Dec. 19, 2010

Final Stats

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Stony Brook University women's basketball team held the Long Island Blackbirds to 36.8 percent shooting but it wasn't enough as Ashley Palmer scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Blackbirds to a 59-43 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Wellness Center.

Senior Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) led the Seawolves with nine points and six rebounds. Stony Brook cut a 29-point second half deficit to 13 but the Blackbirds held on to deal SBU its fourth straight loss. The Seawolves shot 23.5 percent from the field for the game.

Stony Brook struggled from the field at the start, missing its first nine shots as LIU jumped to an 8-2 lead. But junior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) ended the drought with a jumper from the right elbow to kick start a 6-0 run that tied the game at eight with 12 minutes remaining in the first half. The Stony Brook defense was terrific to start, forcing LIU to miss nine of its first 10 shots over the first eight minutes.

But the Blackbirds had an answer, going on a 19-3 run over the next seven minutes to take a 27-11 lead. Stony Brook scored seven of the next 11 points, including four from Jeter, to get within 32-18. But LIU scored the final hoop of the half to head into the break with a 16-point lead.

The Seawolves again struggled to score to start the second half, as LIU scored the first eight points to take a 42-18 lead. Sophomore Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich.) scored Stony Brook's first hoop of the half just over four minutes in to make it 42-20.

LIU pushed its lead to 51-22 with just less than 12 minutes to go but Murray knocked down a three from the top of the key and junior Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) followed with a short jumper from the right wing to make it 51-27. A three from sophomore Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) made it 51-30 with nine minutes remaining and sophomore Juanita Cochran (Saginaw, Mich.) then continued the Stony Brook run with a free throw and a put-back hoop.

A Landers fast-break hoop off an LIU turnover completed a 13-0 Stony Brook spurt that made it 51-35. LIU made three free throws over the next minute but SBU scored six straight points to cut its deficit to 13 with two minutes left.

But Palmer scored on a put-back on LIU's next possession to stem the Stony Brook rally and seal the game for LIU. The Blackbirds out-scored the Seawolves 30-12 in the pain while SBU scored 23 points off 24 LIU turnovers.

The Seawolves have a quick turnaround, traveling to take on Old Dominion on Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.