STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES SPORTS BROADCASTS

Tommy Brenton awaits Vermont "love"

2012-02-09T23:52:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook (12-1) at Vermont (10-2)...Sunday 11:45 a.m.
(WUSB; CBS SPORTS NETWORK)

After pounding UMBC by 40 points earlier this season in Baltimore, it was only human for Stony Brook's players to expect an easy time of it against the Retrievers Thursday night at Pritchard Gym. Instead, they found themselves in an unexpected, ahem, dogfight for 29 minutes before taking the lead for good in an 80-68 victory.
It wasn't exactly a confidence-inspiring performance by the Seawolves (17-7, 12-1 America East), but it put them in position to clinch their second regular-season conference championship in three seasons with a win Sunday at Vermont (16-10, 10-2).
Stony Brook forward Tommy Brenton (pictured), whose passing and defense helped spark the Seawolves' comeback against UMBC, is looking forward to the hostile atmosphere that awaits in Burlington. "Well, I know the fans love me up there, so, it should be a great game," said Brenton, who has a knack for rubbing opponents the wrong way. "It's always a battle up there. We know that. It's one of the loudest gyms. They feel every call is against them. So, it's going to be a great matchup."
Asked how the Catamounts' fans display their love, Brenton smiled and said, "I get a lot of boos. I don't know why. I thought I was a nice guy."
With only two more America East games remaining after the showdown at Vermont, the two teams still could finish in a tie and Boston University (10-3) also could get in the mix. But all the tiebreakers will favor Stony Brook if it completes a sweep of Vermont. If the Seawolves finished tied with BU alone, they split the season series, so, the tiebreaker would be their records against the third-place team. The Terriers were swept by Vermont.
It's quite possible the Seawolves already had Vermont on their minds when they took the court against UMBC. After allowing the Retrievers to outrebound them and shoot 59 percent in the first half, they know what to expect from coach Steve Pikiell as they prepare for the Catamounts.
"I think the next two days in practice are going to be very intense," forward Dallis Joyner said. "I know the coach is going to bring that intensity. This game is going to make guys want to go hard in practice the next two days and everybody step their game up to the highest potential. So, it can definitely be a good stepping-stone for the next game."
Stony Brook and Vermont last met in the conference opener Jan. 2, and the Seawolves nearly blew a 12-point second-half lead before pulling out a 65-59 win. It's going to be a lot tougher in Burlington, and while they can clinch with a win, a loss will leave them tied, and the Catamounts have an easier finishing schedule. The toughest game would be at Albany (7-6), but the last two are against bottomfeeders on the road at Binghamton (0-11) and home against UMBC (2-10). Stony Brook's final two are at Hartford (5-7) and home against Maine (5-7).
There will be a lot at stake, including a guaranteed NIT berth for the regular-season champion in the event it does not win the conference tournament to get the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Stony Brook beats UMBC for eighth straight

2012-02-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

The first half of basketball played Thursday night at Pritchard Gym simply did not compute. The University of Maryland-Baltimore County came in with a 3-20 record, including a 2-9 mark in America East play, but held a one-point halftime lead over first-place Stony Brook. The Retrievers' mind-boggling numbers included 59.3 percent shooting against the conference's best defense and an 18-14 rebounding edge against its top rebounding team.
But before Seawolves coach Steve Pikiell could light into his players at halftime, his veteran leaders -- Tommy Brenton, Dallis Joyner and Bryan Dougher -- beat him to the oratorical punch. "We were all thinking exactly what Coach said,'' Brenton said after Stony Brook's 80-68 victory. "We said it before he came in that we've got to change this game.''
The biggest factor was that Brenton stayed on the court after playing only five minutes in the first half and picking up two fouls. The rugged forward, the glue of the Seawolves, had seven second-half assists and five of his six rebounds to help turn the world right side up.
It was SBU's record 13th straight home victory. Stony Brook (17-7, 12-1) has won eight straight and 14 of 15.
It took a while for the Seawolves to gain control, but Joyner scored six points in an 8-0 run, with two baskets on feeds from Brenton, to give Stony Brook a 55-47 lead. Describing their chemistry, Joyner said, "When Tommy is on the floor, I always have my hands ready . . . In the first half, we just didn't make shots we usually make at home. They controlled the pace. Tommy is usually there to pick up guys [on defense] and make steals.''
Joyner finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, Dougher scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half and Anthony Jackson (17 points) and Marcus Rouse (14) provided a big lift off the bench.
UMBC (3-21, 2-10) was led by Chase Plummer's 18 points and eight rebounds. Brian Neller had 11 points and Ryan Cook 10.
With 2:50 to play, Neller's three-pointer cut Stony Brook's lead to 64-60, but that was as close as the Retrievers got as the Seawolves made 12 of 16 foul shots in the final 1:24.
"It's a win,'' Pikiell said, shrugging. "UMBC played well. They had nothing to lose . . . A.J. and Rouse came in and gave us a lift. You're not going to play great every night. But we got 80 points on the board. We wanted to keep our winning streak alive at home, and we did. They didn't like me much at halftime, but that's all right.''
Now it's on to Vermont, where a win over the Catamounts (16-10, 10-2) on Sunday would clinch the Seawolves' second regular-season conference title in three years.

Stony Brook Women's lacrosse set to start a new era in 2012

2012-02-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Under new head coach Joe Spallina, the Seawolves look to win their first-ever America East Championship.
It's a new era for Stony Brook women's lacrosse, the university's youngest athletic program, which is in its 10th season of existence. The Seawolves are now under the guidance of Long Island native Joe Spallina, who was named head coach in June 2011 after leading Adelphi to three consecutive Div. II national championships. With 13 returning letterwinners and 14 newcomers, including five transfers, Stony Brook is poised to improve greatly in 2012 and challenge for the America East Championship.

"We are really excited about the progression of the team," Spallina said. "Preseason has been difficult, but all the girls have bought in, and they are playing as a cohesive unit. I feel that we're solid on both ends, and that puts us in a position to have a great season."

Attack

Stony Brook's attack will begin with one of the most talented players in Div. II history in Claire Petersen, who was one of Spallina's transfers from Adelphi. The junior was the 2011 IWLCA National Attacker of the Year after setting the NCAA Div. II single-season record for points (182) and assists (125). She also had 57 goals. Her all-around stick skills will allow her to seamlessly transition to the Div. I level. She will quarterback the offense and use her field vision to score.

Petersen will be joined by a wealth of depth at the attack position. The Seawolves have six other student-athletes capable of contributing to the offense from that position, beginning with returners sophomore Alyssa Cardillo and senior Abby Ford. Cardillo led the Seawolves in scoring last season with 11 goals and 20 assists on her way to America East All-Rookie team honors. She also provides great field vision.

Ford is the team's second leading returning scorer after pouring in nine goals and 20 assists last season. She can play all three attack positions and provides tremendous senior leadership.

Also adding senior leadership on the attack will be captain Jackie Hughes, who did not score in 2011, but had contributed 10 goals in 2010. She had a great fall and will be counted on to contribute.

Joining the attack will be freshman Ava Fitzgerald, who has impressed the coaching staff during the fall and preseason. She is a natural lefty with explosive speed and is expected to make an immediate impact.

Adding depth on the attack are junior Kaitlyn Harrison, who had six goals last season, and sophomore Keira Smith, who missed last season due to injury.

Midfield

The midfield may very well be Stony Brook's biggest strength in 2012, as it will be led by a pair of stellar transfers. Junior Demmianne Cook, one of the team's captains, also comes over from Adelphi with a wealth of talent and accolades. She is the two-time reigning IWLCA Div. II National Midfielder of the Year and is coming off a 2011 season in which she scored 45 goals. A dynamic player with good size, Cook displays explosive speed and power on the field and will be counted on to help on both ends of the field.

Another transfer midfielder that should make an immediate impact is junior Janine Hillier, who comes to the Seawolves after two seasons at Florida. She was an All-American Lacrosse Conference second team selection in 2011 after scoring 34 goals for a Gators team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship in just the program's second season of existence. A very balanced midfielder, Hillier can defend, dodge and shoot and already has big-game experience. She is a star in the making for the Seawolves.

In the midfield and at the draw will be freshman budding star Michelle Rubino. She is a dynamic athlete on the field and has already shown great abilities on the draw during the fall and preseason. She has adjusted to the speed of the collegiate game and will contribute immediately.

The Seawolves will have three other midfielders who show two-way versatility on offense and defense. Sophomore Emily Mercier, another Adelphi transfer, was a major contributor off the bench for the Panthers as a freshman and now brings her talents to Stony Brook. She will contribute on both ends of the field.

Joining Mercier as two-way midfielders will be freshmen Kelly Kuerner and Amber Kupres. Kuerner has turned in an outstanding fall and preseason to move up the depth chart. Kupres, who could also contribute as an attacker, is good off the dodge and cut.

Adding depth at midfielder are sophomore Samantha Citron and freshman Ashley Singer.

Defense

The back line will be anchored by junior captain Melissa Rotante, who started all 15 games last season. She is the team's best pure 1-on-1 defender and plays an aggressive style that leads to caused turnovers.

Joining Rotante will be sophomore Jessica Romano, who missed all of 2011 due to a knee injury. She played in the midfield but her versatility allows her to transition to defense. She too plays an aggressive style and will be counted on to disrupt opponent offensive sets.

Junior Justyne Passarelli is also slated to start, but may miss the beginning of the season due to injury. She was second on the Seawolves in ground balls and caused turnovers last season and was named to the America East All-Academic team for her work in the classroom.

Freshmen Claire Ganoe and Marina Mestres are expected to contribute right away on the defensive end. Ganoe has had a good preseason, and Mestres converted from the midfield. Her height and good stick will allow her to flourish.

Junior Matte Scully and senior Jackie Gentile should also see significant time on the back end, and freshmen Sarah Ehrman and Jenna Agostino have bright futures and will press for action as well.

2011 America East All-Rookie team selection Tara Gerstacker, the team's leader in ground balls and caused turnovers, missed the entire fall due to injury. She will be a major contributor when healthy.

Goalkeeping

Stony Brook's last line of defense will be a strong point with sophomore transfer Frankie Caridi and junior Hannah Perruccio. Caridi, who had a 5.91 goals against average last season at Adelphi, will be the starter and will be expected to translate her success to the Div. I level. She was the 2011 IWLCA Div. II National Goalkeeper of the Year as a freshman. Perruccio has had a great preseason and can be counted on to contribute when called upon.

Schedule

In Spallina's first season, the Seawolves will be challenged by their schedule, which includes four matches against teams that advanced to the NCAA Championship in 2011, including a pair of final four teams in Duke and Maryland.

The Seawolves will open the season with three straight home games at LaValle Stadium, beginning Feb. 11 vs. Colgate, followed by Feb. 15 vs. Manhattan and Feb. 19 vs. Central Connecticut State.

Stony Brook will hit the road for the first time on Feb. 26 at Monmouth and then head to Johns Hopkins on March 3.

On March 5, the Seawolves will host Duke, which advanced to the national semifinals last season. Stony Brook will then play at Florida, an NCAA quarterfinalist last season, on March 14 and at Maryland, the NCAA Championship runner-up, on March 20.

Stony Brook's non-conference schedule wraps up with Marist (March 24), Iona (March 27) and Yale (April 11).

The Seawolves will play a six-match America East schedule with home games against UMBC (April 4), Vermont (April 7) and New Hampshire (April 28) and road games at Binghamton (March 31), Boston University (April 14) and Albany (April 21). The Great Danes are the defending regular season and conference champions and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship.

The 2012 America East Championship takes place May 3 & 5 on the campus of the regular season champion. Only the top four teams in the league will advance to the tournament.

"Our schedule features a stretch of gams that will prepare us for our tough and competitive conference schedule," Spallina said. "We expect to be one of the best teams in America East this season."

SBU player suspended for offensive tweet

2012-02-08T22:42:00.000-05:00

By STEVEN MARCUS steven.marcus@newsday.com

Photo credit: Stony Brook | Stony Brook University linebacker Matt Faiella was suspended by the NCAA for a December twitter post.

The NCAA reprimanded and suspended Stony Brook University football player Matt Faiella for a December Twitter post that contained what the NCAA termed an "inappropriate and offensive racial reference."
The suspension applies to a future playoff game, should Stony Brook qualify for the postseason.
Faiella, a junior linebacker/fullback who played in 13 games last season, will be allowed to play during the regular season.
Faiella's tweet was sent during the FCS playoffs and was directed at Towson University student-athletes.
"This was a very unfortunate incident, but racially insensitive characterizations are not acceptable and will not be tolerated," Division I Football Championship chairman Jim O'Day said in a statement. "The offensive language of this nature by Mr. Faiella, whether intentional or not, was unsportsmanlike and discredited the championship overall."
Stony Brook athletic director Jim Fiore said that when the university was informed of the post, it directed Faiella to remove it immediately.
"We're using it as a learning opportunity," Fiore said. "He's met with the appropriate people on campus, he's very remorseful."
Faiella, who is from Freehold, N.J., was not available for comment. His mother, Theresa Faiella, said she had not been in touch with her son to discuss the NCAA announcement and would have no comment.
Fiore said he apologized to Towson athletic director Mike Waddell, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Michael R. Harris, Towson's senior associate director of athletics, said, "Since this decision did not directly involve Towson, we do not have a comment."
Stony Brook appealed the ruling, saying Faiella should be suspended from the first game of the 2012 regular season -- and not the playoffs -- so the penalty could be served more swiftly. The NCAA denied the appeal, saying the suspension must be served during the playoffs. The university accepted the result. "We're moving on," Fiore said.
A spokesman for the Big South Conference, to which Stony Brook belongs, said it planned no action

JIM NAGLE...LONG ISLAND PULSE ARTICLE

2012-02-08T05:53:00.001-05:00

Jim Nagle | Long Island Pulse Magazine - Covering Long Island's lifestyles, arts, fashion, business, nightlife and entertainment

Stony Brook Men's hoops beats UNH for seventh straight win

2012-02-06T22:29:00.000-05:00

Final Stats
• Watch the Replay on ESPN3

Tommy Brenton scores team-high 14 as the Seawolves improve to 11-1 in America East.

Durham, N.H. - Junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) scored 10 of his team-leading 14 points at the free throw line, as the Stony Brook men's basketball team as a whole was 26-for-33 from the charity stripe in a 57-48 win over New Hampshire Monday night at Lundholm Gymnasium.

Stony Brook has now won seven straight games and 13 of its last 14 to improve to 16-7 overall and 11-1 in America East. The Seawolves continue to make program history; the 11-1 start and 13 of 14 winning stretch are both program bests in its Div. I history.

Brenton was 10-for-12 from the free throw line and 2-for-4 from the field to earn America East Player of the Game honors. Senior Bryan Dougher added 10 points, and senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

UNH was led by Alvin Abreu's 19 points and Ferg Myrick's 15 points. Abreu was 8-for-12 from the field to earn his team's America East Player of the Game award.

Stony Brook shot only 31.1 percent in the game, while UNH shot 36,7 percent and connected on 7-of-25 three-point attempts. The Seawolves outrebounded the Wildcats, 40-24, and limited UNH to just four offensive rebounds and two second chance points.

"We did our job tonight, but it was a real grind," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "New Hampshire does a good job on defense; they really make you work for it. We were fortunate to attack the basket and draw contact to get ourselves to the free throw line. Our defense was strong too; our goal was to hold them to 50 points and we succeeded."

The first half proved to be a defensive battle as both teams played physical defense. Stony Brook shot just 27 percent in the first half while New Hampshire faired only slightly better at 35 percent. The difference in the half was Stony Brook's ability to draw fouls, getting to the line 12 times and making eight of them.

The Seawolves' largest lead of the first half was only five points, coming at the 6:00 mark when Brenton put up a couple of free throws to make it 16-11.

The game was tied at 20-20 after back-to-back Abreu layups when the Seawolves made two of their final three shots. Sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) took his man off the dribble late in the shot clock and hit a fadeaway jumper from 17 feet. Then Dougher ended the half with a circus layup in traffic just as the clock expired, sending the Seawolves into halftime leading 24-20.

Stony Brook opened the second half on a 14-6 run and benefitted from a Dougher three-pointer from Brenton at 11:17 that gave the Seawolves a double-digit lead at 46-36.

Myrick got UNH back in the game with 14 consecutive Wildcats points. His layup at 8:13 cut the lead to six, 38-32.

But the Wildcats couldn't come all the way back, going without a field goal for nearly a four-minute stretch. Dougher put the dagger in UNH with a 15-foot jumper in the corner at 1:25 that made it a 12-point game. The Seawolves converted seven of eight free throw attempts in the final minute to seal the victory.

Stony Brook will continue its stretch of four games in nine days this Thursday when it hosts UMBC at Pritchard Gymnasium at 7 p.m. The Seawolves have won 12 consecutive home games. The game will be televised on Optimum Local Channel 118. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or visit GoSeawolves.org/tickets.

Giants beat Patriots again to win Super Bowl XLVI

2012-02-05T23:28:00.004-05:00

INDIANAPOLIS -- Eli Manning and the Giants one-upped Tom Brady and the Patriots again, coming back with a last-minute score to beat New England 21-17 Sunday night for New York's fourth Super Bowl title.
It was a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, when Manning led New York past New England to ruin the Patriots' bid for a perfect season.

This was the first Super Bowl with two starting quarterbacks who previously won the big game's MVP award -- and they took turns being brilliant. Manning became the first QB to open a Super Bowl with nine consecutive completions. Later, Brady put together a run of 16 completions in a row, breaking another Super Bowl mark.

But in the end, it was Manning who directed the nine-play, 88-yard drive that put New York ahead when running back Ahmad Bradshaw scored the winning touchdown.

Coley's 17 help Stony Brook sweep Albany and stay in first

2012-02-05T02:19:00.000-05:00

Dave Coley scored 17 points, shooting 8-for-9 from the field, and led four players in double figures as visiting Stony Brook beat Albany, 76-69, in America East Conference action Saturday night. The Seawolves (15-7, 10-1), who shot 59.1 percent from the field in the second half, have won six straight and 12 of 13. Stony Brook maintained sole possession of first place in the conference, one game ahead of Vermont (15-10, 9-2). Stony Brook will play at Vermont at noon next Sunday in a game that could go a long way toward determining the America East's regular-season champion.
Bryan Dougher scored 14 points, Anthony Jackson had 11 points in only 10 minutes and Al Rapier added 10 points for Stony Brook. Jackson hit three three-pointers in three attempts and Rapier had 12 rebounds. "I liked our offense but I didn't like our defense tonight,'' coach Steve Pikiell said. "But a lot of guys stepped up and made big plays on the road, which isn't easy to do in front of a sellout crowd.''
It was one of the more efficient offensive games of the season for Stony Brook, which shot 53.1 percent from the field and hit 9 of 16 three-point attempts.
Jackson, who scored 14 points in an 82-48 win over Binghamton on Wednesday night, has been particularly hot lately. The 6-foot sophomore has hit 11 of his last 20 three-point attempts.
Stony Brook found its offense early in the second half. With the Seawolves trailing 33-30 at the half, Coley and Jackson scored six points each in a 22-9 run that gave Stony Brook a 52-42 lead with 11:28 left.
Albany got within 54-52 on two free throws by Gerardo Suero at the 8:25 mark, but the Seawolves countered with a 13-4 run and went ahead 67-56 with 2:44 left.
Suero had 21 points and Mike Black and Logan Aronhalt added 15 each for Albany (15-10, 7-4). The Great Danes fell to 9-1 at home this season and had their home winning streak snapped at 12 games.

Stony Brook hits record 14 threes in win

2012-02-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

By Greg Logan, Newsday greg.logan@newsday.com

It figured that Stony Brook might suffer a letdown coming off its nationally televised victory over Boston U. to face winless Binghamton Wednesday night at Pritchard Gym, and sure enough, the score was tied early when the first media timeout was called at 15:06. Coach Steve Pikiell made a wholesale substitution, sending in four reserves, and the Seawolves lit it up, making five three-pointers in five possessions.
By the time Stony Brook's 82-48 victory was over, the Seawolves had hit a school-record 14 threes in 26 attempts, and SBU's 45 bench points were nearly enough to beat the Bearcats by themselves. It was a tremendous turnaround from the six-point win Stony Brook (14-7, 9-1 America East) scored four weeks earlier at Binghamton (0-22, 0-10).
Pikiell showed his team that game tape and emphasized the need to play with more energy, and that's what the bench provided. Backup point guard Anthony Jackson led the way with 14 points, hitting 4 of 8 from three-point range, and Marcus Rouse added 11 points, shooting 5-for-7. Bryan Dougher was the only starter in double figures with 13 points. Robert Mansell led the Bearcats with 10 points.
The weird thing about Stony Brook's five straight three-pointers was that they all came from the right wing. It began with the first of two threes by Leonard Hayes and included two by Jackson and one by Rouse as the Seawolves shot out to a 21-8 lead.
"It was preparation," said Jackson, whose .471 three-point shooting percentage leads America East. "In warm-ups we go hard and shoot gamelike shots so we can be ready coming off the bench to be instant offense . . . This game was very important coming off against someone not doing as well. There can't be a drop-off. You can't be lackadaisical."
The first half ended with Jackson burying a three from the top of the arc for a 50-15 lead that marked Stony Brook's largest output in a single half since Jan. 17, 2010 against Hartford. A three by Danny Carter from well beyond the arc with 14:14 left to play gave Stony Brook its biggest lead at 63-23.
Pikiell gave his bench extended minutes in the second half, knowing five of the next six games come on the road, and the reserves responded.
"We stay ready and try to give a spark," Rouse said. "I try to take the opportunity in whatever time I get. This game helps our confidence a lot."

