:53 to go in the first half.
SBU had an answer though as Brenton scored on a spinning move to the basket and sophomore Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) then knocked down two free throws to give SBU a 29-21 lead. Holy Cross scored seven of the next nine points to cut the SBU advantage to three with two minutes left before Dougher scored on a fast-break hoop to put Stony Brook up 33-28.
Devin Brown knocked down two free throws to make it 33-30 but Rouse stripped Brown on the Crusaders next possession and passed it to Brenton, who was intentionally fouled. Brenton hit both freebies and El-Amin then drilled a three from the right wing on Stony Brook's ensuing possession to send SBU into the break with a 38-30 lead.
Holy Cross scored the first bucket of the second half but Dougher then knocked down a three off a feed from Joyner to put SBU on top by nine. The Crusaders trimmed the Stony Brook lead to five with 17 minutes left but El-Amin knocked down two free throws and then converted a fast-break lay-up off a pass from Dougher to push the Seawolves advantage back to nine. The Crusaders made another run at the Seawolves though, going on an 11-4 spurt over the next five minutes to cut SBU's lead to 52-50 with nine and a half minutes remaining. But SBU had an answer as Dougher knocked down a three from the right wing to push the SBU lead to five.
Andrew Beinert scored a team-high 16 points for Holy Cross, while Keister chipped in with 13 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. R.J. Evans added 12 for the Crusaders.
Stony Brook returns to action on Saturday, traveling to take on Boston University in its America East Conference opener. Game time is set for 12 p.m. and the game will be televised on MSG Plus.
