Nov. 27, 2001

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook at Rutgers Game Notes

Media: WUSB 90.1 FM - broadcast also carried live on the internet at www.goseawolves. org

Game Backdrop: * Stony Brook enter tonight's game still looking for its first win of the season following a pair of losses at the Red Auerbach Colonial Classic at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. The Seawolves fell to Yale, 82-62, in round one and then dropped a 53-51 decision to America East rival Binghamton the following night.

* The Seawolves continue the six-game road swing that begins the 2001-02 season. It is the most games away from home to begin a season since the 1971-72 season where SB played is first seven games on the road.

* Rutgers is the second of three BIG EAST teams that Stony Brook will face this year. The Seawolves opened the season with a 72-55 loss to St. John's. SB will take on Villanova on December 11.

* The Seawolves will be without starting shooting guard Larry Jennings due to a broken left foot. The former St. John's Prep star broke a small bone near the ankle of his left foot back on November 2. He is expected to be out another four weeks.

Versus Rutgers And The BIG EAST: Rutgers holds a 1-0 series edge after holding off Stony Brook, 67-60, last year at Rutgers. The Seawolves were close throughout and actually led by four points in the second half, but the Scarlet Knights rallied and held off the Seawolves down the stretch for the win. D.J. Munir and Leon Brisport each had 18 poitns for Stony Brook. The Seawolves are 0-6 all-time versus BIG EAST teams.

Macarchuk vs. Rutgers: Head coach Nick Macarchuk has never defeated the Scarlet Knights - he is 0-2 all-time.

About Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are now at 2-2 on the year after a 57-56 win over Auburn on Saturday. RU has now won two its last two games after a win over FDU on Nov. 16. Jerome Coleman leads the team in scoring at 17.5 per game and is one of three Scarlet Knights who average double figures - Rashod Kent (12/3 ppg) and Mike Sherrod (10.0). Kent is the team's top rebounder at 11.3 per game.

Last Time Out: Poor shooting resulted in a 53-51 loss in the consolation round of the Red Auerbach Colonial Classic last Saturday night. The Seawolves led 27-21 at the break but shot only 29 percent in the second half and Lamar Johnson's three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark as SB lost its fourth straight. D.J. Munir scored a team-high 22 points for Stony Brook.

Seawolves In November: The Seawolves are 2-11 (0-4 this year) in November since moving to the Division I level.

D.J. Pouring It On: D.J. Munir continues to emerge as a major offensive force for the Brook. After averaging just over 10 points per game last year, Munir has exploded throught the first four games, scoring points at a 23 per game clip. He has one 36-point game to his credit and is coming off a team-high 22 points on Saturday. He is shooting just over 40 percent from the field and a blistering 88.9 percent from the free throw line. He has led the team in scoring in all five games. His 23.0 points per game average ranks second in the America East, behind only New Hampshire's Austin Ganly. He also is second to Ganly in free throw percentage -- Ganly has hit 95 percent of his free throw attempts.

Munir vs. Sherrod - Last Year: Munir - 18 points, 5 assists - 2 turnovers Sherrod - 15 pts, 3 assists - 2 turnovers

Jersey Boys: It is a homecoming of sorts tonight for three Seawolves as Mike Konopka (Toms River, N.J.), Jairus McCollum (Mt. Holly, N.J.) and JonPaul Kobryn (Bayonne, N.J.) return to their home state to face the Scarlet Knights. Konopka starred at Toms River East HS, McCollum at Rancocas Valley HS and Kobryn helped St. Anthony's to a state championship last year.

Munir Takes It To Heart: D.J. Munir's performance against Sacred Heart was nothing short of spectacular. The sophomore point guard torched the Pioneers for 36 points on 13 of 23 shooting, including 5 of 10 from downtown. His 36 points equalled the sixth-best single-game scoring effort in school history, equalling the 36 points that Tom Blumbergs put up against Jersey City State in 1988. It also set a new Stony Brook Division I standard, setting a new mark for the most points scored by any player in one game since the move to Division I. Leon Brisport previously held the Division I record with 35 points last year versus Columbia.