Stony Brook Announces 2012 Football Recruiting Class

2012-02-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Eleven talented student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play football for defending Big South Conference champion Stony Brook, head coach Chuck Priore announced on Wednesday afternoon.
In addition, Dimetrius Bernard (Jamaica, N.Y.), Marcus Coker (Beltsville, Md.) Adrian Coxson (Baltimore, Md.) and Greg Melendez (Brookyn, N.Y.) have accepted grant-in-aid offers. Coker and Coxson have enrolled at Stony Brook for the spring semester.
The 15-player recruiting class is made of student-athletes from six states, including five players from New York. Stony Brook won its first outright conference championship after defeating Liberty, 41-31, in the 2011 regular season finale. The Seawolves, who won nine straight games, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division I Football Championship.
The offense returns Big South Offensive Player of the Year in Miguel Maysonet (1,633 rushing yards, 15 TDs) and Kyle Essington (1,919 passing yards, 20 TDs) as well as four of its five starting line. The defense returns six starters, including Jawara Dudley who earned first team all-conference honors.

2012 Stony Brook Football Recruiting Class
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Video	Hometown/High School/Previous School
Dimetrius Bernard	DL	6-4	260		Jamaica, N.Y./Holy Cross/Fresno City College
Marcus Coker *^	RB	6-0	230		Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic/Iowa
Adrian Coxson *^	WR	6-1	205		Baltimore, Md./City College/Maryland
Pat D'Amato	QB/ATH	6-2	200		Wethersfield, Conn./Xavier
Connor Davis	TE/DE	6-8	240		Fallston, Md./Fallston
Angelo DeShields	WR	6-0	195		Baltimore, Md./Mount Saint Joseph
Abiade "A.B." Granger	CB	5-10	165		Riviera Beach, Fla./Suncoast
Da'Rell Hatcher	RB	5-10	200		Amityville, N.Y./Amityville
Carlos Hernandez	QB	6-3	200		Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde
Deshawn Lindsay	S	5-11	170		Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Plantation
Chris Makulik	FB	6-2	240		Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford
Greg Melendez	S	6-1	210		Brooklyn, N.Y./Canarsie/Idaho State
Aaron Thompson	DL	6-4	240		Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park
Nick Vitale	WR	5-9	185		Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand
Jaheem Woods	CB	6-0	180		Neptune, N.J./Neptune

* Mid-year transfer
^ Enrolled at Stony Brook 2012 spring semester

PLAYERS BY STATE
California (1): Carlos Hernandez
Connecticut (2): Pat D'Amato, Nick Vitale
Florida (2): Abiade Granger, Deshawn Lindsay
Maryland (4): Marcus Coker, Adrian Coxson, Connor Davis, Angelo DeShields
New Jersey (1): Jaheem Woods
New York: (5): Dimetrius Bernard, Da'Rell Hatcher, Chris Makulik, Greg Melendez, Aaron Thompson
PLAYERS BY POSITION
Cornerback (2): Abiade Granger, Jaheem Woods
Safeties (2): Deshawn Lindsay, Greg Melendez
Defensive End (1): Connor Davis (TE)
Defensive Line (2): Dimetrius Bernard, Aaron Thompson
Fullback (1): Chris Makulik
Quarterback (2): Pat D'Amato (ATH), Carlos Hernandez
Running Back (2): Marcus Coker, Da'Rell Hatcher
Wide Receiver (3): Marcus Coxson, Angelo DeShields, Nick Vitale
Bios
Dimetrius Bernard
DL • 6-4 • 260
Jamaica, N.Y./ Holy Cross H.S./Fresno City College
Before Stony Brook: A transfer from Fresno City College ... played in nine games, totaling 17 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, as a senior ... also recorded 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
High School: A 2010 graduate of Holy Cross High School ... made 27 tackles and had a forced fumble as a senior.
Priore on Bernard: "Dimetrius played his high school football at Holy Cross in Flushing, so that's where we became aware of him. He should give us an immediate impact after two years at the junior college level and secure our three-technique position on the defensive line."
Marcus Coker
RB • 6-0 • 230
Beltsville, Md./ DeMatha Catholic H.S./University of Iowa
Before Stony Brook: Transfer from Iowa ... rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons with Hawkeyes ... second in the Big Ten in rushing (1,384 yards - 115.3 ypg) as a sophomore, earning second-team all-conference ... named co-MVP of 2010 Insight Bowl against No. 12 Missouri after rushing for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
High School: A two-time all-state, all-county and all-conference performer at Maryland high school power DeMatha Catholic ... a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com and three-star according to ESPN ... accounted for 1,698 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior ... rushed for 392 yards, a school record and fourth most in state history, and five touchdowns against Gilman.
Priore on Coker: "We're real excited about having Marcus for spring practice. He was the second-leading rusher in the Big Ten, which should give us a big boost with the graduation of Brock Jackolski."
Adrian Coxson
WR • 6-0 • 205
Baltimore, Md./ City College H.S./University of Maryland
Before Stony Brook: Transfer from Maryland ... totaled four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown as a redshirt freshman ... originally signed with Florida before transferring during preseason.
High School: A four-star prospect who was rated as the No. 19 receiver in the nation according to Scout.com ... No. 101 in ESPNU 150 as a senior ... ESPNU's No. 16 wide receiver ... No. 20 in Top 150 Dream Team by SuperPrep Magazine ... No. 35 receiver according to Rivals.com ... totaled 1,930 yards and 19 touchdowns ... returned four punts for TDs ... Baltimore Sun first team All-Metro.
Priore on Coxson: "Adrian will help secure our wide receiver position and help us absorb the graduation of Matt Brevi."
Pat D'Amato
QB/ATH • 6-2 • 200
Wethersfield, Conn/Xavier H.S.
High School: Attends Xavier High School ... quarterbacked No. 1 team in state ... CHSCA Class LL All-State ... totaled more than 1,800 yards and accounted for 28 touchdowns (15 pass, 13 rush) ... led Xavier to Class LL state title ... All-Southern Connecticut Conference Division I.
Priore on D'Amato: "Pat led Xavier to two state championships as a quarterback/athlete so we're excited to have his leadership on our team."
Connor Davis
TE/DE • 6-8 • 240
Fallston, Md./Fallston H.S.
High School: Attends Fallston High School ... ESPN Small School first team All-State ... Maryland Crab All-Star Game ... first team All-UCBAC Chesapeake Coaches ... Baltimore Sun defensive player to watch ... 235 yards and five touchdowns, and 117 tackles, 12 sacks and a blocked punt as a senior.
Priore on Davis: "Connor brings tremendous size to either position. We're excited to have his talent level and his height at Stony Brook."
Angelo DeShields
WR • 6-0 • 195
Baltimore, Md./Mount Saint Joseph H.S.
High School: Attends Mount Saint Joseph High School ... 2010 & 2011 All-MIAA selection.
Priore on DeShields: "Angelo has tremendous skills and the physicality to play wide receiver at the Division I level."
Abiade Granger
CB • 5-10 • 165
Riviera Beach, Fla./Suncoast H.S.
High School: Attends Suncoast High School ... first team Class 6A-5A-3A ... second team All-Area ... Palm Beach Post's No. 36 player in the county ... two-star recruit according to Rivals.com ... totaled 35 tackles, nine passes defended and two sacks ... team's leading punt and kick returner ... blocked five field goals ... All-Palm Beach County in track ... state qualifier in the high jump, triple jump and 4x400 relay.
Priore on Granger: "We're excited to have his talent and leadership skills. "A.B. is an outstanding athlete who will have a great future."
Da'Rell Hatcher
RB • 5-10 • 200
Amityville, N.Y./Amityville H.S.
High School: Attends Amityville High School ... second-team All-Long Island and third-team all-state ... rushed for 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns ... led Warriors to Division IV Championship game ... rushed for 366 yards and five touchdowns against John Glenn, ending Knights 17-game winning streak.
Priore on Hatcher: "Da'Rell has really worked his way into becoming a top running back on Long Island. His powerful running style will be welcomed in our backfield."
Carlos Hernandez
QB • 6-3 • 200
Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde H.S.
High School: Inland Valley Offensive MVP and first team selection ... second team All-State ... Los Angeles Times quarterback to watch as a senior ... All-CIF Central Division ... Central Division co-Offensive Player of the Year ... All-Riverside County ... passed for 1,900 yards and 28 touchdowns to lead Mustangs to 14-0 record ... threw four touchdowns in state championship game.
Priore on Hernandez: "Carlos is an established quarterback who does a lot of the things we look for to play in our system."
Deshawn Lindsay
S • 5-11 • 170
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Plantation H.S.
High School: South Florida Sun-Sentinel's top 50 player ... Rivals.com two-star recruit ... accounted for 73 tackles and three forced fumbles as a senior ... 68 tackles and two forced fumbles as a junior.
Priore on Lindsay: "Deshawn comes to us from one of the better high school programs in Florida. "He's a physical safety who can defend the run and pass."
Chris Makulik
FB • 6-2 • 240
Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford H.S.
High School: Attends Patchogue-Medford High School ... rushed for 607 yards and six touchdowns ... had a season-high 196 yards and three touchdowns against Sachem East ... All-Suffolk County.
Priore on Makulik: "Chris is a local product who had impressed us in various combines. His ability to play fullback and our H-back position will be vital."
Greg Melendez
S • 6-1 • 210
Brooklyn, N.Y./Canarsie H.S./Idaho State/Hofstra
Before Stony Brook: Spent last two seasons at Idaho State ... suffered a season-ending injury in 2010, but started all 11 games for the Bengals in 2011 ... recorded 51 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble ... spent 2007-09 at Hofstra ... started all 12 games as a redshirt freshman, registering 72 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble ... started all 11 games as a sophomore, totaling 72 tackles, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and an interception.
High School: A 2007 graduate of Canarsie High School ... All-Brooklyn and All-State selection ... led Chiefs to 11-2 record as a senior.
Priore on Melendez: "Greg is another local product who started his career at Hofstra. He continued his career at Idaho State where he started each game last year. Greg's an upperclassmen, and we're excited he's going to play his last year with us."
Aaron Thompson
DL • 6-4 • 240
Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park H.S.
High School: Attends Deer Park High School ... second team All-Long Island ... fourth team All-State ... All-Suffolk County ... registered 80 tackles and seven sacks as a senior ... team captain ... former high school teammate of current Seawolf Dimitry Russ.
Priore on Thompson: "Aaron will be a defensive lineman in our system. He has imposing size and strength and will continue to get better."
Nick Vitale
WR • 5-9 • 185
Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand H.S.
High School: Attends Daniel Hand High School ... caught 52 passes for 863 yards and 11 TDs as a senior ... led team to Class L state title ... 2011 CHSCA All-State Team ... 2011 Walter Camp All-State Team ... Post-Chronicle Offensive Player of the Year ... All-Southern Connecticut Conference Division I ... brother of current Seawolf Rich Vitale.
Priore on Vitale: "Having coached his brother, Rich, we know what kind of player Nick is going to be. He excelled at wide receiver as a senior, leading his team to a state title."
Jaheem Woods
CB • 6-0 • 180
Neptune, N.J./Neptune
High School: Attends Neptune High School ... Newark Star-Ledger's Monmouth County Player of the Year and first team all-county ... Shore Conference Offensive Player of the Year ... Group 3 All-State ... first team All-Group 3 ... MSGVarsity.com second team All-New Jersey ... accounted for 2,473 yards and 30 touchdowns ... helped the Scarlet Fliers to a state title after rushing for 257 yards, passing for 164 yards and totaling four touchdowns ... made 76 tackles and five interceptions at cornerback.
Priore on Woods: "Jaheem might be the best athlete in this class. He's an accomplished athlete who's equally good on both sides of the ball. We're excited about having his athletic talent."

2012 Stony Brook Football Schedule
Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 1	Central Connecticut	STONY BROOK
Sept. 8	Pace	STONY BROOK
Sept. 15	TBA	TBA
Sept. 22	Colgate	STONY BROOK
Sept. 29	at Army	West Point, N.Y.
Oct. 6	Charleston Southern	STONY BROOK
Oct. 13	at Coastal Carolina	Conway, S.C.
Oct. 20	Gardner-Webb	STONY BROOK
Oct. 27	at Presbyterian	Clinton, S.C.
Nov. 3	VMI	STONY BROOK
Nov. 10	at Liberty	Lynchburg, Va.

2012 STONY BROOK FOOTBALL NATIONAL SIGNING DAY

2012-02-01T06:19:00.001-05:00

Details coming soon...

Star Iowa RB transfers to Stony Brook

2012-01-31T23:20:00.000-05:00

By our friend Greg Logan, Newsday greg.logan@newsday.com

Stony Brook football is poised to take a step toward national prominence with the official announcement coming Wednesday that former Iowa running back Marcus Coker has enrolled as a transfer student.
SBU coach Chuck Priore confirmed Monday that Coker is joining the team.
Coker rushed for 1,384 yards and scored 15 touchdowns as a sophomore last season, trailing only Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball of Wisconsin in Big Ten rushing.
Coker was investigated, but not charged, in an alleged sexual assault Oct. 28 in Iowa City, police said.
"The investigation is closed because the victim didn't want to press charges," Sgt. Denise Brotherton of the Iowa City police department said Monday.
Priore said he and SBU administration officials investigated Coker's background before clearing him to begin classes Monday.
The police inquiry first was reported in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on Jan. 10, the same day Coker requested and was granted a release from his football scholarship.
Coker played in five games after the alleged incident but was suspended from the Insight Bowl, which the Hawkeyes lost to Oklahoma on Dec. 30, for an unspecified violation of team rules.
"There was an accusation made in Iowa City, but no criminal charges were brought against Marcus," said Coker's lawyer, Leon Spies. "He chose to withdraw from the University of Iowa. He has had a great deal of support here within the university community and from family and friends. Everyone is heartened to know he is going to pursue his college career."
Coker will not be available for comment until spring practice in March. But the 6-foot, 230-pound running back from Beltsville, Md., said in a statement: "I'm very grateful to coach Priore and Stony Brook University for this opportunity. I've become aware of Stony Brook's growing football program and outstanding academics. I'm excited for spring practice and the chance to help my teammates win a fourth straight Big South championship."
Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said in December that he anticipated Coker would return to the team, and an Iowa spokesman Monday confirmed Coker was not asked to leave school. Coker chose to make a fresh start at Stony Brook, where he is eligible to play immediately after switching from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
"I did due diligence with the resources I had to really look at his character and his family background," Priore said. "After the research I did into the allegations, I was comfortable he would be somebody that would be a positive role model moving forward at Stony Brook University. He's a very good student in the classroom, a very reserved, quiet kid.
"When I met with him, most of the conversation for three hours was about, what do we offer academically? 'How many credits will transfer, and can I graduate on time?' He's exactly on schedule to graduate in eight semesters."
Coker was pursuing a double major in physics and astronomy at Iowa and is expected to follow a similar academic track at Stony Brook. He could leave early for the NFL draft, but Priore said Coker plans to stay two years to complete his degree.
The addition of Coker cushions the blow of losing running back Brock Jackolski, who accounted for more than 2,400 combined yards last season, to graduation. Coker joins running backs Miguel Maysonet, who rushed for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns, and JeVahn Cruz, who averaged 11.1 yards per carry in limited action.
"He'll help us continue to do what we do best -- attack defenses with the run game," Priore said.
The Seawolves' passing game also should benefit from the addition of another prominent transfer in former Maryland wide receiver Adrian Coxson. The 6-foot, 205-pound Baltimore native caught four passes for 90 yards and one touchdown as a redshirt freshman. He was a consensus four-star recruit out of high school and signed with Florida before transferring to Maryland.

Stony Brook Men's hoops draws Northeastern in BracketBusters

2012-01-30T19:11:00.002-05:00

Stony Brook will renew series with former America East foe on Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.

The Stony Brook men's basketball team will play at Northeastern on Saturday, Feb. 18 after drawing the Huskies in the annual Sears ESPN BracketBusters event. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
This will be the first meeting between these two teams since March 5, 2005, when the two teams both competed in America East. The Huskies lead the all-time series 6-3 and won the last five matchups.
Northeastern is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association and currently sports an 11-10 overall record and a 7-4 conference mark, good for fifth place in the standings.

The Huskies and Seawolves have two common opponents this season. NU defeated Boston University on Nov. 11 and topped Vermont on Dec. 30.

This is Stony Brook's second appearance in BracketBusters. Last season, the Seawolves lost a nailbiter to Manhattan at home, 64-63 in overtime. As part of the BracketBusters agreement, Northeastern will return the game and travel to Stony Brook during the 2013-14 season.

Stony Brook, under seventh-year head coach Steve Pikiell, is enjoying an outstanding season, behind a defense that's currently ranked 21st in the nation in points per game allowed at 59.3. The Seawolves are 13-7 overall and 8-1 and in first place in America East. Stony Brook has won 10 of its last 11 games, and the Seawolves will go for their 11th straight home victory Wednesday against Binghamton at 7 p.m.

Stony Brook Men's Basketball heads to Northeastern for 2012 Bracketbuster game on Feb. 18th

2012-01-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook women’s coach Spallina officially named Long Island Lizards head coach

2012-01-30T18:06:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook women’s lacrosse head coach Joe Spallina (Rocky Point) has been named the head coach of the Long Island Lizards men’s lacrosse team, a member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the franchise announced Monday.Coaching the Lizards will be in addition to his duties as the head coach at Stony Brook, and he will not miss any Seawolves practices or games. The MLL season runs from the end of April to the end of August.
“I am very excited to be able to lead the Long Island Lizards, a very proud and storied lacrosse franchise. Although my first priority is to be the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Stony Brook, I look forward to working with the Lizards to achieve great success in Major League Lacrosse.”
Spallina previously served as an assistant coach for the Lizards over the last two seasons. In 2010, he helped lead the Lizards to the MLL championship game.
Spallina will take over a Lizards team that has former Seawolves star Timmy Trenkle on the roster and just drafted current Seawolves seniors Kyle Moeller and Robbie Campbell.
Spallina is in his first season at Stony Brook and will have 13 returning letterwinners and 14 newcomers during the 2012 season, including four transfers from Adelphi, which he led to three consecutive NCAA Div. II national championships and had an overall 73-2 record. Spallina and the Seawolves will open the 2012 campaign against Colgate on Feb. 11.

2012 STONY BROOK BASEBALL PREVIEW

2012-01-30T15:01:00.001-05:00

College Baseball Insider - Your Home for College Baseball

Stony Brook beats BU in first-place showdown

2012-01-28T00:47:00.001-05:00

By our friend, Greg Logan, Newsday greg.logan@newsday.com

It was easy to tell a lot was on the line in Friday night's America East first-place showdown between Stony Brook and Boston University when Terriers star Darryl Partin missed a three-pointer and then body-slammed the Seawolves' Tommy Brenton. Somehow, Stony Brook survived a 17-0 second-half run by BU to pull out a 66-57 victory before a sold-out Pritchard Gym crowd of 1,630 and ESPNU's cameras. Despite going 10:18 without a field goal during BU's comeback, Stony Brook (13-7, 8-1) finished on a 19-6 run in which Bryan Dougher scored seven of his 20 points.
Brenton had nine points, eight rebounds and four steals for the Seawolves, who have won 10 of their last 11. Partin topped the Terriers (11-12, 7-2) with 21 points and six rebounds, and the Seawolves held point guard D.J. Irving to seven points.
BU's winning streak ended at seven games. Stony Brook also ended a four-game losing streak against the Terriers, who beat the Seawolves in the conference final last season and knocked them out in the semifinals the previous season. It was a much-needed breakthrough for Stony Brook against its nemesis.
"Absolutely," Brenton said. "The coaches have been reminding us all season about the streak. We needed this one bad."
Brenton didn't even mind roughhousing with Partin. "He was going for the ball," Brenton said with a smile. "The game was up and down. Without the crowd, our sixth man, it would have been rough. This was like a championship college game. I'm sure we'll see them again."
Stony Brook and BU rank 1-2 in the America East in field-goal defense, but they couldn't stop each other in the first half as the Terriers shot 59.1 percent to the Seawolves' 51.9 as SBU took a 37-33 halftime lead. Dougher scored eight points to spark a 10-0 burst for a 47-34 lead, and that led to an outburst by BU coach Joe Jones that drew a technical foul. That set off the Terriers' 17-0 run, which gave BU a 51-47 lead with 6:03 remaining.
"I got my first tech of the year," Jones said. "Our guys started going after rebounds harder and defended better. We tend to play in spurts. It was as intense as I thought it was going to be. [Stony Brook] plays as hard as any college basketball team in the country."
Dave Coley's foul shot ended the Seawolves' drought. Coley found Al Rapier for a dunk at 4:12 that was the first SBU field goal in 10:18 and Coley tied the score at 54 on a jumper.
Dougher took over from there to get Stony Brook to the finish line first.
"Basically, it's about everyone keeping their poise," Dougher said. "We get a little déjà vu. It's happened before. It showed a lot about the character of the guys."

