Dec. 10, 2002

Game Backdrop: Stony Brook faces a tough Fordham squad after finishing as runner-up of the Holiday Inn Express Tournament on Saturday. The Seawolves look to bounce back from their loss to Florida International in the championship game.

About the Rams: Fordham comes off a four-point victory against St. John's on Saturday. The Rams broke open a tight game late in the second half and went a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the last five minutes to seasl the win. Senior guard Mobolaji Akiode scored a game-high 16 points and Monica Mack added 11 points. Akiode is one of three Rams averaging double figures, scoring at a14.5 per game clip. Junior guard Beth Ann Dickinson averages 12.2 points, while senior forward/center Caitlin Chiaramonte adds 11.5. Sophomore center Kyshawn Ruff chips in with 7.2 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game.

Series History: Fordham leads the all-time series 2-0 with the last meeting in 1970.

Key Matchup: Fordham is strong in the backcourt with Akiode and Dickinson leading the Rams in scoring. Stony Brook's duo of Stephanie Barlett and Danyelle Ingram will have to continue their scoring pace while limiting the shots of Akiode and Dickinson. The Rams also spend a lot of time at the free throw line, with 80 percent shooting on 156 attempts. The Seawolves are only 50-of-84 (.595) from the line this season.

Injury Update: Theresa LoParrino, who missed the final six games in 2001-02 with an ACL injury, is still out of action. After briefly returning to practice, LoParrino injured her healthy leg, which was revealed to be multiple stress fractures. She is expected to miss six to eight weeks. LoParrino has led the Seawolves in three-pointers the last two seasons and finished second on the team in scoring a year ago.

Common Opponents: Today's teams have faces one common opponent, St. John's. The Red Storm handed the Seawolves an 11-point setback, while Fordham survived for a 53-49 win. On Saturday, the Seawolves take on Morgan State, who the Rams have already faced. Fordham defeated the Lady Bears, 89-35.

Career Highs All Around: Danyelle Ingram, Danielle DeGiorgioand Stephanie Barlett each recorded a career-high in points this week. Barlett scored 22 points against both St. John's and Fairleigh for a career-best performance. DeGiorgio was also outstanding against FDU with her fourth career double-double, 23 points and 12 boards. Ingram was one of two double figure scorers against Florida International, collecting a team-high 15 points.

Barlett Makes Her Mark: Stephanie Barlett came up big for the Seawolves against Fairleigh Dickinson, scoring 19 of her 22 points in the second half as Stony Brook rallied from an 11-point second half deficit. Barlett was named to the All-Tournament Team fo her efforts.

DeGiorgio Steps Up: Danielle DeGiorgio was key for the Seawolves in the HIE Tournament, scoring 33 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in the two games combined. DeGiorgio had not scored in double figures yet this season until this weekend's games.

Seawolves Rally: The Seawolves rallied from an 11-point second half deficit against FDU in the HIE Tournament, sparked by Stephanie Barlett's three-point shooting. Barlett drilled four threes down the stretch as Stony Brook knotted the game at 68-68 after being down 11 with 11 minutes remaining. FDU responded with a trey of its own to take the lead with under a minute to go, but Barlett connected again from behind the arc and was fouled. The sophomore converted the four-point play to give Stony Brook the lead for good.

Stellar Steph: Stephanie Barlett was outstanding in Stony Brook's three games last week. She connected on 10-of-21 three-pointers in the three games combined and recorded double figures against St. John's and FDU. Her 22 points in each game marked a career-high. Her six treys on just nine attempts against FDU also marked a career-best performance.

Season Highs: Stony Brook recorded several season-highs against Fairleigh Dickinson, including points (76), points in a half (47 in the second), rebounds (52) and three-pointers (six).

Giving It Away: Stony Brook continues to struggle with controlling the ball, averaging 26.3 turnovers per game while forcing its opponents into 19.5. In five of six games this year, the Seawolves have recorded more miscues than their opponents.

On the Boards: The Seawolves have outrebounded three of their last four opponents. Stony Brook recorded a 44-36 edge against Wright State and grabbed a total of 38 boards to St. John's 35. In their win over Fairleigh Dickinson, the Seawolves collected a season-high 52 boards to FDU's 34.

Last Time Out: The Seawolves suffered a 96-44 setback at the hands of Florida International in the championship game of the HIE Tournament. The Golden Panthers (4-2) were in control from the beginning, shooting a sizzling 68 percent from the field, including draining 18 of their first 22 baskets. FIU did not miss a shot in one eight-minute span in the first half, building a commanding 42-14 lead with 4:19 left before halftime. The Panthers did not let up in the second stanza, stretching the lead to as many as 53 on Silvia Mesa's jumper at the 11:36 mark.

Looking Ahead: Stony Brook sees its five-game home streak come to an end this weekend as the Seawolves travel to face Morgan State on Saturday. Stony Brook does not return to action until after Christmas, when the Seawolves travel to the Colorado State University Tournament Dec. 28-29.