Jan. 21, 2010

Buy Tickets | Box Score

Burlington, Vt. - Sophomore Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) scored a game-high 20 points and junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) scored all of his 13 points in the second half as the Stony Brook University men's basketball team used a 13-2 run midway through the second half to take a 10-point lead and then held on late to defeat the first-place Vermont Catamounts, 65-60, on Thursday night at Patrick Gym. Stony Brook improves to 13-7 overall and 5-2 in the America East with the victory. It is the Seawolves best start in conference play since joining the America East in 2001-02. The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak for Vermont, who falls to 14-6 and 5-1.

"What a terrific win for our guys on the road against an excellent Vermont team," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "Our guys really executed well on both ends of the court and we then stepped up and made the plays we had to make down the stretch after they [Vermont] made a run at us."

Dougher knocked down five of his six three-point attempts and was named the Seawolves America East Player of the Game. Sophomore Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) added eight points and 10 rebounds while senior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) chipped in with 11 points. Marqus Blakely scored a team-high 17 points for the Catamounts, who had won 18 of their last 19 regular season conference game.

Stony Brook trailed 44-39 early in the second half but Dougher then scored on a driving lay-up to spark a 6-1 Stony Brook run that tied the game at 45 with just less than 12 minutes remaining in the game. Brendan Bald hit one of two free throws to give UVM a one-point lead but Dougher responded with a three to kick start a 13-2 run that gave SBU a 58-48 lead with seven minutes remaining in the game.

Vermont scored five of the next six points to close within five before Martin scored on a driving lay-up to give the Seawolves a 61-53 lead. The Catamounts responded with the next seven points though, closing within one on a Blakely hoop with just over two minutes left.

SBU still led by one with just over a minute left when Blakely blocked a driving lay-up from El-Amin. Nick Vier grabbed the loose ball for the Catamounts but Martin stripped him, giving the Seawolves a fresh shot clock. Martin then scored on a driving hoop in the lane to push the Stony Brook lead to three.

Joey Accaoui missed a three on Vermont's ensuing possession and the ball caromed out of bounds to the Seawolves. SBU then in-bounded the ball to El-Amin, who was fouled and hit one of two free throws with 16.3 seconds left. Garvey Young then missed a three and Dougher grabbed the rebound to secure the Seawolves first victory in nine trips to Patrick Gym.

Vermont scored the first six points of the game but Stony Brook answered with five straight points to climb within one. Garvey Young scored two straight hoops to push the UVM lead back to five but Dougher then sandwiched a pair of threes around a Blakley free throw to tie the game at 11.

Stony Brook took its first lead of the game, 17-15, on two free throws from sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) with 12:01 remaining. Vermont answered with a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 10-point lead but Dougher drilled his third three of the half to end the UVM spurt and then followed that by banking in a jumper from the left elbow to cut the Vermont lead to 27-22. The Seawolves tied the game at 31 with 1:12 left following four straight Seawolves points from sophomore Danny Carter (London, England) and a fast-break lay-up from El-Amin. Young scored on a driving lay-up with 25 seconds left to send Vermont into the break with a 33-31 lead.

SBU scored six of the first eight points of the second half to take a two point lead before a Blakely fast-break dunk sparked a 9-2 UVM run that gave the Catamounts a 44-39 advantage. The Seawolves shot 43.1 percent from the field and knocked down six of their 12 three-point attempts.

Stony Brook returns to action on Sunday, hosting Albany at Pritchard Gymnasium in a game that will be televised on MSG Plus. Game time is set for 12 p.m. For ticket information go to www.goseawolves.org or call 631-632-WOLF.