RED-OUT SOLD OUT FRIDAY NIGHT... MBB: Boston (7-1) at STONY BROOK (7-1) 8:45 p.m. on WUSB and ESPNU

2012-01-26T23:09:00.001-05:00

By our friend, Greg Logan, Newsday
If there's one America East team standing between Stony Brook and an NCAA Tournament berth, it's Boston University. The Terriers came back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Seawolves by two in the conference championship game last March, hitting two free throws with 2.4 seconds left; knocked SBU out in the semifinals the previous season and are the only America East team to beat Stony Brook this season. The conference's NCAA berth won't be decided until tournament time in March, but the first-place battle between Stony Brook and BU Friday night at 9 is a true grudge match that should keep sold-out Pritchard Gym roaring and prove entertaining for the national television audience watching on ESPNU and listening on WUSB

The Seawolves (12-7, 7-1 America East) have won nine of their past 10 games, with their only loss in that stretch coming by a 61-55 score at BU (11-11, 7-1).
The Terriers are riding a seven-game winning streak since losing their conference opener at Vermont, and they own a four-game winning streak against Stony Brook.
"They're going to be right there at the end of the day, so you can't really lose any games if you want to win the league," Seawolves coach Steve Pikiell said. "It's an important game for us for a lot of reasons. It's important for us to continue winning home games."
Stony Brook is 9-0 at home, and school officials are encouraging fans to wear red to help create a raucous atmosphere. "Our students are just back from a six-week winter break," Pikiell said. "It's a tough place to play when the students are involved."
A check of conference statistics shows how closely matched the two teams are. Stony Brook and BU are running 1-2 in scoring defense, scoring margin, field-goal percentage and field-goal defense. Terriers leading scorer Darryl Partin (19.8) and Seawolves leading scorer Bryan Dougher (13.7) are the two most prolific three-point shooters in the league.
Although the Terriers have an inside presence in forwards Patrick Hazel and Dom Morris, they are a more perimeter-oriented team. Stony Brook relies on balanced production up front from forwards Al Rapier (9.4 points, 5.2 rebounds), Tommy Brenton (7.9, 8.1) and Dallis Joyner (7.9, 6.3) along with guard Dave Coley (9.4, 3.9), and the Seawolves have a deeper bench.
"Partin is the player of the year in the league, and D.J. Irving is the fastest point guard in the league," Pikiell said. "We've talked about how we're going to defend them and have changed a few things."

RED-OUT SOLD OUT FRIDAY NIGHT... MBB: Boston (7-1) at STONY BROOK (7-1) 8:45 p.m. on WUSB and ESPNU

2012-01-26T22:42:00.003-05:00

MENS SOCCER WELCOMES TWO TRANSFERS

2012-01-26T14:03:00.001-05:00

Men's soccer welcomes two transfers for the 2012 season - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

Stony Brook cruises past Hartford....RED-OUT FRIDAY NIGHT!

2012-01-26T00:39:00.000-05:00

With Boston University coming to town tomorrow night -- for a sold-out game to be broadcast on ESPNU -- Stony Brook might have glanced past struggling Hartford. There were moments in the first half Wednesday night when the "trap game" cliché looked to be applicable. But the Seawolves shot well enough in the second half to breeze past the Hawks, 60-37, at Pritchard Gym.
Stony Brook (12-7) improved to 7-1 in the America East, its best conference start. It has won three straight and is rolling just in time for its anticipated matchup with BU, with which it is tied for first.
Bryan Dougher scored a season-high 23 points (including five threes) to make up for a shaky first half in which Stony Brook scored only 24 points and committed 10 turnovers. The Seawolves made 14 of 22 from the field in the second half.
"We held them to 18 in the first half, that's a good number, but 24 points is a little low," Dougher said. "We had way too many turnovers. We needed to fix a couple things on the offensive end."
But the defense is why Stony Brook keeps winning. Entering Wednesday night , the team was 15th in the nation in scoring defense (60.7 points per game) and led the America East in rebounding margin and turnover margin.
The constant perimeter activity and strong presence in the paint smothered the undersized Hawks. Hartford (4-16, 4-4) shot only 31 percent from the field, committed 16 turnovers and was outrebounded by 16.
"If we play defense like we did tonight, as we have been, we'll be fine," coach Steve Pikiell said.
The Seawolves have not allowed more than 60 points for three consecutive games. Hartford's 37 were the fewest by a Stony Brook opponent since the Hawks scored 35 in a loss here last January.
"We really hang our hat on the defensive end," Dougher said. "Our goal is to keep their score low and our offense will take care of itself."
After Hartford went scoreless for the game's first five minutes, the Hawks seemed to build some momentum heading into halftime. Back-to-back Dougher three-pointers quickly settled that. The Seawolves jumped out on an 18-7 run that effectively put the game away.
Stony Brook center Dallis Joyner had nine rebounds and three blocks. "I knew I just wanted to hit the boards no matter what," he said.
After avoiding the upset, the stage is set for Friday's's game, which has been circled for a while.
"It'll be a challenge," Pikiell said. "They have the best team in the league until someone proves differently."

Reid Sets a New Mark

2012-01-25T17:46:00.001-05:00

Ahmad Reid went into Tuesday night’s game against Millbrook needing only 19 points to become the school’s all time leading scorer – a mark that was set 24 years ago by Melissa DelValle. Reid came out strong, scoring 15 first half points, but Berkshire still trailed 36-30 going into the half.
The senior swingman opened the second with a quick three followed by a subsequent lay-up to sound the buzzer and claim the title as the Berkshire School’s all time leading scorer.
Reid wasn’t done yet though as he would rattle off 12 more points to finish with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists to lead Berkshire to a 69-65 win over Millbrook.
The New York native ran with the Long Island Lightning Dingle on this summer’s AAU circuit and made a verbal commitment to Stony Brook late last month.
Reid has now scored 1472 points over the course of his three year career at Berkshire.

Jorge Posada announces retirement

2012-01-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

Jorge Posada was tired. Not tired of playing baseball. He might never get tired of that. But he was tired of doing everything that he needed to do to prepare himself to play baseball. When Posada didn’t push himself to do baseball workouts in the off-season, his inaction provided the answer that he knew was looming. It was time to retire.So Posada, the passionate player who reveled in being a catcher and being a Yankee, will never play another Major League game. We will never see him trace his children’s initials in the dirt again. We will never see him hold a bat with his bare hands again. We will never see him lumber around the bases like a reckless locomotive again. We will never see him contribute something vital to a win again.
Every player is supposed to care about winning. But there are some players who care more than others. Posada was one of those players who cared a bit more. As a boy in Puerto Rico, Posada watched how his father hated losing in softball and adopted that same feisty approach. If Posada played a sport, he decided then that he was playing to win. Posada carried that attitude throughout his glorious career with the Yankees, a career that began and ended with the same team.
When Posada officially announced his retirement on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees placed five World Series trophies on a table beside him. While Posada was a bit player in 1996, he was an important part of the championship teams in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009. The Yankees paid Posada a major compliment by positioning that impressive hardware near him. No one needed a reminder about Posada’s desire to win, but the trophies provided it anyway.
If I had to pick a few words to describe Posada, I would pick passionate, proud, stubborn and honest. Posada was drafted as an infielder in the 24th round in 1990, but he somehow became one of the best offensive catchers of his era. A second baseman from a community college isn’t supposed to forge a career that ends with him being mentioned in the same sentence as Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey. But Posada, the son of a scout, made the unthinkable a reality.
A few minutes into Posada’s press conference, his eyes turned red and he began to weep. Then he cried again and again. It wasn’t surprising that Posada, an emotional man, was emotional on the day where he said good-bye to baseball. It was the only sport Jorge, Sr. allowed his son to play because his goal was to turn the kid into a Major Leaguer. The lifelong Yankee said there wasn’t a Plan B.
Now Posada needs a Plan B. But he doesn’t have a post-baseball plan yet, other than spending more time with his family. He was tired of preparing for baseball, not tired of baseball. But that fatigue helped Posada make his decision. We will never see Posada play again. The player who cared more than most knew it was time to retire, retire as a Yankee.

STONY BROOK RED-OUT FRIDAY NIGHT!

2012-01-23T15:32:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook to RED-OUT BU Friday night - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

CONGRATS NY GIANTS...BEAT THE PATRIOTS

2012-01-23T06:08:00.001-05:00

Crowley scores 5th in OT as Philly tops Washington

2012-01-21T21:36:00.000-05:00

Former Stony Brook Lacrosse All-American Kevin Crowley scored his fifth goal of the game 3:27 into overtime to give the Philadelphia Wings a 10-9 win over the Washington Stealth on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.Crowley, who also drew an assist needed just over seven minutes to record a natural hat trick. He scored off his own rebound 78 seconds into the contest, extended Philadelphia’s lead to 2-0 at 7:02 after a challenge call was ruled inconclusive, then scored eight seconds after that to complete his second hat trick in as many pro indoor games.
His short-handed tally midway through the fourth quarter gave the Wings a 9-7 lead.
On Thursday, Crowley was named NLL rookie of the week after scoring five goals with three assists in a Week 2 loss to Rochester in Week 2.
Drew Westervelt had a hat trick, Brendan Mundorf scored twice and Brandon Miller made 48 saves for Philadelphia (1-1).
Cam Sedgwick and Matt Beers each scored two goals for Washington (0-2), which got 34 saves from Tyler Richards

Stony Brook beats Maine, 58-52 for eighth win in the last nine games

2012-01-21T20:02:00.001-05:00

Orono, Maine - Junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) had nine points, a season-high 15 rebounds, four assists and four steals to lift the Stony Brook men's basketball team to a 58-52 win over Maine Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gym.

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.

STONY BROOK ATHLETICS...BEST COLLEGE SPORTS PROGRAM ON LONG ISLAND

2012-01-19T16:14:00.001-05:00

Best College Sports Program on Long Island

Rapier, Brenton lead Stony Brook past UNH

2012-01-17T04:21:00.002-05:00

By Greg Logan, Newsday
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.

Stony Brook grinds out a 61-52 over UNH

2012-01-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

Inside game helps Stony Brook grind out a 61-52 win over New Hampshire

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Fueled by 14 points from senior Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) and 13 points from junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.), the Stony Brook men's basketball team defeated New Hampshire, 61-52, to notch its ninth straight home victory Monday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. Brenton and Rapier were part of an inside offense that outscored UNH in the paint, 34-18.

Stony Brook remains in first place in America East at 5-1 and is 10-6 overall, the fourth consecutive season Stony Brook has reached double-digit victories. The Seawolves are three wins away from tying the program's Div. I record 12-game home unbeaten streak that spanned from Nov. 29, 2000-Dec. 4, 2001.

Stony Brook continued its strong play on the boards, outrebounding an opponent for the ninth straight game after a 32-21 edge over UNH. The Seawolves also continued their dominance on the offensive glass with 14 offensive rebounds that turned into 21 second chance points. Stony Brook had a decisive advantage at the free throw line, going 11-for-14 there versus 3-for-6 for UNH.

Eight Seawolves scored in the well-balanced offensive effort as the team shot 46 percent for the game (23-for-50) and was particularly strong on its two-point shots, going 19-for-35 from inside the arc (54.3%). Senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) contributed 10 points to reach double-digit scoring for the 14th consecutive game. Rapier, Stony Brook's America East Player of the Game, finished with nine rebounds, and Brenton chipped in seven.

Senior Alvin Abreu led the Wildcats with 20 points and was named his team's America East Player of the Game. Sophomore Patrick Konan added 15 for a Wildcats team that shot nearly 48 percent for the game (20-for-42), but relied too heavily on outside shots (9-for-22 from three-point range).

"It was a nice win for us against a tough team," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I thought we did a good job on the glass against a team that does a good job boxing out. We kept them off the foul line, which was important. We did a good job defending without fouling. Now, we're on to the next game, a tough game at Maine."

Stony Brook (10-7) and New Hampshire (6-10) held each other scoreless for the first two minutes. Rapier gave the Seawolves an early 6-3 advantage with three straight baskets in the paint. Senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) scored the next four points to extend the Seawolves lead to 10-5 with 14:12 remaining in the first half.

Sloppy play plagued the Wildcats for much of the first half. UNH turned the ball over five times in the first ten minutes, but a Seawolves turnover ignited the UNH offense and resulted in a lay-up by Chandler Rhoads, followed by an Abreu three-pointer to close the gap to 14-10 with 9:14 left in the first half.

The Wildcats knotted the score at 14-14 on a Brian Benson putback off his own missed free throw. Dougher ended the Seawolves' scoring drought with a three-pointer to put SBU up 17-14. The two teams kept pace with each other for the remainder of the first half, and Stony Brook held a 26-24 lead at the intermission.

SBU came out of the locker room strong as Brenton went strong to the hoop and connected on a layup and drew a foul. He completed the three-point play with a free throw to make it a 29-24 ballgame.

After Abreu made it 36-31 with a layup, Stony Brook went on a 12-3 run that gave the Seawolves a 15-point cushion. A Brenton-to-Joyner alley-oop at 10:10 made it a double-digit lead for the first time in the game. SBU quickly regained possession after another Wildcat turnover, and sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) tallied a trey to make the score 46-33 with 9:16 left. Rapier completed the run with a pair of free throws to give the Seawolves their largest lead of the game at 48-33.

The Wildcats hung around by making a few three-pointers. Konan hit a triple at 3:21 to close the gap to within nine, 52-43, but Dougher immediately responded with his basket from behind the arc to give the Seawolves another double-digit lead.

Twice New Hampshire got within seven towards the end of the game, but Stony Brook hit six free throws in the game's final two minutes to seal the victory.

Stony Brook will next look to notch a conference road win against Maine this Saturday at 1 p.m.

Stony Brook rally falls short, loses to BU 61-55

2012-01-14T15:41:00.001-05:00

Sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored a career-high 21 points, and the Stony Brook men's basketball team fought back from a 14-point, first-half deficit, but it was not enough as Darryl Partin scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half to lead Boston University to a 61-55 win over the Seawolves Saturday at Case Gym.

The loss snaps Stony Brook's six-game winning streak and gives the Seawolves their first loss during America East play (4-1). The Seawolves, who are 9-7 overall, have now lost five straight games to the Terriers, who improved to 3-1 in league play and 7-11 overall.

Coley finished 8-for-16 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range for his 21 points. Senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 14 points, and senior Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 10.

Partin was 8-for-17 from the field for his 18 points, and D.J. Irving added 11.

"We got beat by a good team today," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "You can't spot a team a 14-point lead and expect to win. That wasn't like us. Usually, we defend the ball even when we're not scoring. But I liked how we fought back and got back into the game. We just fell short."

Boston University jumped out all over the Seawolves in the early going, as SBU made just two of its first 11 field goal attempts while turning the ball over nine times in the game's first 13 minutes. Irving got the Terriers going with a long three-pointer just as the shot clock buzzer sounded to put BU on top 8-2.

The Terriers extended that lead to 14 after Matt Griffin hit a mid-range jumper and then drained a three-pointer that made it 19-5 with 9:58 left in the first half.

Stony Brook fought back with a 13-5 run to close the half, including seven points from Coley, who fought his way through traffic to the basket for a layup with 2:38 left to make it 26-18, and then sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) stole an inbounds pass and took it home for a layup with 1:28 to play, sending the Seawolves into halftime down only six, 26-20.

The second half was a slugfest for both teams, and the Seawolves got right back into it with help from Dougher, who sank a three-pointer to open the half. Coley twice got the Seawolves to within one point, but the Terriers continually answered with big baskets. After Coley had a putback jumper to make it 28-27, Partin dropped in a three-pointer to make it a two-possession game again.

With 11:20 to go, Dougher again sank a three-pointer, and Coley actually tied the game with a jumper to make it 38-38. But again Partin was there to make a play, as he sank a jumper and then drilled a three-pointer off a rebound in transition to put the Terriers back up 43-38 with 9:00 to go.

A Partin jumper was sandwiched by three-pointers from Coley and Dougher, leaving BU with a one-point lead, 47-46, but the Terriers got inside layups from big men Dom Morris and Patrick Hazel to give BU a 51-46 lead with 5:34 to play.

Stony Brook gave it one more chance as Coley drove into the lane, hit a tough layup and drew a foul. He completed the three-point play with a free throw and made it a one-point game, 53-52, with 1:59 to go in the game.

Boston University went right back to Partin, who came off a screen and smoothly sank a jumper off the glass to put the Terriers on top 55-52. Dougher missed a game-tying three-pointer, and the Terriers went 6-for-6 from the free throw line to seal the victory.

Stony Brook outrebounded its opponent for the eighth straight game, winning the battle on the glass, 31-28, but it was the Terriers who had more second chance points, 13-10. The Seawolves committed 15 turnovers, 11 in the first half, that led to 12 BU points. Stony Brook shot 40.7% for the game and was 7-for-19 from three-point range.

The game did not feature many fouls, outside of Stony Brook fouling at the end of the game to try to stay in it. BU went to the line 10 times, making nine. SBU was 4-for-5 from the line, the five attempts tying a season low.

Stony Brook has only 48 hours until its next game, as it takes on New Hampshire Monday at Pritchard Gym at 5 p.m. The game will be televised live on Optimum Local Channel 118. All tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at GoSeawolves.org/tickets or at the ticket window on Monday, beginning at 4 p.m.

Van Dalen To Run At Millrose Games

2012-01-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

New York, N.Y. - Senior Lucy Van Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand) has been invited to run in the 105th Millrose Games at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armory. Van Dalen will be part of the inaugural New York Road Runners' Wanamaker Metric Mile for Women."I have watched the Millrose Games as a spectator for the past few years so to be running in the 1500m this year is very exciting for me,'' Van Dalen said in a statement. "The Millrose Games is such a prestigious event and I feel honored to be able to participate it in. I feel that my training is going very well at the moment as I prepare for the NCAA Championships, so depending on how the race develops at Millrose, I feel that I will be prepared to run well."
The Wanamaker Metric Mile is equivalent to the 1,500, a race Van Dalen shined in at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Despite finishing second in the event in a time of 4:15.33, her personal best is a 4:11.59, set in Padova, Italy last summer.
"Lucy's invitation is great news, not only for her, but for the program and Stony Brook University," head coach Andy Ronan said. "It's a reflection of how far she has come as an athlete and the respect the program is gaining. It will be an exciting evening and I know she will do herself and Stony Brook proud."
The American collegiate record is 4:10.20, set in 1985 by Clemson's Tina Krebs. World Champion and USA Olympian Jennifer Simpson, who has a personal best of 3:59.90 in the 1500, also will run in the race.
The race is scheduled for 8 p.m. on February 11.
The Millrose Games, the most historic indoor track & field event in the world, is in its first year at the Armory after 98 years at Madison Square Garden

2011 America East Championship Game REMATCH preview...

2012-01-13T15:37:00.001-05:00

AExtra: Seawolves and Terriers Tangle on ESPN3

UMBC rallies past women's hoops

2012-01-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

Baltimore, Md. – Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) scored a team-high 17 points but the UMBC Retrievers rallied from a 10-point first half deficit and defeated the Stony Brook University women's basketball team, 73-47, on Thursday night at the RAC Arena. "I'm proud of the way our team competed tonight but we just didn't execute on offense like we needed to after the first 10 minutes of the game," Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle said. "Give UMBC credit, they're a good offensive team and they showed it in the second half. But we'll get back to work tomorrow and get ready for BU on Saturday."
Klupenger went 6-for-10 from the field including 5-for-6 from three while senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) chipped in with 10 points. Stony Brook (4-13, 1-3 AE) held UMBC to 26.9 percent shooting in the first half but the Retrievers (9-8, 3-1 AE) shot 58 percent in the second half.
Stony Brook came out on fire, hitting 10 of its first 15 shots to jump to a 24-14 lead just past the midway through the first half. Klupenger did much of the damage, connecting on her first four field goal attempts all from three.
But the Seawolves then went cold, going scoreless over the 9:11 of the half as UMBC ended the period on a 10-0 run and teams went into halftime tied at 24.
Michelle Kurowski opened the second half with a jumper to give the Retrievers their first lead since the early going as UMBC scored scored nine of the first 11 points to take a 33-26 lead.
Stony Brook got within 37-34 on a three and a jumper from Klupenger but UMBC then rattled off nine straight points, taking a 46-34 advantage on a Lauren Chase three with 12:36 remaining.
An inside hoop from junior Taylor Burner (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) ended the UMBC spurt and cut the Seawolves deficit to 10. The Retrievers followed with eight more unanswered points though to take a 54-36 lead with 9:06 left.
Stony Brook got no closer than 16 the rest of the way as UMBC handed the Seawolves their third straight loss. Erin Brown led the Retrievers with a game-high 20 points.
The Seawolves return to action on Saturday, hosting Boston University at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Stony Brook routs UMBC, undefeated in league

2012-01-11T22:05:00.000-05:00

By MARCUS HENRY marcus.henry@newsday.com
Stony Brook started hot, never looked back and made history Wednesday night as four players reached double figures in a convincing 89-49 win over host University of Maryland Baltimore County in an America East game.
It was the sixth straight win for Stony Brook, which improved to 9-6 overall and 4-0 in the league.
It is the Seawolves' best start in the America East since joining the conference in 2001, and their largest margin of victory since becoming a Division I program in 1999.
"I liked the way we played tonight," Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell said. "We played outstanding defense in the first half, and I liked our shot selection on offense. Everyone made positive contributions tonight, making it a total team effort. We now have to prepare for a tough Boston University team."
It was the most efficient game of the season for Stony Brook as every player on the roster scored.
Bryan Dougher led the Seawolves with 15 points on 4-for-6 shooting, Al Rapier and Marcus Rouse had 12 points each and Tommy Brenton chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Dallis Joyner had nine points and nine rebounds and Anthony Jackson scored nine points for the Seawolves.
Stony Brook led 41-19 at the half.
The hot shooting continued into the second half as the Seawolves, who shot a season-high 58.9 percent from the field, took an 83-43 lead with 3:22 to go.
Ryan Cook had 14 points and Brian Neller added 13 for UMBC (2-14, 1-3).