To Be Or Not To J.B.: Sophomore J.B. Bennett truly has made his mark as one of Stony Brook's most improved players this year. Although it is early, it is evident that Bennett has stepped up his game. Last year, J.B. averaged 1.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 21 appearances, averaging just over six minutes per contest. What's the difference? This year, Bennett has logged an average of 29.5 minutes, averaging 6.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He has emerged as SB's top rebounder and 14 of his 32 rebounds have come on the offensive end. Bennett's 8.0 rebounds per game places him in a tie for fourth in the conference. He also ranks third in blocks per game. (1.25)

Sophomore Jinx?: One of the reasons for Stony Brook's tough start has been the play of sophomores Mike Konopka and Jairus McCollum. The duo has struggled in the early going - Konopka is shooting only 37 percent from the field to go along with 3.3 boards per game while McCollum is averaging only 5.8 points per game. Last year, the duo shot over 50 percent from the field.

Joakim Returns: Joakim Eriksson returned to the starting lineup on Saturday after missing the first three games due to NCAA rules violations. Eriksson was made to sit the first three games of the season because he played 17 games in Europe on a club team where some of his teammates were paid. The NCAA ruled Eriksson would have to sit three games. His return was a welcome one, Eriksson scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in his season debut versus Binghamton.

Struggling On "D": Stony Brook has been sluggish on the defensive end this year. Last year, the Seawolves held opponents to 42.9 percent shooting from the field, 32.8 percent from beyond the three-point arc. This year, Seawolves' opponents have connected on 45.5 percent of their shots and a robust 42.2 percent from three-point range.

Lamar Cracks The Lineup: Walk-on Lamar Johnson has been impressive enough in the early going to earn some playing time. He came off the bench in the first three games but won his first start in a Seawolf uniform last Saturday night against Binghamton. The senior guard scored three points and grabbed five rebounds to go along with two assists.

Team Notes: Trevor Bryant left the team for personal reasons on Monday . . . six of the nine teams in the America East are still without a win this season . . .

Slow Starts: Stony Brook has lost its first four games, the first time it has done that since the inaugural Division I campaign two years ago when the season began with seven staight losses. The worst start in the program's history took place in 1974-75 when the then Patriots lost their first 14 games.

Konopka Looks For Range: Sophomore Mike Konopka has yet to find his shooting touch this season. After shooting over 49 percent from the field last year, Konopka has connected on only 37.5 percent (12-32) of his shots in the first four games.

From the Stripe: The Seawolves are shooting 70 percent from the free throw line, led by Munir who has hit 24 of 27 (.889) free throws.

Bad Numbers: A two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio is usually consider good. Stony Brook's assist-to-turnover ratio is 1:1.9 . . . SB has been outrebounded 83-67 in its last two outings.

Jennings Update: Larry Jennings is still out with a broken foot. He is expected to be out of action for about another four weeks.

A Good Sign . . .Although its only one season, a good indicator of the Seawolves' success seems to be the play of sophomore Jairus McCollum. Last year, McCollum scored in double figures 12 times - SB was 11-1 when he scored in double figures - the only loss came in the season finale to Army. McCollum has yet to score in double figures this year and the Seawolves are 0-4.

Road Facts: The Seawolves have lost all four games away from home this season for two main reasons - poor shooting and turnovers. Through the first two games the Seawolves averaged 23 turnovers per game. They cut down on that probelm in the last two, averaging only 14 per game in the last two but the Seawolves shooting woes have become the problem. The Seawolves shot only 34.9 percent from the field, 25 percent from three-point land, versus Yale, and followed that up with a 34 percent performance against Binghamton. The Seawolves shot only 29 percent during the second half in the loss to the Bearcats.