Dec. 6, 2005
Game 6
Stony Brook (3-2) vs. #19/20 Temple (6-1)
December 7, 2005 • 7:00 p.m.
Indoor Sports Complex • Stony Brook, N.Y.
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Tonight's Matchup
Stony Brook (3-2) will faced a ranked opponent for the first time in its Division I history when the Seawolves host No. 19/20 Temple (6-1) this evening. The game will mark the first all-time meeting between the two teams.
Scouting the Owls
Temple enters tonight's contest at 6-1 on the season coming off its first loss of the season, a 58-55 setback to Florida on Saturday, after six straight victories to kick off the year.
The Owls are led by Candice Dupree's 16.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, while Kamesha Hairston (13.6 ppg) and Khadija Bowens (10.0 ppg) are also posting double figures scoring.
Last Time Out
Sarah Hayes netted 20 points and added eight boards to lift Brown to a 71-62 victory over Stony Brook in the championship game of the Brown Classic on Sunday.
After trailing by as many as 15 in the first half, the Seawolves clawed their way back into the contest, pulling within two points at 54-52. That was as close as they could get however, as Hayes converted on a pair of three-point plays and Colleen Kelly sank a pair of free throws to push the lead back to 10 points and put the game out of reach.
Jessica Smith led all scorers with 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and four steals, while Dana Ferraro added 12 boards. Mykeema Ford was held scoreless for just the second time in her career, going 0-for-11 from the field in the loss.
Familiar Faces
Tonight marks the first all-time meeting between Stony Brook and Temple, but the two teams' coaching staffs are quite familiar with each other.
Stony Brook's Maura McHugh was a member of the coaching staff of the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs for five seasons, while Temple head coach Dawn Staley played for the league's Charlotte Sting for six. The two also squared off in the ABL during the 1997-98 season when McHugh served as head coach of the Long Beach StingRays and Staley played for the Philadelphia Rage.
Smith Comes Alive at Brown Classic
After struggling for two straight games, Jessica Smith broke out of her slump in a big way at the Brown Classic December 3-4.
In Stony Brook's two games prior to the tournament, Smith averaged just 7.5 points per game while shooting .233 (7-for-30) from the floor.
She quickly busted out of the skid, however, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line for 18 points to go with four steals and three assists vs. Arkansas State in the first game of the classic. She then capped it with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four steals vs. Brown in the championship game. For the weekend, Smith averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals en route to all-tourney honors.
Ford Struggles in Loss
Mykeema Ford picked a bad night to post her worst outing of the season in the Seawolves 71-62 loss at Brown on December 4. The junior guard was held scoreless for just the second time in her career, shooting 0-for-11 from the field.
Ford failed to score just one other time in her career in SB's 54-47 loss at Fordham on December 13, 2003, but the then-freshman only played two minutes in the game.
Ferraro, Ford Among NCAA Leaders
Stony Brook's Dana Ferraro and Mykeema Ford rank among the NCAA Division I leaders in games played through December 5.
Ferraro, who leads America East in rebounding, ranks fourth in the nation with 12.4 rebounds per game, while Ford, who leads the league in assists, stands 21st in the country with 6.2 assists per game.
In addition, as a team the Seawolves rank 26th with 12.2 steals per game.
SB Trio Among League Leaders
Stony Brook's Dana Ferraro, Jessica Smith and Mykeema Ford rank tops among America East league leaders in three categories in games played through December 5.
Smith leads the league with 16.2 points and 3.2 steals per contest while Ferraro is tops with 12.4 rebounds and 9.2 offensive rebounds per game and Ford leads the conference with 6.2 assists per outing.
Starting off Strong
Stony Brook kicked off the 2005-06 season on a high note, earning a pair of wins to open the season 2-0 for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
The Seawolves opened the season by defeating Bucknell in their home opener on November 18, marking the first time since the 2001-02 season that SB earned a victory in its season or home opener. The team then picked up a road win at Quinnipiac on November 21 to start a season 2-0 for the first time at the Division I level.
Ford Does it All on Offense
Junior Mykeema Ford was outstanding on the offensive end of the floor in Stony Brook's first two contests this season. The point guard poured in 19 points in both games while averaging 7.5 assists and shooting .560 (14-for-25) from the field, including .600 (3-for-5) from downtown.
Leah Getz it Done
Newcomer Leah Getz provided a huge spark off the Seawolves' bench in their win at Quinnipiac on November 21. The junior transfer netted 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds, all good for season-best performances.
Getz is currently ranked tied for fourth on the team with 9.5 points per game and leads America East with a .600 (6-for-10) field goal percentage.
Ford Honored by America East
Mykeema Ford was named the America East co-Player of the Week for the week ending November 27. Ford continued her solid play to open up the 2005-06 campaign, collecting game-highs of 19 points and eight assists in a decisive 87-61 road victory at Quinnipiac last week, helping the Seawolves open the season 2-0 for the first time since 1997-98.
Ford's 19 points tied her previous season-high set in SB's opener vs. Bucknell, while her eight assists was just one short of her career-high set a year ago vs. Bradley.
A Little Help From the Bench
The Seawolves bench played a major role in SB's win at Quinnipiac on November 21. Five of the seven bench players scored at least two points while two - Leah Getz (13) and Kelly Watson (11) - scored in double figures. In addition, those seven players shot .608 (14-for-23) from the floor.
Smith, Ford Solid in Game 1
Stony Brook's duo of Jessica Smith and Mykeema Ford came out strong in SB's season-opener on Friday, tallying a combined 46 of the Seawolves' 81 points in the contest.
Smith netted 19 of her game-high 27 points in the first half and added seven rebounds and four steals, while Ford netted 19 points and dished out seven assists.