Stony brook Men's hoops routs UMBC, 89-49, to win sixth straight game

2012-01-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

The Seawolves are now 4-0 in America East for the first time ever.
Final Stats

Catonsville, Md. - The Stony Brook men's basketball team shot a season-high 58.9 percent from the field and limited UMBC to 32.8 percent shooting in a 89-49 rout over the Retrievers Wednesday night at the Retriever Activities Center. Senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) led all scorers with 15 points and was one of four Seawolves in double figures.

Stony Brook has now won six consecutive games and is now 4-0 in America East for the first time in program history. The 40-point margin of victory is Stony Brook's largest ever against a Div. I opponent.

In addition to Dougher's 15, senior Al Rapier and junior Marcus Rouse each had 12 points. Junior Tommy Brenton added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Senior Dallis Joyner barely missed a second-consecutive double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Dave Coley chipped in eight points and a career-high five assists. All 12 Seawolves scored in the game.

"I liked the way we played tonight," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We played outstanding defense in the first half, and I liked our shot selection on offense. Everyone made positive contributions tonight making it a total team effort. We now have to prepare for a tough Boston University team."

The Seawolves had an 11-8 lead in the early going when they took over the game with a 13-0 run with a variety of baskets. Dougher started the run with a layup and a pair of free throws. Then sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) hit a floater in the lane to make it 17-8.

Rouse then really pushed things in SBU's favor as he had a steal that led to a Rapier layup and then had a three-pointer and mid-range jumper to finish the run and put the Seawolves on top 24-8.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Rouse and Dougher extended the lead to 21, 33-12, and then the Seawolves scored seven of the half's final 10 points, ended by a Brenton layup, to go into halftime leading 41-19.

In the second half, UMBC got as close as 15 points. Ryan Cook drilled a three-pointer with 16:06 to go to make it 45-30 Seawolves, capping an 11-4 Retrievers run.

However, the Seawolves then blew the game open with some great interior offense. Rapier put in a pair of layups at 11:18 and 10:39, sandwiched around a Joyner three-point play that extended SBU's lead to 24, 58-34.

Those points were in the middle of a 28-5 Seawolves run that put the game well out of reach. Dougher finished the run with a three-pointer at 5:08 that made the score 78-39. Dougher finished his career 14-for-24 (.583) from three-point range all-time at UMBC.

The Seawolves made 18 of 27 shots (66.7%) in the second half to pull away to the 40-point victory.

Stony Brook now will focus on playing two games in three days this holiday weekend, beginning Saturday at Boston University at noon. The game will be steamed live online on ESPN3.

STONY BROOK FOOTBALL FINISHES #18 IN FINAL FCS FOOTBALL POLL

2012-01-10T00:47:00.001-05:00

The Sports Network - Football Championship Subdivision

Seawolves Fan Recap: Albany at STONY BROOK

2012-01-09T15:40:00.001-05:00

The College Hardwood: SUNY Supremacy (Recap of Albany vs. Stony Brook)

STONY BROOK FOOTBALL RANKED #20 IN FINAL FCS POLL

2012-01-08T23:29:00.001-05:00

FCS Football Top 25 Rankings | College Sports Madness

Stony Brook's bench helps beat Albany, 81-68

2012-01-08T20:37:00.001-05:00

By Greg Logan, Newsday
If there was a cautionary note in Stony Brook's opening two America East wins over Vermont and Binghamton, it was the lack of production from a bench that contributed a grand total of eight points in those games. But the Seawolves looked like a deep, well-rounded team in an 81-68 domination of Albany that included a 25-point boost from the bench Sunday at Pritchard Gym.
With the score tied at 12 midway through the first half, Anthony Jackson and Marcus Rouse entered, and Stony Brook's offense took off like a rocket on a 19-6 run that put the Seawolves in control, 31-18.
Jackson hit three consecutive shots from three-point range during that stretch and Rouse scored six of his eight points. They combined to shoot 7-for-8 as Stony Brook (8-6 overall, 3-0 America East) shot 72 percent from the field while running up a 44-33 halftime lead over the Great Danes (10-7, 2-1).
Jackson shot only 1-for-12 from the field in his previous five games, but he was 4-for-4 in his 11-point game against Albany as Stony Brook built a 23-0 advantage in bench points in the first half.
"Coach [Steve Pikiell] preaches to be a hunter in practice and look to score, and I tried to bring it to the game," Jackson said. "Our second wave did what it was supposed to do."
"They came out in attack mode," Pikiell said of his reserves. "I tell them they don't get as many trips to the plate as they would like, but when they do get up to the plate, I want them swinging. I don't want them holding the bat on their shoulder. They did a good job of giving us a lift."
Holding a big lead has been a challenge in the past, but this time, SBU's starters built on it. The Seawolves put together a 21-10 run to build their biggest lead at 55-37 with 15:57 remaining, and the Great Danes never got closer than nine points the rest of the way as Stony Brook earned its fifth straight victory.
Bryan Dougher hit two three-pointers coming out of intermission on his way to a 19-point effort that included 5-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Center Dallis Joyner had his third career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
"It was a big step for us," Joyner said. "I told the team before the second half, 'Nobody should be more hungry than us.' We had 20 minutes to play hungry basketball, and that's what we did."
Although Albany's Gerardo Suero scored 28 points and got solid help from Logan Aronhalt (18) and Mike Black (14), Joyner was a presence in the middle, blocking Suero on one drive and altering several other shots.
It was a statement game for the Seawolves, who figure to contend for the conference title along with Albany, Maine and Boston University.
"Coach always preaches to beat a team at least once so that, when we see them in the conference tournament, they know we beat you before and we can do it again," Joyner said. "So it was big."

Stony Brook wins fifth straight game, beats Albany 81-68

2012-01-08T20:27:00.002-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored 16 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, and senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Stony Brook men's basketball team won its fifth straight game and stayed perfect in conference play with an 81-68 victory over the Albany Great Danes on Sunday at Pritchard Gymnasium.

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

Stony Brook Women’s Hoops falls to Albany

2012-01-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. (Jan. 8, 2012) – Stony Brook University's women's basketball team dropped its second straight game, falling to the Albany Great Danes, 57-32, in an America East conference match-up on Sunday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium. Ebony Henry led Albany with 20 points and six rebounds as the the Great Danes (9-7, 3-0 AE) shot 54.5 percent from the field. Senior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) led SBU (4-12, 1-2 AE) with nine points.
"Give Albany credit, they're a terrific basketball team and they showed it today," Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle said. "We'll go back and work hard at practice this week and get ready for UMBC on Thursday."
Albany bolted out to an 11-4 lead five minutes in but Stony Brook held the Great Danes to just one field goal over the next eight minutes and clawed to within 13-10 on a put-back hoop from senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.).
Lindsay Lowrie's second three of the game ended the Albany drought and sparked a 12-2 run that gave the Great Danes a 25-12 lead with three minutes to go in the half.
Junior Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) drilled a three with just over a minute left to halt the Albany run and Jacobs followed with a baseline jumper as SBU went into the break trailing 26-17.
Stony Brook shot 40 percent in the opening half but the Great Danes shot 62.5 percent and went 4-for-6 from three.
The Seawolves trimmed the Albany lead to 30-23 six minutes into the second half following two free throws from junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.).
But Albany held the Seawolves scoreless over the next eight minutes, scoring 20 straight points to put the game away. Henry had 12 points in the run.

The Great Danes out-rebounded Stony Brook, 28-20, and scored 26 points of 23 Seawolves turnovers.

Stony Brook return to action on Thursday, traveling to take on UMBC. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Brenton's double-double leads Stony Brook past Binghamton

2012-01-05T22:17:00.002-05:00

Junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) scored a season-high 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the Stony Brook men's basketball team used a late 10-0 run to pull away from Binghamton and win 60-54 Thursday night at the Events Center.

The Seawolves have now won four straight games and picked up their first road victory of the season. It was the program's first-ever win at the Events Center and first win at Binghamton since Jan. 15, 2002, a span of nine games. SBU is also now 2-0 in America East play for just the second time in program history (2009-10).

Brenton's 17 was among four Seawolves to score in double figures. Sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 12 points, senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 11 points, and senior Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 10.
Stony Brook survived seven Binghamton three-pointers in the game. The Bearcats shot better from outside the arc (43.8%) than inside the arc (41.4%). Robert Mansell led Binghamton with 22 points.

"I liked the way Tommy played tonight, he gave us a huge lift," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Binghamton was a tough team to play tonight; they were solid and shot the ball well. Fortunately, we made enough plays to come away with the win.

After a back-and forth first half, Stony Brook came out in the second half with a 12-4 run. Coley had six points during the streak, and Rapier punctuated the run with four free throws, the first two coming on an intentional foul by Ben Dickinson.
Binghamton then responded with an 11-0 run that was fueled by a set of three-pointers as Mansell hit one and Chris Longoria hit a pair. Alex Ogundadegbe's hook shot ended the run and gave the Bearcats a 43-39 lead.

It was 44-43 Binghamton when the Seawolves took over the game. Brenton made a move inside, faked a defender and passed out to Dougher in the corner, and Dougher drained a three-pointer to give SBU a 46-44 lead with 8:39 to go.

While the Bearcats missed six straight shots, the Seawolves built a nine-point lead. Brenton put back a Coley miss at 4:58 and then Rapier shot right past defenders in the lane for a dunk and the foul at 4:22. He made the free throw and put the Seawolves up 53-44.

Binghamton cut its deficit to five, 53-48, with 3:13 remaining, but neither team scored for almost two minutes until Dougher rattled off a three-point attempt that missed, but Brenton was there for a ferocious putback dunk at 1:37 to make it a seven-point game and take the air out of BU's sails.

Brenton hit three of four free throws at the end to seal the victory.

In the first half, Stony Brook scored the first two baskets of the game, but Binghamton quickly made a comeback and then was fueled by a 9-2 run that included three three-pointers from Jimmy Gray. The Bearcats went up 15-10.

Stony Brook fought back and briefly took a two-point lead, 23-21, after a Dougher three-pointer, but the Bearcats quickly responded on Mansell's three-pointer to make it 24-23 Bearcats.
Stony Brook led 27-26 after Joyner's hook shot and then seemed poised to add to that lead after grabbing a pair of offensive rebounds that led to nearly a minute of offensive possession time, but the Seawolves could not convert. Gray hit a long jumper just inside the three-point line to send the Bearcats into halftime up 28-27.

Stony Brook outrebounded Binghamton 36-25 and had 17 second chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. The Seawolves were 13-for-19 from the free throw line while Binghamton was 9-for-10.

Brenton now has 688 rebounds for his career, moving into fifth place all-time in Stony Brook history.

Stony Brook is back at home Sunday for another SUNY rivalry match, taking on Albany in the first game of a Seawolves Basketball doubleheader. Tip-off is at 2 p.m., and the game will be televised on Optimum Local Channel 118. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or log on to GoSeawolves.org/tickets.

Stony Brook women’s hoops has three-game win streak snapped by Binghamton

2012-01-05T22:14:00.002-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Stony Brook University's women's basketball team had its three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday night as Andrea Holmes scored 16 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to lead the Binghamton Bearcats to a 44-32 victory over the Seawolves at Pritchard Gymnasium.
"We competed hard tonight and our defense was outstanding but we just didn't make enough shots to win the game," Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle said.
Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led Stony Brook (4-11, 1-1 AE) with nine points and seven rebounds. The Seawolves held Binghamton (8-7, 2-0 AE) to 29.5 percent shooting, the sixth time in the last seven games that SBU has held its opponent under 35 percent shooting.
Binghamton jumped to a 10-4 lead but Stony Brook answered with seven straight points to take an 11-10 advantage midway through the half. Orla O'Reilly hit two free throws to end the SBU run but senior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) answered with a jumper to put Stony Brook back in front.
A three from junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) with under two minutes left in the half gave Stony Brook a 16-14 lead before the Bearcats scored six straight points.
But Previlon scored just before halftime as SBU went into the break trailing 20-18. Binghamton shot just 25 percent in the opening 20 minutes but went 8-for-12 from the foul line.
The Bearcats took control of the game to start the second half as Holmes scored 11 points over the first three minutes of the period to give Binghamton a 31-19 lead.
Klupenger ended the run with her second three of the game but BU scored the next five points to build its lead to 14 midway through the half.

SBU scored eight of next 10 points though, pulling within 38-30 on a Previlon put-back with 5:01 left.

But that is as close as the Seawolves would get as Binghamton held SBU without a field goal the rest way as the Bearcats pulled away for the 12-point victory.

Binghamton scored 17 points off 14 Stony Brook turnovers and out-rebounded the Seawolves, 41-38. Previlon and Holmes were named America East Players of the Game for their respective teams.

Stony Brook returns to action on Sunday, hosting the Albany Great Danes at Pritchard Gym. The contest will follow the men's 2 p.m. game and is scheduled to tip at 5 p.m.

HIGLIGHTS...STONY BROOK WOMEN WIN AT VERMONT, 54-47

2012-01-03T21:36:00.001-05:00

Watch "Stony Brook women's basketball vs. Vermont highlights" on YouTube

Diary Series: Jay Young, Assoc. Head Coach - Stony Brook

2012-01-02T23:57:00.000-05:00

As we recover from the egg nog, travel and “money”games of the holiday season, let’s journey off topic this month with a subject that is near and dear to my heart: my dog Nora.

No disrespect to my colleagues, but do we really need another blog about playing freshmen (usually not ready) or winning on the road (usually can’t)? It has all been written, heck, I’ve written it! This blog is about a man’s best friend and this coach’s best friend, his dog. My wife and I adopted Nora about a year and a half ago. She was found running along a Hoosier state highway, and ended up on doggie death row at the local pound. Since I have never successfully recruited a player from Indiana I figured this was a sure thing, certainly a dog in her predicament couldn’t say“no.” Nora is no Paris Hilton lap dog. She is a “dog’s dog,” a 90 pound Great Pyrenees that sheds like crazy, barks at strangers, and chases squirrels. You know you have a “real dog” when you ask for the extra large poop bags at PETCO.This is why Nora is the best friend a coach can have: she has never complained about meal money, getting more“touches” or having the offense run through her. Throw her a ball and she lays out for it. Two weeks ago one of our cats came running at her, and I swear she took a charge. Nora is like a Bo Ryan defense – remarkably consistent. Experience a bad loss – tail wags. Miss a big free throw down the stretch – tail wags. Put on a few pounds during the season – tail wags. You get the idea. Not once has Nora demanded that her son have more playing time…hell, she’s spayed! Talk about coachable; no one beats Nora. Stick a treat over her head and she will place her rear end on the floor with perfect precision for as long as it takes to please. It’s usually a struggle for our guys to play in a stance for 35 seconds. Nora is always willing to compromise. The other night I changed the TV from the Lifetime network to watch a Big East game; she could have cared less. Try doing that with your wife.
Every coach needs to own a dog; it should be mandatory therapy. Even Nora’s flaws are endearing. When she dribbles too much, you clean it up with a paper towel. I wish I could do that with our guards. Nora is not the brightest of dogs, and her listening skills need some work, but I’ve never worried about her being ineligible for anything. A sliding scale to Nora is that big contraption at the vet. Maybe it’s something about Nora being from Indiana, but I actually think she likes college basketball. Two weeks ago when the Hoosiers beat Kentucky on a last-second shot, she barked like crazy.
I think of what Nora’s life would have been like if we had not adopted her. The Humane Society estimates that there are some 6-8 million dogs in need of adoption every year. Many will be euthanatized because good homes cannot be found for them. We work in a hectic, high stressed profession where coaches are often judged on their win - loss record. A dog never judges. A dog wants to be fed, petted, walked and loved. Every coach could use a friend like that.

Rapier's 17 points lead Stony Brook

2012-01-02T22:57:00.000-05:00

By JAMES CREPEA james.crepea@newsday.com
Al Rapier displayed his versatility Monday night. He acted as the point guard and took the ball upcourt, came off screens and drove in from the wings, and matched up on the inside and served as the center.
The 6-8 Rapier did it all, scoring 17 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and adding six rebounds for Stony Brook in a 65-59 America East Conference victory over Vermont at Pritchard Gymnasium.
Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell was most pleased with his team's defensive play. The Seawolves (6-6, 1-0) held Vermont to 34 percent shooting from the field, and the Catamounts were 9-for-31 from two-point range.
"We played great defense, held them to a season-low 34 percent," Pikiell said. "I thought we had a good game plan on the defense end from the start."
Stony Brook's Dave Coley (15 points) matched up against Vermont's Brendan Bald, who came in averaging more than nine points a game but was held scoreless and shot 0-for-10.
"I just want to send a message to the league that I'm going to stop every team's best player," Coley said. "Start from tonight and here on out."
Rapier, a senior, finished two points shy of his career high. The Chicago native made a crowd-pleasing play late in the first half, dribbling around a screen before driving down an open lane and finishing with an authoritative dunk.
"We're at home, the fans come out and support us, so I got to give them their money's worth," Rapier said.
Vermont (6-9, 0-1) started the second half on a 12-4 run to take a 37-36 lead.
"They had the lead for a half a second. We scored right after that," Pikiell said. "We fouled them in the second half, we had no fouls in the first half and they're too good of a team to put them to the free-throw line as much as we did in the second half."
Stony Brook regrouped and took firm control when Coley stole the ball and went coast-to-coast, hitting a fading jump shot to the right of the basket. That gave the Seawolves their largest lead of the game at 56-44 with 3:38 to play.
"I'm a basketball player. That's a go-to move for me," Coley said. "I'm creative. Like Al, I got a little bit of tricks up my sleeve as well."
Vermont cut the gap to 61-57 with 22 seconds to play but could not get any closer.
Rapier scored seven of Stony Brook's first eight points and combined with Bryan Dougher (14 points) and Coley for 31 of Stony Brook's 32 first-half points.

Stony Brook wins America East opener and third straight overall by topping Vermont

2012-01-02T22:48:00.003-05:00

Behind 17 points from senior Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) and 15 points from sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.), the Stony Brook men's basketball team opened American East play with a 65-59 victory over Vermont Tuesday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. The Seawolves remain undefeated at home and extended their win-streak at Pritchard to seven straight, dating back to last season.
Stony Brook has now won its last four conference openers and extends its overall winning streak to three games. The Seawolves held Vermont to its season low shooting percentage at 34 (18-for-53). The Seawolves shot 44 percent from the field and dominated in the paint, outscoring the Catamounts there 28-14. SBU also outrebounded UVM, 37-29.

In addition to Rapier, who was SBU's America East Player of the Game, and Coley's efforts, senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) chipped in 14 points and four steals. Junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) had an all-around effort with eight points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Vermont was led by America East Player of the Game Luke Apfield's 18 points and Sandro Carissimo's 16 points.
"We played very good defense tonight and held Vermont to its season-low for shooting," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We continue to play well at home and we have to keep that home court advantage up. It was a good conference opener for us; Vermont is a good team that's going to win a lot of games."

Stony Brook (6-6) and Vermont (6-9) kept pace with each other throughout the first half. With the score knotted at 8-8 in the first half, Coley hit a fadeaway jump shot to put SBU up 10-8. Senior Pat Bergmann put in a layup with 10:50 to go in the first half to tie the score at 10 before Coley again gave the Seawolves a two point edge with a jump shot.

SBU led for the rest of the first half. Coley grabbed an offensive rebound and nailed another jump shot to extend the lead to 14-10. with 9:24 left in the first half. The Seawolves and Catamounts then exchanged threes as Dougher and Four McGlynn each made shots from behind the arc at 7:04 and 6:36, respectively, to make the score 19-16.

The Catamounts continued to stay within reach. A jumper by Matt Glass made it 26-22. After being fouled in the act of shooting a three pointer, Dougher nailed all three free throws to extend the Seawolves lead to 29-22.
The Seawolves went into the locker room with a 32-25 lead at the half.

Stony Brook scored quickly in the second half. Senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) dunked the ball to give SBU a 34-25 advantage, but the Catamounts went on a 12-2 run, culminated by a three point field goal by Clancy Rugg to put Vermont up 37-36.

Once again, the teams played back-and-forth basketball, but Stony Brook seemed to pull away with 12:19 to go in the game and the score tied at 40. Senior Danny Carter (Windsor, England) nailed a jumper to begin a 14-6 run for the Seawolves. Coley scored on a fastbreak jump shot following a Dougher steal to give SBU a 56-44 lead with 3:38 remaining.

Vermont hung in with the Seawolves to make it interesting. A three-pointer by Carissimo closed the gap to 61-57 with 17 seconds remaining, but Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) and Coley nailed their free throws at the end to put the Catamounts away for good.

The Seawolves will hit the road for an important conference game against SUNY rival Binghamton Thursday at 7 p.m. Stony Brook is back at home this Sunday against another SUNY rival, Albany, at 2 p.m.

STONY BROOK women’s hoops knocks off Vermont in conference opener

2012-01-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

Burlington, Vt. – Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) poured in a career-high 18 points and the Stony Brook women’s basketball team held the Vermont Catamounts to 28 percent shooting on its way to a 54-47 victory in the America East opener for both teams on Monday night at Patrick Gym.

Klupenger went 4-for-6 from three as the Seawolves (4-10, 1-0 AE) won their third straight game and defeated Vermont for the first time since 2006-07. Vermont entered the contest as the highest scoring offense in the America East but the Seawolves held them over 15 points below their scoring average.

Senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) added 11 points and junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with six points and nine rebounds. The three-game winning streak is Stony Brook’s first since 2008-09 and it was their first win in their last six America East openers.

Vermont led 27-25 with 12:30 to go in the game but Davis hit two free throws to tie the game and junior Taylor Burner (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) followed with an inside hoop to give SBU the lead. Klupenger hit two more free throws to push the Stony Brook lead to 32-28 with 9:21 remaining.

Another Burner hoop gave Stony Brook a 34-29 lead and junior Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) dished off to senior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) for an easy basket to give the Seawolves a six-point lead with 5:30 left.

UVM cut the SBU lead to 36-33 with just over three minutes left but Previlon answered with an easy bucket on the other end and Klupenger followed with two free to push the Stony Brook lead to seven.

Sam Simononis hit a three for Vermont to make it 40-36 but Klupenger responded with another three to make it 43-36 with 2:08 remaining. Kayla Burchill hit another Vermont three to bring Vermont within four with 1:39 to go but Klupenger hit two free throws on the other end to make it 45-39.

Davis hit two more free throws to make it 47-39 but UVM scored five of the next six points to close within four again. But freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore.) hit one of two freebies with 50 seconds left and Stony Brook then forced a Vermont miss on the other end to seal the victory.

SBU jumped to an 11-7 advantage midway through the first half as Vermont missed 11 of its first 14 shots. Both teams struggled to score over the next several minutes with Stony Brook holding a slim 13-10 lead with just under four minutes to go.

Lauren Buschmann hit one of two free throws with 3:48 left to break an over five minute Vermont drought but Klupenger banked in a three from the right wing to give SBU a 16-11 lead.

Klupenger drilled her third three of the half with just under a minute left and Davis followed with a long jumper with 19 seconds to go as SBU carried a 21-14 lead into halftime.

Stony Brook scored 10 points of nine Vermont turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and had 12 second chance points. SBU also forced UVM to shoot just 21.7 percent from the field.

Gatling hit two free throws a minute into the second half to push the SBU lead to nine but UVM went on a 13-2 run over the next six and a half minutes to take a 27-25 advantage.

The Seawolves return to action on Thursday, hosting Binghamton at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

STONY BROOK has little trouble beating Rider

2011-12-30T22:46:00.000-05:00

By MARCUS HENRY marcus.henry@newsday.com
There's nothing like a little home-court cooking to get a team going.
Stony Brook concluded its non-conference schedule Friday night with a 79-62 win over Rider at Pritchard Gymnasium. It was the second straight victory for the Seawolves (5-6) and their sixth consecutive home win dating to last season.
Protecting the home court has become a big part of the process for Stony Brook.
"That's one of our goals going into the season," said coach Steve Pikiell, whose team took a 34-14 lead late in the first half and never let Rider get closer than eight points after that. "We want to make this a tough place to play, and hopefully, Monday will be the toughest day to play here."
Stony Brook, which finished 7-7 at home last season, opens America East Conference play against Vermont on Monday night at Pritchard.
Dave Coley had 16 points, Dallis Joyner 15, Bryan Dougher 14 and Al Rapier 12 for Stony Brook. Tommy Brenton added nine points and 12 rebounds. Jeff Jones had 17 points for Rider (3-11).
"I think I'm taking my time," said Coley, who's reached double figures in four of his last five games. "Last year, I was new to the system [and] I was in a hurry. I came from a high school [Thomas Jefferson in Brooklyn] where they run up and down like it's nothing."
Stony Brook took a 41-22 lead with 18:04 left in the second half on Joyner's two free throws. Rider cut the deficit to 61-53 on a three-pointer by Jones, but Rapier had eight points as Stony Brook moved ahead 75-59. "I told them before the game we'd score plenty of points," Pikiell said. "We just had to defend."
The Seawolves built a 37-19 halftime lead and took care of the ball with a season-low seven turnovers. They had taken a 20-point lead over Cornell late in the first half Wednesday night but fell behind in the final minute of regulation before winning in overtime. This time, they weren't threatened.
For Joyner, it was a far cry from his performance Wednesday night, when the 6-7 senior went scoreless in 21 minutes.
"We knew against that zone, I could get my angles and score," he said. "Last game, I didn't even get a shot attempt. I just knew I had to stay positive . . . Points will come and shots will come."

STONY BROOK lights up Rider, 79-62

2011-12-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

The Stony Brook men's basketball team shot 49 percent for the game and had four players in double figures as the Seawolves withstood a barrage of Rider three-pointers in the second half to defeat the Broncs 79-62 Friday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. Stony Brook has now won six straight home games, dating back to last season.

Sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the Seawolves with 16 points. Senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) added 15 points, senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored 14 points, and senior Al Rapier put in 12 points. Jeff Jones led Rider with 17 points as the Broncs connected on 12 three-pointers, eight in the second half, to stay within striking distance of the Seawolves.

"I really like the way we played tonight," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I thought our defense did a great job forcing bad shots and turnovers in the first half. In the second half, you could see how talented Rider was, but every time they scored, we scored. This was a nice win for our team heading into conference play, which will be a challenge for us."

Stony Brook (5-6) dominated the first half as Rider (3-11) played sloppy basketball. The Seawolves forced 10 Broncs turnovers that turned into nine points while turning the ball over only once themselves.

The Seawolves jumped out to a 14-4 lead early on after junior Leonard Hayes (Voorhees, N.J.) drilled a three-pointer. The Broncs closed the lead to four with an 8-0 run, but Stony Brook responded with a 20-2 run that was capped by a sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) three-pointer to make it 34-14.

Stony Brook went into halftime leading 37-19 after Brenton ended the half with a layup.

In the second half, Stony Brook carried the momentum early with four big points from Joyner, who took a pass from Rapier after a steal and hit a layup and drew an intentional foul from Jonathon Thompson. Joyner made both free throws for a four-point play to put SBU on top 41-22.

Rider then went off on the Seawolves with three-pointers. The Seawolves lead was 16, 52-36, with 11:15 left in the game when the Broncs started hitting their shots. Jones drilled a three that Coley answered with a layup, but Rider's Eddie Mitchell came right back down the floor and hit a three to make it a 12-point game.

Jones followed with another three-pointer at 8:55, and Novar Gadson took advantage of an SBU turnover to make a layup and make it a nine-point game, 56-47.

Jones nailed another three-pointer to make it an eight-point game, 61-53, but that was as close as Rider would get. Coming out of a timeout, Rapier drove to the basket and laid up over his defender for a basket to make it a 10-point game again.

Rapier then put the game away with another layup under the basket with 1:49 to play to make it 71-59 as Rider missed six of its last seven three-point attempts and finished 12-for-27 for the game. Stony Brook made all six of its free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win.

Stony Brook shot 49% for the game although it was only 7-for-21 from behind the arc. The Seawolves also outrebounded Rider, 35-28, and went to the free throw line more than twice the amount the Broncs did (23-11). The Seawolves committed a season-low seven turnovers.

Stony Brook now enters the critical part of its schedule as it opens America East play Monday against Vermont at Pritchard Gymnasium at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on Optimum Local Channel 118. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or log on to GoSeawolves.org/tickets.

Stony Brook beats Cornell in overtime

2011-12-29T00:14:00.001-05:00

Over the past two seasons, Stony Brook has established a trend of playing well in big games only to be undermined by shooting droughts. A case in point was last season's America East final when the Seawolves were tied or ahead for all but the final two seconds before losing an NCAA berth.
For much of the second half against Cornell Wednesday night, it seemed the pattern was repeating, much to the consternation of a Pritchard Gymnasium sellout crowd of 1,630. A 20-point SBU lead late in the first half shrank to 15 at the break and then gradually eroded over the course of the second half until the Seawolves had to come from behind to force overtime on a Ron Bracey layup that tied the score at 51.
But after scoring only 16 points in the second half on 27.3-percent shooting, Stony Brook exploded for 17 points in overtime to pull away for a 68-59 victory over the Big Red of the Ivy League. The key seemed to be hanging tough and working at defense and rebounding until the ball started going in the basket again.
"Heart," Bracey said. "We stayed in there and went for it."
"I wasn't going to let my team lose this game," said forward Tommy Brenton, who played a huge role with 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and some tough defense on Cornell's Drew Ferry, who had 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from three-point range, including the three with 1:17 left in regulation that gave the Big Red a short-lived 51-49 lead.
The box score looked just fine at the end for the Seawolves (4-6) with Bracey and Bryan Dougher each scoring 16 points and Dave Coley adding 10, including six in overtime. Stony Brook won the rebounding battle 40-32, and coach Steve Pikiell was pleased that guard Chris Wroblewski, who scored a career-high 29 in a win over the Seawolves last season, was held to five points. Cornell (4-7) came in with wins over three other America East teams and a four-point loss to No. 24 Illinois, so this was a quality win.
"Cornell is good," Pikiell said. "They have two guards who started for the Sweet 16 team [in 2010], and they almost beat Illinois. I was pleased with our defense. That was Cornell's low points in regulation this year."
Brenton left the game with his fourth foul with 6:57 left in regulation, but Pikiell brought him back just over a minute later when the going got tough. Ferry hit a couple big threes, but he missed his final shot in regulation and two more in OT when Brenton scored seven points.
"We don't lose at home," Brenton said. "We're trying to go undefeated at home."

Ron Bracey gets into Seawolves' mix

2011-12-29T00:11:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: Dave Anderson

By Greg Logan

Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell likes to say he doesn't worry about points as much as defense and rebounding, but this season's team has shown on several occasions that it is offensively challenged. After putting together a terrific first half Wednesday night against Cornell, the Seawolves lost a 15-point halftime lead, scored only 16 points in the second half and had to make the last basket of regulation to reach overtime.
But they pulled it together in the five-minute extra session with 17 points to take a 68-59 victory over the Big Red that should provide a big boost before facing a tough Rider team on Friday at Pritchard Gym in the final outing before America East play begins against Vermont at home on Monday. One of the keys to the Seawolves' good stretches of offense was the contribution of juco transfer Ron Bracey.
His 16-point game equaled that of leading scorer Bryan Dougher and underlined how much better the Seawolves (4-6) are when Dougher has an effective complement on offense. In fact, the offense virtually ebbed and flowed with Bracey, who had 10 points in the first half, went cold in the second before scoring the game-tying bucket near the end of regulation and then made a fast-break layup to break the Cornell press in OT and added two foul shots with 22.4 seconds left to salt it away.
"I was in the flow of things," said Bracey, who went scoreless in four games earlier this season when he was restricted to single-digit minutes. "I'm trying to contribute."
Part of the adjustment for Bracey has been getting used to Pikiell's demands on defense and knowing where to be on offense. It's not a matter of effort, just learning the system.
"It's been difficult," Bracey admitted. "There's more detail."
Against Cornell, Bracey was fifth on the team with 22 minutes played, and he made the most of hit, making 6 of 14 shots and bringing down eight rebounds to tie Tommy Brenton for the team lead. He also went hard on defense.
"Ron led us in rebounding, which is awesome," Pikiell said. "It tells me he wants to play. He was aggressive to score, and he's learning on defense. If he rebounds, he'll play."
Pikiell will continue to live and die with defense and rebounding, but after the Cornell win, he also mentioned that he wants this Seawolves team to start taking fewer three-point shots and look to attack the basket more. Bracey can do that, and if he continues to be effective, he's going to find himself gaining playing time as America East play moves along.

Stony Brook pulls out 68-59 overtime win vs. Cornell

2011-12-29T00:04:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) scored seven of his 12 points in overtime as the Stony Brook men's basketball team scored eight of the extra period's first nine points to pull out a 68-59 victory over the Cornell Big Red before a sellout crowd at Pritchard Gymnasium on Wednesday night.  

Brenton went 10-for-14 from the foul line and pulled down eight rebounds to go with three steals. Senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and junior Ron Bracey (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the Seawolves with 16 points apiece while sophomore Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with 10.   

"I was very pleased with our defense tonight," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "A lot of guys contributed to this victory. They did a great job of hanging tough against a good Cornell team."  

Stony Brook (4-6) led 49-38 with 6:34 left in regulation following a free throw from senior Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.) but Cornell (4-7) ran off 13 straight points over the next five minutes, taking a 51-49 lead on a Drew Ferry three with 1:18 left.   

Bracey tied the game off a feed from Rapier with 57 seconds left and SBU forced a Ferry miss on Cornell's ensuing possession. Galal Cancer grabbed the rebound though and the Big Red called timeout with 36 seconds to go.   

Senior Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) forced Cancer to miss a short jumper with three seconds left and then grabbed the rebound as the game headed to overtime.  

The Seawolves never trailed in the overtime period as Brenton hit two free throws on Stony Brook's first possession and Coley then drilled a jumper with 3:27 left to push the lead to four.   
Cornell's Eitan Chemerinski hit one of two free throws with 2:52 remaining to make it 55-52 but Stony Brook then ran off six straight points capped by Coley's steal and lay-up to go up eight with under two minutes left.   Cornell got no closer than five the rest of the way as the Seawolves improved to 4-0 at Pritchard Gymnasium.   

The teams battled evenly early, with Stony Brook holding an 8-7 advantage just over seven minutes in.   But Stony Brook seized control of the game over the next eight minutes, out-scoring Cornell 19-2 to take a 27-9 lead. SBU hit five threes in the run including two each from Bracey and Dougher.   

The Big Red got within 29-15 on Shonn Miller dunk but Rapier answered with two free throws and Bracey and sophomore Eric McAlister (Hightstown, N.J.) followed with a pair of jumpers to push the Stony Brook lead to 20.   

Cornell scored the final five points of the half but Stony Brook still headed to the break with a 35-20 lead. SBU went 6-for-13 from three in the opening 20 minutes while forcing the Big Red to miss nine of their 10 attempts from beyond the arc.   

The Big Red scored six of first eight points of the second half to trim the Stony Brook lead to 11 before Dougher knocked down his third triple of the game to give the Seawolves a 40-26 lead.   Cornell continued their hot shooting though as Ferry knocked down a triple before Dwight Tarwater answered a Rapier hoop with another three to trim the Stony Brook lead to 10 with 14:44 left.   

The Seawolves are right back in action on Friday, hosting Rider at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m. For tickets, call (631) 632-WOLF or visit GoSeawolves.org/tickets

STONY BROOK in Newsday's Top 11 2011 New York sports stories...

2011-12-28T15:47:00.004-05:00

SBU reaches playoffs, and wins

Eight months after falling two points short of an NCAA basketball tournament bid, Stony Brook athletics continued its rapid rise when the football team defeated Liberty, 41-31, to win the Big South title and earn the school’s first FCS playoff berth.

It got even better a week later when the Seawolves beat Albany in a 31-28 thriller in the first round. Then they put a scare into top-ranked Sam Houston State before losing on the road, 34-27.

Stony Brook Women’s Hoops knocks off Youngstown State for second straight win

2011-12-27T22:25:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Stony Brook University women’s basketball team led from start to finish on its way to a 54-47 victory over the Youngstown State Penguins on Tuesday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. It was the second consecutive win for the Seawolves, who held YSU to 25.9 percent shooting.

“Tonight, like last Wednesday [against Morgan State], was a total team effort,” Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Boyle said. “We did a great job closing out on their shooters and our execution on the offensive end down the stretch was terrific. Hopefully we can carry the momentum from these last couple games to the start of conference play next week.”

Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) led Stony Brook (3-10) with 11 points while senior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) chipped in with a season-high 10 points and six rebounds. Stony Brook held Youngstown State 16 points below their scoring average and snapped the Penguins five-game road winning strak.

The Seawolves led 43-38 with 7:30 remaining but YSU scored five of the next seven points to close within two with 4:14 left. But junior Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) hit one of two free throws with 4:01 left and junior Taylor Burner (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) followed with an easy lay-in to push the Stony Brook lead back to five.

Youngstown State crept back within three and it looked as if they would edge closer as Kelsea Fickiesen forced a Stony Brook turnover and appeared headed for an easy lay-up. But Murray poked the ball away from Fickiesen and SBU picked up the loose ball and called timeout.

Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) then scored on a put-back on Stony Brook’s ensuing possession to put the game away. Previlon finished with nine points and nine rebounds and freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore.) had eight points and eight rebounds.

SBU won the battle of the boards 44-35 and held YSU to 22.2 (6-for-27) shooting from three-point range. The Penguins entered the game averaging over eight threes per game.

Stony Brook controlled play right from the start, jumping out to a 20-11 lead behind seven early points from Previlon. The Seawolves hit eight of their first 14 shots and forced YSU to miss 18 of their first 22 field goal attempts including 12 of their first 13 shots from three.

Youngstown State answered back with a 10-3 run to get within 23-21 before Klupenger knocked down her second three of the half with under a left minute to push the SBU lead back to five.
Brandi Brown followed with two free throws for Youngstown as Stony Brook went into the break with a 26-23 lead.

SBU led 37-31 at the midway point of the second half following a short jumper from Murray before Brown converted a three-point play to trim the Seawolves lead to three.

Klupenger earned America East Player of the Game honors for the Seawolves. Brown led YSU with 12 points and 18 rebounds.
The Seawolves return to action on Monday, opening America East play at Vermont. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Krueger earns third straight America East Rookie of the Week award

2011-12-26T18:41:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Freshman Kellie Krueger, of the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team, has been named America East Rookie of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday. It is the third straight week Krueger has earned the honor.
Krueger had a career-high 14 points to go along with six rebounds in the Seawolves 65-48 win over Morgan State on Wednesday. She hit five of her eight shots from the field and went 4-for-4 from the foul line in 27 minutes of action.

Stony Brook returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Youngstown State at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM WUSB SPORTS

2011-12-22T17:16:00.001-05:00

Coastal Carolina fires successful head coach for millionaire banker

2011-12-21T23:36:00.003-05:00

By Graham Watson

Coastal Carolina has found the secret to constructing a successful football program: Find a head coach with the resources to singlehandedly build new facilities, buy new uniforms, court new sponsors, make the school more attractive to recruits and revitalize the entire operation. It's genius, if you can find a billionaire with limited coaching experience and nothing to do.
And that's what Coastal Carolina just did.
Joe Moglia, former CEO and current chairman of TD Ameritrade, was named the Chanticleers' new head coach Tuesday in a surprising but profitable move, to say the least. Moglia was the president and head coach of the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks and an unpaid "executive advisor" to coach Bo Pelini at Nebraska for the past two seasons. Prior to that, he was the defensive coordinator at Dartmouth… in 1983.
But what he lacks in background, he makes up in backing. When Moglia retired as the CEO of TD Ameritrade in 2008, he was making a salary of $21 million and held $100 million in Ameritrade stock. There are no NCAA regulations limiting how much the nation's wealthiest college coach can spend on the Coastal Carolina program either directly or through donations.
Essentially, Coastal Carolina is making a major return on its investment, which is exactly what athletic director Hunter Yurachek said he wasn't getting with former coach David Bennett, who was 7-4 this season and finished third in the Big South. Bennett is the only coach the Chanticleers have ever known and in his nine seasons, he posted a 63-39 record with four conference titles.
Moglia didn't exactly wow suitors with his coaching resumé. The Nighthawks were 1-5 last season, and Moglia spent more time dispensing investment advice to Nebraska draftees than doing any actual coaching with the Cornhuskers. However, the Nighthawks did lead the UFL in passing offense, sacks, tackles for loss, punt returns and blocked kicks. They also boasted the league's defensive player of the year.
Moglia also sports quite a few football-related accolades:

In 2010, Cornhusker football student-athletes elected Moglia to receive Nebraska's prestigious U.S. Grant Sharp Admiral's Trophy for Leadership and Service.
Moglia has been inducted into two high school halls of fame and the Omaha Business Hall of Fame while receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Columbus Citizens Foundation Leadership Award, National Italian American Foundation Special Achievement Award in Business, American Institute for Stuttering Lifetime Achievement Award and National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame's Man of the Year.
Moglia is the only person to publish books on both football and investing, including "The Key to Winning Football: The Perimeter Attack Offense" (1981) and "Coach Yourself to Financial Success: Winning the Investment Game" (2005), while contributing to numerous national football coaching journals. He has also been a keynote speaker at the 2011 American Football Coaches Association ("It's About Being a Leader") and 2010 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics ("Leadership in a 24/7 Stress Filled Environment").

But it's a big risk dumping a proven commodity —and awesome soundbyte — like Bennett, who was given another undisclosed position on campus, to hire a coach who has more potential in his wallet than in his playbook.
Still, Coastal Carolina will look like geniuses if Moglia can remake the Chanticleers into an attractive commodity a la Oregon and Oklahoma State on the FBS level, which also have the financial backing of two of the world's wealthiest men in alums Phil Knight and T. Boone Pickens. If Moglia's investment in the program can lure some of the top FCS products and in turn make Coastal Carolina an FCS powerhouse, then CEOs with a passion for football might be leaving their position in droves to become the next great college football coaches.

Balanced Attack leads Stony Brook Women’s Hoops past Morgan State

2011-12-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Freshman Kellie Krueger led a balanced Seawolves attack with a career-high 14 points and the Stony Brook University women's basketball team used a 12-0 run midway through the second half to defeat the Morgan State Lady Bears, 65-48, on Wednesday night at Pritchard Gymnasium. Krueger added six rebounds for the Seawolves, who shot 40 percent from the field and went 7-for-15 from three. Junior Sam Landers (Springfield, Va.) chipped in with a season-high 13 points and junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) added 10 points and six rebounds.
Stony Brook (2-10) trailed 42-41 following a three from Omara Parker with 13:31 to go in the game but Landers answered with a three to kick start the decisive 12-0 run that gave SBU a 53-42 lead with 8:30 left. Landers had five points in the run.
The Lady Bears (2-7) got no closer than nine the rest of the way as SBU coasted to the 17-point victory. Stony Brook won the battle of the boards, 45-28 and went 18-for-24 from the foul line in addition to holding MSU to 32.2 percent shooting.
Morgan State jumped to a 9-4 lead but Stony Brook then went on a 15-4 run to take a 19-13 lead with 7:29 left in the first half. Krueger had four points in the run while Klupenger and Landers each knocked down a three.
The Lady Bears rallied to within 21-19 but Krueger answered with a foul line jumper and then knocked down two free throws to push the SBU lead back to six with four minutes remaining.

Morgan State rallied to tie the game at 25 but Stony Brook scored the final seven points of the half to take a 32-25 lead into the break.

MSU hit four of its first five shots of the second half, tying the game at 36 just over five minutes into the period. Senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) answered with a long jumper though and Klupenger followed with her second three of the game.

Back-to-back Morgan State threes gave the Lady Bears a 42-41 lead but Landers responded with a three as Stony Brook scored the next 12 points to take a 53-42 with 8:30 left in the game.
The Seawolves bench out-scored Morgan's State 37-9 led by Landers and Klupenger. Senior Destiny Jacobs added eight points and nine rebounds.

Krueger earned America East Player of the Game honors for the Seawolves. Parker led the Lady Bears with 23 points.

Stony Brook returns to action next Tuesday, hosting Youngstown State at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

WATCH 2011 STONY BROOK FOOTBALL BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS VIDEO

2011-12-20T05:49:00.001-05:00

Watch "2011 Stony Brook Football Big South Champions" on YouTube

Stony Brook falls to Rutgers at MSG (Newsday)

2011-12-17T20:40:00.000-05:00

By MARK HERRMANN mark.herrmann@newsday.com

Photo credit: Errol Anderson | Dave Coley of Stony Brook is guarded by Jerome Seagears of Rutgers. (Dec. 17, 2011)

Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell knows as well as anyone that the sheer magnitude of Madison Square Garden can inspire big efforts. He scored 27 points for Connecticut in his first Big East Tournament game there in 1987. The problem for his team Saturday, though, was that the size of the opponent was more influential than the size of the venue.
Rutgers was just too big for the Seawolves in the Holiday Festival. Its frontcourt players barely allowed Stony Brook to breathe near the basket and its backcourt players put big pressure on Stony Brook's top three-point shooter, Bryan Dougher, in a 67-58 Rutgers win.
This nonetheless qualified as a big occasion for Stony Brook, which had not played at the Garden since 1995, when it was part of a Division III undercard with Western Connecticut. Stony Brook (3-6) clearly brought more spectators than did Rutgers (6-5). Its band had as much oomph as it usually does at tiny Pritchard Gymnasium.
"I thought it was a home game, with all the fans we had," said Tommy Brenton (11 points), whose 12 rebounds helped SBU outrebound Rutgers 40-34. "I felt right at home. It's an amazing arena. At first, you sit back and see where you are, during warm-ups, but once the game starts, it's a home game for us."
Not quite, in one big respect. On campus, the Seawolves generally do not shoot 26.7 percent from the floor or 29.2 percent from three-point range. Chalk it up as evidence of the difference between the America East and the Big East.
Rutgers held SBU scoreless for 7:33 in the first half. The Scarlet Knights clogged the middle against Dallis Joyner, who had only two points, and assigned their energetic young guards to pester Dougher, who missed his first seven three-point attempts and finished 3-for-13 from outside the arc and 4-for-17 overall in a 14-point game.
"He puts the batteries in that offense," Rutgers coach Mike Rice said. "We just focused in on making him put the ball on the floor. We threw different bodies at him and maybe it wore him down a little bit. He's a tremendous player, though."
Dougher did not buy the stage fright-on-Broadway explanation. "It wasn't daunting," he said of his first Garden experience. "We were planning the whole week. We watched a lot of film on them. They pressured everyone and they hit everyone up from the backcourt. We had an idea, but you don't really get the hang of it until the game starts."
It would have been hard to forecast the job done off the bench by Rutgers freshman guard Myles Mack, who shot 7-for-8 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and scored 22 points -- five more than Stony Brook's Dave Coley.
"They're a very competitive team in the America East. They have a chance to compete to go to the NCAA Tournament," said Rutgers big man Austin Johnson. "They're a senior-driven team, they're a very good team."
The Seawolves just weren't good enough on the big stage. "You have to play better than that to beat a Big East team on the road," said Pikiell, who once played the second half of an NIT championship game at the Garden with a dislocated shoulder. "But it was a great opportunity. It's great for recruiting, great for a lot of reasons. I'm pleased, and I hope they have us back."

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

2011-12-17T20:20:00.001-05:00

YouTube

STONY BROOK WOMEN'S HOOPS FALL AT SETON HALL

2011-12-17T16:49:00.001-05:00

Women's hoops falls at Seton Hall - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

Stony Brook Drops 67-58 Decision to Rutgers

2011-12-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK (AP)--Freshman Myles Mack scored a season-high 22 points and Rutgers beat a cold-shooting Stony Brook 67-58 on Saturday in the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden.Gilvydas Biruta had 13 points and freshman Eli Carter added 11 for the Scarlet Knights (6-5), who won away from home for the first time this season. They had lost one true.
Sophomore Dave Coley had a career-high 17 points to lead the Seawolves (3-6), who have lost four of their last five. It was Stony Brook's first appearance in Madison Square Garden since the program moved to Division I in 1999-2000.

Liberty hires Gill and could move to FBS...STONY BROOK NEXT?

2011-12-15T21:06:00.003-05:00

59 m ago By Marcus Henry

Photo credit: AP

The fallout from conference realignment has apparently reached the FCS level.
Big South power Liberty University introduced former Buffalo and Kansas coach Turner Gill as its new head coach on Thursday.
What was even bigger news was the university’s announcement that it will conduct a feasibility study to decide whether it should make the move up to the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.
“Given the unexpected turn of events, we believe the time is right for Liberty to conduct the FBS feasibility study, which is so important for our program to move to the level it was originally envisioned it would go,” said school Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.
Liberty has won at least a share of four of the last five Big South regular season titles. The Flames lost to Stony Brook, 41-31, in its Big South regular season finale.
Is Liberty equipped to make the move? On paper it would seem so. The Flames home field, Williams Stadium, expanded from 12,000 to the current capacity of 19,200 in 2010. According to the school website, there are future plans to expand the stadium capacity to 30,000 seats.
The team had set attendance marks in recent seasons, including drawing a then-school record of 16,112 fans for its home opener against North Carolina Central in 2009. But that was before the stadium expansion.
Liberty shattered that record in 2010 as it drew 19,314 fans for a game against Savannah State. Liberty drew 82,710 fans for five home dates in 2011 and averaged 16,542 fans per game.
Although a potential move to FBS would be at least several years away for Liberty, the question of how this effects Stony Brook must be addressed. The Seawolves have fared well since joining the Big South Conference. It paid off a big way in 2011 as the school won the regular season title and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history.
While a Liberty move wouldn’t necessarily dissolve the Big South, it would certainly cause officials and administrators at rival conference schools to reassess their positions.

Jackolski, Faiella Garner AP All-American

2011-12-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. (Dec. 15, 2011) – Seniors Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.) and Joe Faiella (Freehold, N.J.) each were named to the Associated Press All-America Team on Thursday afternoon.
Jackolski, who made the second team as an all-purpose runner, garnered his second All-America honor of the year, having been named to the AFCA FCS Coaches' All-America Team last week.
Jackolski's 2011 season will be remembered as one of the best in school and Big South history. He rushed for 1,418 yards, had 114 receiving yards, 55 punt return yards and 854 kick return yards, totaling 20 touchdowns. The 2,441 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns are Big South single-season records.
He recorded six games with more than 100 rushing yards and tallied more than 150 all-purpose yards in 11 of 13 games.
Jackolski set a conference record with five touchdowns in a 76-28 win over Gardner-Webb.
He's one of five players in Big South history with more than 4,000 all-purpose yards, accomplishing the feat in just two years. Including two seasons at Hofstra, Jackolski totaled 6,394 all-purpose yards, which ranks 16th in FCS history.
After starting all 11 games at left tackle in 2010, Faiella moved inside to left guard, and didn't miss a beat. He started all 13 games, blocking for two 1,000-yard rushers for a second straight season. Faiella, who joined Jackolski on the second team, earned first team All-Big South honors.
The Seawolves' ground game rushed for 200 yards or more in nine games this season, including a season-high 446 yards against Coastal Carolina. Stony Brook set a conference record with seven straight games of at least 40 points scored.
Stony Brook's scoring offense (38.0 ppg) and rushing offense (267.3 ypg) ranked second and fourth in the nation, respectively.

FDU EDGES STONY BROOK WOMEN'S HOOPS, 51-48

2011-12-14T21:47:00.001-05:00

Fairleigh Dickinson edges women's hoops, 51-48 - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

Stony Brook University receives $150M gift

2011-12-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

By ZACHARY R. DOWDY zachary.dowdy@newsday.com

Photo credit: Newsday / John Dunn | James Simons addresses a gathering at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at the Stony Brook University. The building was started by a gift from the James and Marilyn Simons Foundation. (Oct. 26, 2010)

Stony Brook University is being granted $150 million, the largest gift in the school's history, according to a published report.
The Simons Foundation's gift, said The New York Times, is the sixth largest donation ever to a public university, citing The Chronicle of Higher Education.
"I want to thank Jim and Marilyn Simons and the Simons Foundation for their immense generosity," said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is scheduled to hold a news conference on campus with the Simonses Tuesday at 11 a.m., where Cuomo will also announce the school is the recipient of a separate $35 million state grant.
"The gift will have a profound and everlasting impact on the Long Island region and the state, particularly in terms of health care, economic development, and human and intellectual capital," Cuomo said.
The Simonses' gift more than doubles a $60 million donation the couple's foundation gave in 2008. The campus, where James Simons once chaired the mathematics department, hosts the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics.
The other state funds, part of the SUNY 2020 initiative, are designed to boost academics and economic development, sources close to the governor said Tuesday.
When it applied for the SUNY 2020 grant, Stony Brook said the money would be used to help fund an ambitious plan to build a sprawling cancer research center, add 245 new faculty and 400 staff, and enroll an additional 1,500 students. University officials touted the plan's potential to help students, improve local medical options and boost the economy.
Cuomo in May had called the Stony Brook proposal "very impressive."
Cuomo and legislators authorized the grant program earlier this year, as part of the state budget. The four State University of New York research centers -- Stony Brook, Albany, Binghamton and Buffalo -- were given the opportunity to apply for up to $35 million each.
To help pay part of the costs, Cuomo and legislators approved a multiple-year tuition hike. It increases tuition at SUNY campuses 30 percent over five years, from $4,970 to $6,470.
Stony Brook has proposed constructing an eight-level, $194-million facility, adjacent to the two towers of the university's medical center.
On Tuesday, Cuomo announced a $35 million SUNY 2020 grant for the University at Buffalo to help pay for a capital construction program.

STONY BROOK Women's lacrosse adds Janine Hillier to roster

2011-12-13T22:20:00.000-05:00

Former Farmingdale High School standout Janine Hillier has signed a grant-in-aid offer to join the Stony Brook women's lacrosse team in time for the 2012 season, head coach Joe Spallina announced Tuesday. Hillier, who will have two seasons of eligibility at Stony Brook, recently transferred from the University of Florida.

"The Stony Brook women's lacrosse program is excited to add a player of Janine's caliber to the team," Spallina announced Tuesday. "I've been watching her play for years, first at Farmingdale High School and then at the University of Florida. She is an incredible talent, and her addition will make our team that much stronger."

Hillier is coming off a spectacular 2011 season with Florida, helping lead the Gators to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship in just the second season of the program. She had 34 goals and six assists, more than doubling her goal total from her freshman season. She was named to the IWLCA All-South Region second team and was an All-American Lacrosse Conference second team selection.

In 38 career games with the Gators, Hillier posted 49 goals and 14 assists for 63 points. She converted 10 of 34 free position attempts and had 38 ground balls, 53 draw controls and 23 caused turnovers.

Prior to joining Florida, Hillier led Farmingdale to the 2009 New York State Championship, recording 52 goals and 25 assists that season. She was named a first-team All-American by US Lacrosse and Under Armour and was ranked in the top 25 among 2009 incoming freshman recruits by Inside Lacrosse Magazine. She led Farmingdale to four straight Nassau County and Long Island championships and finished her high school career with 164 goals and 143 assists.

Hillier joins a talented Seawolves team that has 13 returning letterwinners, four transfers from Adelphi and 10 incoming freshmen that will play for Spallina, who is in his first season with Stony Brook after winning three consecutive NCAA Div. II national championships as the head coach at Adelphi.

Dougher's 21 not enough to get STONY BROOK men's hoops past BC

2011-12-11T21:39:00.000-05:00

Final Stats
Boston - Senior Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored 21 points, all coming in the second half, but the Stony Brook men's basketball team went scoreless for the final 11:50 of the 1st half as Boston College used a 22-0 run and held off a second-half SBU rally to get past the Seawolves, 66-51, Sunday evening at Conte Forum.

The Seawolves shot a season-low 29.7 percent from the field and didn't have an answer for Boston College, which shot 47.9 percent from the floor. The Eagles were 14-for-17 from the free throw line, and the Seawolves were 4-for-5.

"Our first half was our downfall tonight," head coach Steve Pikiell said. "We couldn't make shots in the first half, and we had some open looks. Clearly, with 40 points in the second half, we are capable of scoring, but we couldn't get it done in the first half and we didn't play enough defense to stop BC."

Stony Brook got off to a great start as Boston College struggled with turnovers early. With the Eagles up 6-4, the Seawolves went on a 7-0 run that was punctuated by a junior Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) steal and a sophomore Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) three-pointer that gave SBU an 11-6 lead with 11:50 remaining in the first half.

But that was when Boston College took over as the Eagles scored the next 22 points to end the half. BC took a 14-11 lead and then turned up the shooting by knocking down four consecutive three-pointers -- two each by Patrick Heckmann and Lonnie Johnson -- to go up by 15, 26-11, and pull away from the Seawolves.

Stony Brook fought to get back into the game. An 11-3 run to open the half helped cut the deficit to nine, 31-22, as Dougher scored seven of the 11 points, including a nifty teardrop to end the run. Dougher in fact scored 12 of the team's first 16 points of the half, getting the Seawolves the offensive spark they needed.

The Seawolves scored enough in the second half, but couldn't get a big defensive stop. A Dougher three-pointer at 8:33 got the Seawolves within eight, 47-39, but BC came right back down the court and scored on a Ryan Anderson dunk to make it a double digit lead again. That started a 7-1 Eagles run that ended with Lonnie Jackson's wide open three-pointer at 5:21 to make it a 54-40 game.

The Seawolves didn't get any closer than 11 points the rest of the game.

Dougher's 21 second-half points matched his career high for a single half. He also had 21 against Boston University on Jan. 2, 2010. In addition to Dougher's 21, Jackson had 14 points and made four of five shots from behind the arc. The Seawolves again reached the double-digit mark in offensive rebounds with 11, but could not capitalize, only getting two second chance points.

Stony Brook will now head back to New York and will head to the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, to take on Rutgers in the MSG Holiday Festival Saturday at noon. The game will be televised live on MSG. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

STONY BROOK Women's Hoops rallies but falls to Fordham

2011-12-11T16:49:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's women's basketball team cut an 11-point second half deficit to two but the Fordham Rams held on late for a 41-37 victory over the Seawolves on Sunday at Pritchard Gymnasium.

"Our defense and rebounding this afternoon was outstanding," Stony Brook head coach Beth O'Boyle said. "We just didn't make enough shots to win. But I'm really proud of the way our team competed for the full 40 minutes."

Senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) led Stony Brook with 10 points while junior Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) had seven points and a career-high 13 rebounds including seven on the offensive end. Stony Brook held Fordham to 32.4 percent shooting and had 22 offensive rebounds as the Seawolves out-rebounded the Rams, 44-31.

The Rams led 33-22 following a Becky Peters hoop with 9:25 left but the Seawolves scored 11 of the next 13 points to cut the Fordham lead to 35-33 on a bucket from freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore. with 1:09 remaining.

Emily Tapio drilled two free throws with 40 seconds left to push the Fordham lead back to four before Davis knocked down a jumper to cut the deficit back to two with 14 seconds to go.

Arielle Collins hit two free throws on the other end to make it 39-35 before Davis hit another jumper with 1.4 seconds left. But Collins hit two more free throws with six tenths of a second remaining to put the game away.

Collins and Charlotte Stoddart led the Rams with 10 points apiece.

Fordham jumped to a 6-4 lead as the Seawolves got early hoops from juniorDani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) and Krueger. But Fordham then held Stony Brook without a field goal for over 13 minutes as they took a 13-7 lead with under five minutes to go in the half.

The Stony Brook defense kept SBU in the game, holding the Rams without a field goal for over six minutes at one point.

Davis broke the Stony Brook drought with back-to-back jumpers to bring SBU within two but Fordham scored the final four points of the half to take a six-point lead into the break.

SBU held Fordham to 26.3 percent shooting in the first half and out-rebounded the Rams, 24-15.

The Rams opened the second half strong, scoring seven of the first 10 points of the period to take a 10-point advantage. Junior Jessica Previlon(Brooklyn, N.Y.) answered with back-to-back hoops though to kick start an 8-2 run that cut the Fordham lead to 26-22.

But the Rams responded with seven straight points to take an 11-point midway through the half.

Stony Brook returns to action on Wednesday, traveling to take on FDU. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

LIU edges STONY BROOK women’s hoops in overtime

2011-12-08T23:17:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Stony Brook’s women’s basketball team shot a season-high 42.9 percent but the LIU Blackbirds scored the first seven points of overtime on their way to a 66-59 victory over the Seawolves on Thursday at Pritchard Gymnasium. Krystal Wells hit a game-tying three with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. “Overall, it was a great team effort and I’m really happy with the way we competed,” O’Boyle said. “But give credit to LIU, they made some big shots down the stretch and that was the difference in the game.
Freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore.) led the Seawolves with season-highs of 12 points and eight rebounds and junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 10 points. Junior Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) chipped in with seven points and five steals in the back-and-forth game that featured 11 ties and 12 lead changes.
Gatling hit two free throws with 44 seconds left in regulation to give the Seawolves a 54-52 lead, and then forced a turnover on LIU’s ensuing possession. Senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) hit one of two free throws with 12 seconds left but Wells knocked down a three from left corner to tie it at 57.
Kiara Evans hit two free throws on LIU’s first possession of overtime before both teams went scoreless over the next two and a half minutes. But She’tiarra Pledger hit a three with 2:22 left to make it 60-55 and Ebony Davis followed with a lay-in to give LIU a seven-point advantage.
Stony Brook got within 62-57 on a hoop from senior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) but that was as close as SBU would get as LIU held on for the victory. Evans, Davis and Ashley Palmer each had 15 points to lead the Blackbirds.
After falling behind early, Stony Brook used a 12-3 spurt to take a 14-10 lead five minutes in. LIU rallied to take a 19-18 with 8:42 to go but junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) responded with a three and Krueger followed with a short jumper a minute later to put SBU on top, 23-20.
LIU again rallied, going ahead on two free throws from Pledger with 50 seconds remaining but junior Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich.) knocked down a jumper on the other end and the teams went to the break tied at 30.
The Blackbirds led by as many as seven early in the second half but the Seawolves again had an answer, taking a 42-40 lead with 11:16 left on a Gatling jumper. The teams exchanged the lead three more times over the final minutes before Murray hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 52 with 1:52 left.
Krueger was named the America East Player of the Game for Stony Brook.
The Seawolves return to action on Sunday, hosting Fordham at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Stony Brook's complete game routs FDU

2011-12-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

Through its first six games, Stony Brook's unofficial team motto this year hadn't exactly been on display.
"Defense wins games, offense tells you by how much," said forward Tommy Brenton, reciting coach Steve Pikiell's mantra. It finally struck a chord Wednesday night once the whistle blew for the start of the second half in Stony Brook's resounding 70-46 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.
"In the locker room, Coach said just go out there and play defense and we'll get the shots," guard Dave Coley said. "We did."
After a shaky first half, the Seawolves (3-4) dominated the early part of the second, going on an 18-2 run and blowing open what had been a back-and-forth game. Stony Brook shot 56 percent in the second half, and FDU couldn't keep up.
"This was like old-fashioned Stony Brook basketball," Pikiell said. "We've had signs this year, halves, but we haven't done it on a consistent basis."
Coley had 16 points, Bryan Dougher 14 and Ron Bracey 10 off the bench.
The second-half catalyst might have been Dallis Joyner, the 6-7 center who picked up two fouls in the game's first four minutes and sat until halftime. When Joyner returned, it was with a renewed bounce, and his teammates seemed to feed off of it. He made a reverse layup and grabbed an offensive rebound within the first three minutes and totaled eight rebounds and eight points.
"That's our bulldog, our beast right there," Coley said. "We need him."
Neither team shot particularly well in the first half and FDU (1-7) stayed close, trailing by just eight at halftime. Stony Brook forced 21 turnovers, drew four charges, held FDU to 34 percent shooting and just one bucket in transition. The Knights' leading scorer, Lonnie Hayes, went 0-11 from the field and failed to score a point.
"We just made an extra effort to really step up, play in our gaps, get in our stance, focus on defense tonight," Brenton said.
After back-to-back close losses, this may have been the complete game Stony Brook has been expecting. "I liked the way we were today," Pikiell said. "We played like a veteran team."

BROCK JACKOLSKI - ALL AMERICAN!

2011-12-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

Waco, Texas – Senior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.) has been named to the 2011 American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches' All-America Team, the AFCA announced on Wednesday morning.
"What an awesome feeling," Jackolski said. "Being called an All-American is one of the highest accomplishments a football player can get. I've always wanted to call myself an All-American, and now I can."
Jackolski, who's part of the 25-member squad as an all-purpose player, recorded one of the best seasons in Stony Brook and Big South history.
He rushed for 1,418 yards, had 114 receiving yards, 55 punt return yards and 854 kick return yards, totaling 20 touchdowns. The 2,441 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns are Big South single-season records.
A two-time all-conference selection, Jackolski accounted for 319 all-purpose yards against St. Anselm, scoring on runs of 1 and 21 yards and a 90-yard kick return.
He recorded six games with more than 100 rushing yards and tallied more than 150 all-purpose yards in 11 of 13 games.
Jackolski set a conference record with five touchdowns in a 76-28 win over Gardner-Webb.
He's one of five players in Big South history with more than 4,000 all-purpose yards, accomplishing the feat in just two years. Including two seasons at Hofstra, Jackolski has totaled 6,394 all-purpose yards, which ranks 16th in FCS history.

STONY BROOK WOMEN'S HOOPS FALLS TO RIDER, 53-41

2011-12-06T21:57:00.001-05:00

Women's Hoops falls to Rider, 53-41 - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

Loss can't diminish what SBU accomplished

2011-12-04T04:42:00.000-05:00

HUNTSVILLE, Texas
The ending wasn't the way Chuck Priore would have scripted it for a Stony Brook team that was bent on upsetting No. 1 Sam Houston in an FCS second-round game Saturday at Bowers Stadium. The Bearkats (12-0) drove 83 yards to score with 1:01 left and pull out a 34-27 victory that preserved their perfect record.
But as Priore said, "We certainly won't be judged by that last five-minute drive. I know that. We won't allow them to be.''
No, the Seawolves (9-4) came too far and accomplished too much to be defined that way. This was a team that rebounded from a 0-3 start to win nine straight games, earning its first undisputed Big South championship and recording its first FCS playoff victory by beating Albany in the first round the previous week. It lost starting quarterback Michael Coulter to a season-ending knee injury after four games and rallied brilliantly behind backup Kyle Essington.
"I've been part of 30 years of coaching, and this is my 12th year as a head coach,'' Priore said. "This team was a special team. This team didn't get rattled ever. It was sort of amazing to me. Sometimes I wanted to get mad, and I couldn't get mad at them. They'd come off the field and they'd be ready to play the next play. We've answered touchdowns all year, and we've answered with big stops on defense.''
Just a week ago, it was the defense coming up with a game-saving interception by Dominick Reyes against Albany. Then SBU stunned Sam Houston and a crowd of 8,161 by taking a 10-3 lead, the Bearkats' first halftime deficit of the season.
When SHSU came back to take a 17-10 lead on two third-quarter touchdowns, the Seawolves didn't accept their fate and fade away. With their pair of brilliant running backs, Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet, stymied by the nation's leading rushing defense, the Seawolves switched gears.
Essington hit bomb after bomb to wideouts Kevin Norrell, who caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, and Matt Brevi, who had three catches for 94 yards and a TD. They came back to tie the score at 20 and again at 27 with 6:37 to play.
Sam Houston coach Willie Fritz was suitably impressed. "Stony Brook played a sensational ballgame,'' Fritz said. "They were very well-coached and they had an excellent game plan.''
"We accomplished a lot,'' Brevi said of Stony Brook's first nine-win season. "We're going to next year with a lot of momentum, and we have a lot of guys coming back. They're hungry to be back here because it's not a good feeling when you lose.''
Unfortunately for Brevi, he's in the group of seniors who won't return, but they leave knowing they made a lasting imprint. Jackolski, who transferred in from Hofstra two years ago, is another player who found a home and did all he could to improve it.
"It's an awesome experience to play the No. 1 team in the nation and to do it with my fellow teammates who I've grown a good relationship with,'' said Jackolski, who scored his Big South-record 20th touchdown of the season.
Stony Brook athletic director Jim Fiore probably has a better perspective than anyone on what this season means to SBU athletics. "A lot,'' Fiore said. "They represented us in ways we've never had. They raised expectations and showed resilience. They put us on the map in a sport where we didn't have scholarships just five years ago.''
Stony Brook -- the name is beginning to resonate now.

Sam Houston outlasts Stony Brook, 34-27

2011-12-04T04:37:00.000-05:00

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- If Stony Brook accomplished nothing else, it served notice to the Football Championship Subdivision that there's a new player on the national scene.
The Seawolves led No. 1 Sam Houston State by seven points at halftime, and even after the game turned around in the third quarter, Stony Brook twice came back from seven-point deficits to tie the Bearkats in an FCS second-round playoff game Saturday at Bowers Stadium.
But when time ran out, Sam Houston still was standing as tall as the granite statue of its namesake at the edge of town, with its unbeaten record intact. The Bearkats (12-0) drove 83 yards to win the game, 34-27, on Tim Flanders' 7-yard run with 1:01 to play.
"It was a dogfight from beginning to end,'' Bearkats safety Darnell Taylor said. "[Stony Brook] was the best offense we played all season. They schemed us, and they had good guys. They're a good team.''
Sam Houston's team motto is "prove it,'' which the Bearkats did. But the Seawolves (9-4), who had won nine straight games, proved they belonged.
Stony Brook took a 10-3 halftime lead on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Essington to Matt Brevi and a 32-yard field goal by Wes Skiffington. The scoring plays were set up by runs of 30 yards by Miguel Maysonet and 65 yards by Brock Jackolski as SBU rolled up 121 first-half rushing yards on the nation's top rushing defense (59.0).
It was the first time Sam Houston had trailed at halftime all season, and the seven-point margin tied its largest deficit.
But everything changed in the third quarter when Stony Brook went three-and-out on its first three possessions and punted into a wind gusting to 20 miles per hour. Starting at the SBU 42 after Skiffington's 23-yard punt, Sam Houston tied it on a 5-yard pass from Brian Bell to Richard Sincere and then drove 57 yards to go ahead 17-10 on Bell's 5-yard run.
"It's always tough when you have a short field to defend,'' said Seawolves linebacker Grant Nakwaasah, who had a terrific game with eight tackles, including three for losses. "They made adjustments at halftime and we didn't come up with the plays we needed.''
Sam Houston held SBU to 150 yards rushing for the game and only 29 in the second half, when the Seawolves had the ball for just 11:30. Jackolski finished with 86 yards on 14 carries and Maysonet had 73 on 16 carries.
"As soon as we came through the hole, their safeties were coming down real hard,'' Jackolski said. "It was frustrating, but it opened up the passing game.''
Essington completed only 9 of 29 passes, but they went for 226 yards, two touchdowns and a series of big plays.
After the teams traded field goals early in the fourth quarter to leave the Bearkats in front 20-13, Essington hit Brevi for 38 yards to set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Norrell that tied the score at 20.
On Sam Houston's next play, Bell's pump fake got Stony Brook cornerback Donald Porter to bite up, and Bell hit Trey Diller running wide-open down the right side for an 80-yard touchdown and a 27-20 lead.
"The biggest thing in the game was the field position in the third period and the big play we gave up after we tied it up,'' Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore said. "They faked a bubble pass. Our corner came down to play the bubble, and our safety came down. It's human error. They executed it. They deserve it. It was a good call on their part.''
But the Seawolves were undaunted, driving 73 yards -- helped by a 45-yard completion to Norrell -- and scoring on Jackolski's 2-yard run to tie it at 27 with 6:37 remaining. A pass-interference penalty on Taylor on fourth-and-9 set up the score.
"Our offense, we're fighters,'' Essington said. "Last week, we were down [by 18] against Albany and came back.''
But in the final six minutes, Sam Houston proved why it's No. 1. The Bearkats gained 68 yards on the ground in their winning drive, including a couple of key option runs by Bell.
"They played cover, and it allowed Brian to run more options than usual and he made good decisions,'' Sam Houston coach Willie Fritz said. "We didn't play great, but Stony Brook had a lot to do with that.''

#1 SAM HOUSTON STATE OUTSCORES STONY BROOK 34-27, IN SECOND ROUND OF NCAA FCS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

2011-12-03T18:51:00.001-05:00

Story coming soon...

STONY BROOK MENS BASKETBALL GETS CLIPPED AT EIU, 72-69

2011-12-03T18:42:00.001-05:00

Men's hoops gets clipped at EIU, 72-69 - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

GOOD LUCK STONY BROOK FOOTBALL: Send-Off Video

2011-12-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

SEND OFF VIDEO

Nice SBU reception for Brevi's comeback route (Newsday)

2011-12-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

In the fall of 2006, Matt Brevi was out of college and feeling sorry for himself.
Brevi had hoped to play football at South Florida in his hometown of Tampa, a dream that was shattered, he said, when he failed to attain the required SAT score.
"I kind of gave up on football,'' said Brevi, now a key wide receiver for Stony Brook. "I didn't care about it anymore. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I kind of got down on myself. It was very frustrating for me. Knowing that you can play at the Division I level and having everything taken away is really tough.''
In December 2006, Brevi received a phone call from the staff at Fort Hays, a Division II school in Kansas, and slowly started to resurrect his academic and athletic careers.
His brother Chris, who played at Iowa and later at Stony Brook, helped set him back on course.
"He told me, 'Everything is going to be better. Wherever you go, you've got to make the most of your opportunities,' '' Matt said. "That's what I did at Fort Hays.''
After a good season there, Stony Brook entered the picture.
Coach Chuck Priore learned about Brevi from Sean Callahan, who coached Brevi at Armwood High School in Tampa and whose son is current Seawolves linebacker Casey Callahan.
"From the moment he joined our program, he had some natural leadership ability,'' Priore said. "He was talented; he needed to learn our system. As he learned, he got better and better. And he excelled in the classroom. He'll be graduating and has been a good team leader.''
Brevi has caught 28 passes for 522 yards and leads the receivers with six touchdowns. In his three years at SBU, he has caught 93 passes for 1,534 yards and 13 touchdowns.
"If you mention the word [physical], it's by far Matt Brevi,'' offensive coordinator Jeff Behrman said during a conference call with ESPN3, which will broadcast Stony Brook's FCS second-round playoff game against Sam Houston Saturday in Huntsville, Texas. "He is somebody that's going to go in there and block the safety, crack those guys and put them on the ground. He's done that numerous times for us this year.''
Brevi does not mind looking back at the past; it helps him appreciate the present -- and future. "I'm very blessed to have the season I had this year and also to graduate,'' he said. "Coming from the summer of 2006 and not even knowing if I was ever going to graduate from college to now, actually being able to have a plan, setting my goals and achieving them.''

STONY BROOK Men's hoops announces record broadcast schedule for 2011-12

2011-12-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

Seawolves will have 18 games on television, including three national broadcasts, and all 28 games on WUSB Radio.

• 2011-12 Men's Basketball Broadcast Schedule (PDF)
• 2011-12 Stony Brook Athletics Broadcast Schedule

Stony Brook University Men’s Basketball will appear on television at least 18 times during the 2011-12 season, which shatters the school record, the program announced after America East released its full television package Wednesday. The Seawolves will have three nationally televised games, one on ESPNU and two on CBS Sports Network, which will compliment Stony Brook’s eight-game package with Cablevision’s Optimum Local.
In addition, all 28 regular season games and all potential postseason games will be broadcast on the radio at WUSB 90.1 FM and online at WUSB.fm.
“Having at least 18 games on television this season says a lot about how far our program has come,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “We are honored to be representing Stony Brook University on so many platforms on local, regional and national levels. This will be our opportunity to reach millions of homes nationwide and show them how our student-athletes compete hard both athletically and academically.”
Stony Brook’s headlining broadcast will be its Jan. 27 home game against Boston University, which will air on ESPNU, which reaches 72 million homes across the country. The Seawolves will be looking to knock off the defending champion Terriers in a rematch of last season’s America East Championship final. The game will also be a part of Stony Brook’s Winterfest 2012.
Stony Brook also will have a pair of games broadcast through ESPN3, which is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually and accessible online via WatchESPN.com. It is available to approximately 70 million homes at no cost to fans who receive a high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated provider. Stony Brook’s game at Boston University on Jan. 14 and at New Hampshire on Feb. 6 will both be carried by ESPN3.
The Seawolves hoops team will appear on CBS Sports Network for the first time ever with a pair of February games. The team will play at Vermont Feb. 12 and host Maine Feb. 26 in the regular season finale. CBS Sports Network, which televises over 2,000 hours of live programming a year, is available to 98 million homes nationwide.

Stony Brook will also have other regional television dates on the schedule. The team’s Dec. 11 game at Boston College will be broadcast in the New England region on NESN. The following week’s Dec. 17 appearance at Madison Square Garden vs. Rutgers in the MSG Holiday Festival will be televised on MSG at noon. The Feb. 4 game at Albany will be regionally televised by Time Warner Cable Sports.
The national and regional television package is supplemented by an eight-game local package through Cablevision’s Optimum Local, which was announced back in October. The Seawolves will appear on iO TV digital cable’s channel 118 in Nassau and Suffolk County beginning with the Dec. 7 game vs. Fairleigh Dickinson and will include all America East games with the exception of Jan. 27 and Feb. 26.
Stony Brook men’s basketball, under seventh-year head coach Steve Pikiell, is off to a 2-3 start to the 2011-12 season. The Seawolves have returned 12 letterwinners from last season’s team that advanced to the America East Championship final for the first time in program history. The Seawolves have been picked to finish either first or second in most media/coaches polls and will compete for their first-ever America East championship and NCAA Tournament bid.

Sacred Heart defeats Stony Brook women’s hoops, 55-33

2011-12-01T08:37:00.003-05:00

Fairfield, Conn. – Stony Brook University’s women’s basketball team fell to the Sacred Heart Pioneers, 55-33, on Wednesday night at the Pitt Center. It was the second straight loss for the Seawolves.

“We competed hard but just didn’t execute the way we need to on the offensive end of the court,” Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Boyle said. “But we’ll come out and practice hard tomorrow and get ready for a good Rider team next Tuesday.”

Junior Gerda Gatling (Woodbridge, Va.) led Stony Brook as she matched a career-high with 10 points and junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with five points and nine rebounds. Callan Taylor paced Sacred Heart with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Sacred Heart started the game strong; hitting five of its first seven shots to take a 16-4 lead six minutes in. The Seawolves held the Pioneers without a field goal over the next five and a half minutes but still trailed 18-5 with nine minutes to go in the half.

Gatling gave the Seawolves a much needed lift off the bench though, scoring six points over the next two minutes as SBU cut the Sacred Heart lead to 25-13 with six minutes remaining. The teams traded hoops over the next five minutes but SHU scored the final five points of the half and took a 32-15 lead into the break.

Sacred Heart shot 46.4 percent over the opening 20 minutes and scored 10 points off nine Stony Brook turnovers. The Pioneers also had a 21-15 rebounding edge.

Gatling continued her strong play to start the second half, hitting a long jumper to answer an early Sacred Heart hoop. But the Pioneers scored eight of the next 10 points to take a 40-19 lead with 14:11 left.

Sacred Heart pushed its lead to as many as 25 and Stony Brook got no closer than 19 the rest of the way. It was the fifth win in six games for the Pioneers.

Stony Brook returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to take on Rider. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

JeVahn Cruz waits his turn to star for Stony Brook (Newsday)

2011-11-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

A quartet of Hansen Award winners have played for Stony Brook University's football team. Running backs Eddie Gowins, Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet have made their mark for the Seawolves. JeVahn Cruz is next in line. The redshirt freshman from Half Hollow Hills West just has to wait his turn.
Cruz never expected the Hansen, awarded to the top high school player in Suffolk, to propel him ahead of Jackolski or Maysonet, the two feature backs remaining from the Hansen collection.
"You have to adjust,'' the 5-6, 160-pound Cruz said. "You just stay positive and know your time will come.''
Cruz is looking forward to Saturday's game with Sam Houston in the second round of the FCS playoffs. He is in the you-never-know position, meaning his number could be called at any time. "I try to do the same thing every single week in practice,'' he said. "I try to bring energy to practice, make sure it's a good week of practice so when we get down to Texas there's no doubts or anything. One thing I pride myself on is knowing the system. I know I'm going to have to one day play a big role in the system.''
Cruz has made strides in his understudy role. He has rushed for 334 yards and four touchdowns -- not bad for the third back on the depth chart -- and has been valuable on special teams. Against Liberty, Cruz's tackle on a kickoff thwarted a potential return for a touchdown.
"He's been able to play on two or three special teams for us,'' coach Chuck Priore said. "I think his ability to learn has been very good.''
As a senior in high school, Cruz was a one-man offense. He threw for 1,531 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 1,789 yards and 24 more TDs.
Jackolski is a senior, Maysonet a junior. Priore is always recruiting talented players, but Cruz should have a significant role next season. "He's certainly the lead person to replace what we normally do, a two-back rotation,'' Priore said. "We certainly feel he can handle that situation. I think his overall development in the weight room will be crucial to his success. He said to me after the Liberty game, 'Coach, I'm going to be 15 pounds heavier next year so I can punish people.' That's something his body needs to do.''
Cruz is patient. "Just trying to get better and better and waiting until my time comes in the game,'' he said. "Miguel and Brock are over me right now, I respect that. I just sit back, watch what they do, see how they lead the team and hope I can do that in the years to come.''

Sam Houston excited as it prepares for SBU

2011-11-28T21:49:00.000-05:00

The eyes of Huntsville, Texas, will be on top-ranked Sam Houston (11-0) when the hometown Bearkats host Stony Brook (9-3) in an FCS second-round playoff game Saturday. The state is steeped in the tradition of major college football, but this community of 40,000 has plenty of allegiance for the local team.
"We're 50 miles away from Texas A&M, Texas is only a couple of hours away, Houston is having a heck of a season down the road about an hour away," said Dave Pattison, associate athletic director for external relations. "It's just as passionate here, just on a smaller scale."
Bowers Stadium holds 12,500. That was too small for Sam Houston's rivalry with Stephen F. Austin, so the game was moved to Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL Houston Texans, and 25,000 attended. Students usually get in for free during the regular season, but the NCAA mandates charging for playoff games, so this crowd might be less than a sellout.
"We have our loyal fans," said Jason Chandler, assistant athletic director for corporate partnerships and development. "Half of the population is tied to the Department of Criminal Justice. We have 10 prisons in town; they employ half the town. People are buying the T-shirts that say 'Undefeated.' Everybody's real excited. We're going around town asking businesses to put up on their marquee 'No. 1 seed, all in December 3.' "
Football competes for attention with Sam Houston's Division I basketball team. But it is, first and foremost, a football state, and this matchup is intriguing. "Most people here have not heard of Stony Brook before," Chandler said. "I think a lot of people have looked at the stats and are impressed with their offensive output and winning streak of nine games. It makes for an interesting matchup because you have the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses playing against each other."
Sam Houston will be favored, but coach Willie Fritz said overconfidence will not be a problem, adding: "We got up all over in our office: 'Prove it every week.' We don't look past that.''
Fritz has some knowledge of Stony Brook because his father used to be Buffalo's athletic director. "Both SUNY schools," he said.
Fritz is working hard to learn about the Seawolves. "Stony Brook's an awful lot like us: win by running the football. You don't find many teams that have two guys who rushed for over a thousand yards. This is going to be a big challenge for us. This is going to be the best running team that we faced.''

De La Rosa leaves UMBC

2011-11-28T18:51:00.001-05:00

Maryland-Baltimore County fifth-year senior guard Chris De La Rosa, is leaving the program for “personal and family-related matters,” according to a university statement.
After undergoing foot surgery in May, De La Rosa dressed for only one game this season, going for 17 points and 10 assists against VMI on Nov. 19.
De La Rosa earned second-team all-America East Conference honors last season and was named preseason all-league this year. He was the America East’s top returning scorer (15.5 ppg) and led the league in assists as a sophomore and junior.
De La Rosa was a reserve behind Ronald Moore when Siena went to the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
De La Rosa then transferred to UMBC for more playing time. While he saw more action, he didn’t get to enjoy many victories. The Retrievers were 9-51 over the past two seasons and are off to an 0-5 start this year.

Down 18, SBU rallies to beat Albany, 31-28

2011-11-26T21:52:00.000-05:00

By GREG LOGAN greg.logan@newsday.com

Photo credit: Joseph D. Sullivan | Stony Brook quarterback Kyle Essington (15) rolls out to pass in the second half. (Nov. 26, 2011)

The stopper was out of the drain, and you could see Stony Brook's Football Championship Subdivision playoff hopes spinning around and ready to go down the pipe as Albany drove to a second-and-goal at the Seawolves' 3-yard line with 54 seconds to play in their first-round playoff game Saturday afternoon at LaValle Stadium.
On the strength of three straight touchdowns by Brock Jackolski, SBU had overcome an 18-point third-quarter deficit to go ahead 31-28. But the Great Danes had all the momentum going their way, driving 52 yards with the help of a dropped interception and missed fourth-down tackle by Stony Brook cornerback Donald Porter.
If he had it to do over again, 74-year-old Albany coach Bob Ford said, "You'd say, 'Why not run it?' '' But people are creatures of habit, and SBU coach Chuck Priore said defensive coordinator Rob Nevasier knew Albany's tendencies on second-and-short at the goal line. "They throw the play-action pass,'' Priore said. "Our defensive coaches said it before the snap, and we called the perfect defense.''
Sure enough, Albany quarterback Dan Di Lella faked the handoff and fired to his right for 6-4 tight end Brian Parker. But the 5-10 Porter tipped the pass and safety Dominick Reyes caught the deflection, got his toes inside the end line and came down with the 31-28 victory.
"I locked on the tight end, he released and I played under him and got a hand on it to tip it up,'' Porter said. "It's a great way to keep our season going.''
It was the ninth straight victory for Stony Brook (9-3). A season that began with an overtime loss in Texas to UTEP of the Football Bowl Subdivision now returns to the Lone Star State, where the Seawolves will meet top-seeded Sam Houston State (11-0) at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday in an FCS second-round game.
"It's a great opportunity for us,'' said Stony Brook quarterback Kyle Essington, who completed 12 of 24 passes for 258 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per completion, and two touchdowns. "It doesn't matter who they put in front of us. We're going to hit them in the mouth.''
That was exactly the attitude Albany (8-4) brought to LaValle Stadium. The Great Danes took a 14-0 lead with the aid of a blocked punt that Parker returned 21 yards for a TD. The Seawolves cut it to 14-10, but Albany rattled them to their toes with two lightning-strike TDs.
Just before halftime, Di Lella, who completed 24 of 43 passes for 223 yards, drilled Cole King on a 44-yard post pattern for a 21-10 lead. On the first possession of the second half, running back Drew Smith completed a 43-yard TD pass to Ryan Kirchner to make it 28-10. "It's very tough, but we came back after those big plays,'' Porter said. "You have to stay sound and trust what you're doing.''
Stony Brook's offense sprang to life, driving 80 yards to score on a 6-yard run by Jackolski, who had 103 rushing yards on 22 carries. Then Porter came up with an interception that gave Stony Brook the ball at its 47 and set up the play that got the Seawolves back in the game.
On second-and-12, Essington dropped back, pump-faked and hit Jackolski wide-open down the left sideline for a 55-yard touchdown that made it 28-24. "Kyle had an awesome ball on the long throw,'' Jackolski said.
The Great Danes went three-and-out, and Stony Brook took the lead on Jackolski's third TD, an 11-yard run with 12:40 left that capped another 80-yard drive. But to Albany's credit, the Seawolves not only failed to put the game away but had to hang on for dear life at the end.
After the heart-pounding finish, Priore was emotionally spent. "Is 'wow' good enough?'' he said. "We needed every tick of the clock. I'm proud we overcame adversity and finished the game for the ninth time in a row.''

Jackolski simply refuses to lose (Newsday)

2011-11-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

This was the last time Brock Jackolski would perform on the field turf at Stony Brook University's LaValle Stadium. It would be the last time Long Island football fans would get a chance to watch one of the very best players of this generation.
Jackolski, a senior halfback for the Seawolves, has been a winner at every level. As a high school player, he led Floyd to three straight Long Island Class I championships. He finished a stellar high school career with a 33-0 record. It is improbable that any player will ever match that kind of streak.
Jackolski knows only winning. So when Stony Brook teetered on the brink of playoff elimination, it came as no surprise that the coaching staff asked him to put the team on his back. And he delivered.
Jackolski, a Big South first-team selection, never has disappointed, and he didn't this time, either. After falling behind 28-10 early in the third quarter, the Seawolves mounted a furious comeback, scoring three unanswered touchdowns to edge Albany, 31-28, in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
Who scored all three touchdowns? Jackolski.
The same Jackolski who burst on to the high school scene as a sophomore, rumbling for four touchdowns in a 34-27 win over Baldwin for the Long Island Class I championship at LaValle Stadium in 2005.
The same Jackolski who as a junior scored three times in a 42-20 win over East Meadow for the Class I title.
And yes, the same Jackolski who scored three times in his senior year in 2007, sparking a 42-0 win over Farmingdale and a third Class I crown.
He totaled 3,601 yards rushing and scored 66 touchdowns in high school, including a record 10 touchdowns in the Long Island Championships.
"He's a special player," Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore said. "He's a quiet leader as our captain, and the one thing that defines a great player is he never gets too high or low."
Jackolski ignited the come-from-behind win with a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:10 left in the third quarter to get the Seawolves within 28-17. And he was far from finished.
On a play that Priore said he designed this past week on a napkin, Jackolski moved out to the slot position, faked a stalk block on a defensive back, ran by him down the sideline and caught a well-thrown 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Essington to make it 28-24 with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
"He sold it enough to make it work," Priore said. "We put it in the playmaker's hands."
Jackolski punctuated the win with a burst over right tackle for an 11-yard scoring run for the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter. That third score resuscitated a fabulous Stony Brook season that had teetered on the brink of elimination an hour earlier.
Jackolski finished with 232 all-purpose yards, including 103 rushing and 74 on three kickoff returns. And he had one solo tackle and an assist on defense in the second half when he was asked to play in the nickel pass defense. Jackolski was in there defensively at crunch time, dropping back into coverage as Stony Brook held off an Albany drive that reached the SBU 3 in the final minute.
"It brought me back to my high school days going both ways," he said. "It means a lot to win here on Long Island."
So a player who emerged as a sophomore playmaker at LaValle Stadium in 2005 made more headlines there in his final game on Long Island in 2011. Jackolski's path from Floyd to Hofstra to Stony Brook mirrored the way he zigs and zags through opposing defenses.
"He embodies everything this program wants to become," Stony Brook athletic director Jim Fiore said. "He's so tough and resilient. I love the kid. He's a winner all the way around. He represents his family, our school, Long Island and himself in a classy way all the time."
Jackolski's transition from high school superstar to college star has been seamless, and his work isn't finished. Stony Brook will travel to top-ranked Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, for Saturday's second-round playoff game. And it could be more than another playoff game for Jackolski. Maybe it will be an audition for the NFL draft.
"Who would doubt a guy who refuses to lose?" Fiore said. "He has that extra gear, that vision, that desire. You can't teach what Brock Jackolski has."

STONY BROOK Football stages comeback to beat Albany, 31-28

2011-11-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook's football team hadn't faced a double-digit deficit since the second game of the season at Buffalo. But a little of junior Brock Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y.) and some defense helped erase an 18-point UAlbany lead as the Seawolves topped the Great Danes, 31-28, in a wild Division I Football Championship first round game at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Saturday.

Stony Brook (9-3) will face top-seeded Sam Houston State (11-0) next Saturday in Huntsville, Texas at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.com.

"Wow," coach Chuck Priore said. "I know I say it a lot, but good teams find ways to win. I'm really proud of my alma mater (UAlbany class of 1982) and the job they did tonight, but I'm even more proud of our team. We're excited for the opportunity to play another week."

Jackolski, a Long Island high school legend who played his final game at LaValle Stadium, scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and the eventual game-winner in the fourth quarter to lead a furious comeback.

Jackolski (22 rushes, 103 yards & 1 rec., 55 yards) scored on touchdown runs of 6 and 11 yards, and a 55-yard pass from junior Kyle Essington (Chino Hills, Calif.).

But UAlbany could have won if it wasn't for a game-saving play from senior Donald Porter (Charles Town, W.Va.) and junior Dominick Reyes (Hesperia, Calif.).

After a Stony Brook punt, the Great Danes started their final drive of the game from their 45. Senior Dan Di Lella (24-43-2, 223 yards, 1 TD) converted three third downs and a fourth down to give UAlbany first and goal from the 7. On second and goal from the 4, Di Lella faked the give to Paul Booker and rolled to his right. Di Lella, who was picked off earlier in the game by Porter, was looking for Brian Parker in the back of the endzone. But Porter stepped in front of the throw, and Reyes hauled in Porter's tip for the touchback to seal Stony Brook's school-record ninth straight win.

"My defensive responsibility was on the tight end, and I was able to get underneath him and tip the pass," Porter said. "Luckily for us, Dom (Reyes) was there and did a great job keeping his feet in bounds."

"As a player, I want to be in on the action," Reyes said. "It's hard to describe what I'm feeling right now. It hasn't sunk it yet. I saw the ball up in the air and did what you're supposed to do."

UAlbany, which held an 11-point lead at halftime, scored four plays into the second half. Tailback Drew Smith, who was split wide to the left, executed a perfect halfback option to Ryan Kirchner for a 43-yard touchdown, giving the Great Danes an 18-point lead, Stony Brook's largest deficit since trailing Buffalo, 28-7 in the third quarter.

That's when the Seawolves offense and defense started to click. Jackolski's six-yard score capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive, keyed by Essington's 33-yard pass to junior Brett Arce (Coalinga, Calif.) down the sideline.

Porter ended the next UAlbany drive, picking off Di Lella at the 41.

Two plays later, Jackolski and Essington (12-24-1, 258 yards, 2 TDs) converted the Seawolves' longest completion of the season. Essington pump faked and found Jackolski down the left sideline for the score.

"Kyle threw an awesome ball," Jackolski said. "I knew that if I could beat the safety, we'd score." Said Essington, "Coach Priore and (Offensive Coordinator) Coach Behrman drew up a great play. Brock's such a great player that I knew he'd come down with it."

Stony Brook stalled a third straight UAlbany drive. Just before the end of the third quarter, Essington found junior Kevin Norrell (Los Angeles, Calif.) down the sideline for a 38-yard gain to the UAlbany 42. Four plays later, Jackolski, with the help of a great block from sophomore Matt Faiella (Freehold, N.J.), took it 11 yards for the touchdown and Stony Brook's first lead of the game, 31-28, with 12:40 left in the fourth.

UAlbany was held scoreless for the final 28:25 of the game. Di Lella completed 11 of 25 for 77 yards after the Great Danes 18-point lead.

Junior Miguel Maysonet (Riverhead, N.Y.) rushed for 75 yards on 22 carries, becoming the Big South's all-time leading rusher in a season with 1,560 yards.

Jackolski finished the game with 232 all-purpose yards, giving him 2,286 for the season. That figure already ranks as the most in a season in conference history. It also was his fifth multi-touchdown game of the season, the most in the Big South this season.

NCAA FCS FOOTBALL GAMEDAY...Albany at STONY BROOK PREVIEW

2011-11-26T07:54:00.001-05:00

Controlling the trenches key for Stony Brook vs. Albany

WOMENS HOOPS FALLS AT #18 Ohio State

2011-11-25T18:25:00.001-05:00

Women's Hoops falls at No. 18 Ohio State - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

STONY BROOK TAKES NORTHWESTERN TO WIRE, LOSE 63-58

2011-11-25T16:18:00.001-05:00

Men's hoops takes Northwestern to wire, loses 63-58 - Stony Brook Official Athletic Site

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM NORTHWESTERN

2011-11-24T17:26:00.001-05:00

Men's Basketball practice at Northwestern University

Happy Thanksgiving from OHIO STATE

2011-11-24T16:19:00.001-05:00

Klupenger’s three sends women’s hoops past Robert Morris

2011-11-23T20:05:00.003-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) hit the go-ahead three with 14 seconds left as the Stony Brook women’s basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit to knock off the Robert Morris Colonials, 42-40, on Wednesday afternoon at Pritchard Gymnasium. It was the first career win for new Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Boyle.
“What a tremendous team effort,” O’Boyle said. “We focused on doing the little things down the stretch and that put us in the position to win the game.”
Stony Brook (1-3) trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and by 10 at halftime before rallying to within 40-39 on free throw from junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.Y.) with 34 seconds left. The Seawolves then forced a Robert Morris turnover and following a timeout, got the ball to Klupenger who drilled a three from the right wing to give Stony Brook its first lead of the game.
Josette Campbell then missed a jumper on the Colonials ensuing possession but Artemis Spanou got the rebound and was fouled with three seconds left. But Spanou missed the first free throw before missing the second on purpose and senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) grabbed the rebound and ran out the clock.
The Seawolves held Robert Morris to 28.3 percent shooting for the game including 21.7 percent in the second half and held the Colonials to just three points over the final 10.42 of the contest. Named SBU’s America East Player of the Game, Klupenger led the Seawolves with 13 points while senior Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.) chipped in with 11 points.
Robert Morris jumped on Stony Brook early, scoring 14 of the first 16 points of the game. The Colonials still led by 13 with 2:07 left in the first half but Klupenger hit two threes in the final two minutes to pull SBU within 10 at the break.
Stony Brook scored the first seven points of the second half to get within 25-22 but Robert Morris went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to build its lead back to 13 with just less than 11 minutes to go.
But the Stony Brook defense clamped down from there, holding the Colonials to just one field goal over the final 10 minutes of the game. The Seawolves pulled within 39-37 on two Davis free throws with 4:28 left and then got within one on the Murray free throw.
Mary Durojaye led Robert Morris with 10 points and 16 points while Campbell had 11. Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led Stony Brook with 11 rebounds.
The Seawolves return to action on Friday, traveling to take on No. 19 Ohio State. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Joe Nathan '97 signs with Texas Rangers

2011-11-22T23:28:00.000-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Former Stony Brook standout Joe Nathan '97 has agreed to a two-year contract with the Texas Rangers, the organization announced on Tuesday. A four-time All-Star, Nathan has 261 career saves.
Nathan has a career ERA of 2.87 and has struck out 761 batters in 729.2 innings. The Minnesota Twins all-time saves leader, Nathan was the recipient of the 2009 American League Rolaids Relief Man Award after finishing the season with a 2.10 ERA and compiling 47 saves in 52 opportunities.
Nathan made a $500,000 lead gift to the Stony Brook Department of Athletics for the construction of Joe Nathan Field, the home of Seawolves baseball. The field opened in May 2011 and Nathan was honored at a field dedication last month.
He was a two-time Academic All-American in his time with the Seawolves and was also inducted into the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame on Dec. 6, 2006, when he became the first former Stony Brook student-athlete to have his number retired

Stony Brook uses defense to trip Columbia (Marcus Henry, Newsday)

2011-11-22T23:13:00.000-05:00

All it took was a quick glance at the stat sheet during a timeout in the first half of Tuesday night's game against Columbia for Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell to realize his team was putting forth a great defensive effort.
Columbia had more turnovers (seven) than field-goal attempts (six) with 11:18 left in the first half. That first-half defense played a big part in Stony Brook's 67-53 win over the Lions at Pritchard Gymnasium.
"That's the kind of defense we have to play," Pikiell said. "We really spent a lot of time this week and we were ready . . . We played our kind of basketball today."
That wasn't the case in Stony Brook's 74-63 loss at Sacred Heart last week as the Pioneers shot 49 percent from the field and outrebounded the Seawolves 39-28.
"It was nice to get back to doing what we're doing, keeping teams under their average, playing good defense the whole time and getting after the rebounds," Pikiell said.
Dave Coley led Stony Brook (2-2) with 12 points, shooting 5-for-9, Bryan Dougher chipped in 11 points and Dallis Joyner and Tommy Brenton had nine points each.
Coley, the most efficient player for Stony Brook Tuesday night, attributed his offense to his defense. "I never feel like I have to get going [on offense]," the sophomore guard said. "I feel like my defense will get me going."
Playing without second-leading scorer Noruwa Agho (knee) made it especially tough for Columbia (0-4) to find its offense in the first half as Stony Brook took a 32-20 halftime lead.
Brian Barbour (23 points) was the only player for the Lions to finish in double figures.
"They made it really hard," Columbia coach Kyle Smith said. "And we had to go through some adjustments . . . I was really impressed with how Stony Brook guarded."
Although it wasn't the smoothest offensive performance for the Seawolves, who shot just 36.2 percent (21-for-58) from the field, no one seemed concerned with it.
"Coach preaches defense, defense, defense," Coley said. "As long we play defense, our offense will come to us."
Stony Brook took a 47-29 lead on a baseline jumper by Marcus Rouse with 14:07 left. The Lions answered with a 16-5 run and cut the deficit to 52-45.
But a three-pointer by Leonard Hayes, followed by a free throw and a reverse layup from Joyner pushed the Seawolves' lead to 58-45.

BREAKING: STONY BROOK'S JOE NATHAN AGREES TO SIGN WITH TEXAS RANGERS

2011-11-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

Rangers agree to terms with Joe Nathan

Nathan Headed To Rangers

Joe Nathan agrees to 2-year deal with Rangers worth $14.5 million

The Texas Rangers have agreed to terms with RHP Joe Nathan on a two-year contract with a club option for a third year, the team announced. The deal is worth $14.5 million, which includes a buyout.

The move means closer Neftali Feliz will move into the rotation, something the club has already informed him about.

"Jon Daniels and Ron Washington called me a couple of days ago and told me about the team's decision for me to be a starting pitcher next season," Feliz said in a statement issued Monday.
"I was a starter for my whole career before I came to the major leagues. I am happy to know the team's decision this early, and I have plenty of time to get ready. I have already started running.
"I have time to work on my changeup and all my pitches. I know I have to work hard to be ready to help my team as a starter so we can get back to the playoffs."
Nathan will be formally introduced at a news conference Tuesday morning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Nathan missed the 2010 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of that year and returned in 2011, pitching in 48 games (44 2/3 innings) with a 4.84 ERA and 14 saves with eight holds. He had 47 saves in 2009 with a 2.10 ERA and was one of the top closers in the big leagues. Nathan had six consecutive seasons of 35 or more saves.

George Mason rallies for 54-50 win over women’s hoops

2011-11-21T22:33:00.002-05:00

Stony Brook, N.Y. – Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) scored a career-high 16 points but the George Mason Patriots went on a 26-6 game-ending run to rally for a 54-50 win over the Stony Brook University women’s basketball team on Monday night in the Seawolves home opener at Pritchard Gymnasium. “For stretches tonight, we played very well on both ends of the floor,” Stony Brook head coach Beth O’Boyle said. “We’re getting better as a team, we just have to learn how to finish games. Give credit to George Mason, they executed down the stretch and we didn’t. But we’ll learn from it, come back and practice hard tomorrow and get ready for a solid Robert Morris team on Wednesday.”

Klupenger went 5-for-10 from three and was named Stony Brook’s America East Player of the Game. Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added nine points and six rebounds and freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore.) chipped in with eight points.

Stony Brook led 44-28 with 11:12 left following Klupenger’s fourth three of the game. But the Patriots went on a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to cut the SBU lead to 46-43.

Previlon hit one of two free throws with 4:14 left to push the lead back to four but George Mason answered with five straight points, going ahead 48-47 on a jumper from Rahneeka Saunders with 1:41 to go. It was the Patriots first lead of the game.

Stony Brook then turned it over on its next two possessions as Mason pushed its lead to 52-47 with 28 seconds left. Klupenger hit a three with two seconds left to make it 52-50 but Taleia Moton knocked down two free throws on the other end to seal the game for the Patriots.

George Mason was held to 36.8 percent shooting in the first half by the Seawolves but shot 50 percent from the field in the second half. Stony Brook out-rebounded George Mason, 36-31 and went 7-for-14 from three.

The Seawolves opened the game strong, scoring nine of the first 11 points. Mason got within 15-12 with 7:50 left but SBU ended the half on a 14-7 run to take a 29-19 lead into the break.

The teams traded hoops over the first four minutes of the second half before a bucket from senior Whitney Davis (Muskegon, Mich.) kick started an 11-5 Stony Brook spurt that gave the Seawolves the 44-28 lead.

Stony Brook returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Robert Morris at Pritchard Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m