Feb. 20, 2012
• 2011-12 Virtual Guide
2011-12 Stony Brook Men's Basketball
Game #27: Stony Brook Seawolves (18-8) at Hartford Hawks (8-19)
Tue., Feb. 21 • Chase Arena • West Hartford, Conn. • 7 p.m.
On the Radio
WUSB 90.1 FM & GoSeawolves.org with Mike Solano, Curt Hylton & Jeff Bernstein
LIVE: STATS | AUDIO | VIDEO | TWITTER
INFO: GAME NOTES (PDF)
Stony Brook Seawolves (18-8, 12-2 America East)
Head Coach: Steve Pikiell, seventh season
Overall Record: 96-134
Record at SBU: 91-116
Hartford Hawks (8-19, 7-7 America East)
Head Coach: John Gallagher, second season
Overall Record: 19-39
Record at Hartford: same
About the Game: Stony Brook, two wins away from a share of the America East regular season championship and a 20-win season, faces another hot basketball team as it plays Hartford. The Seawolves have won 15 of their last 17, and the Hawks have won four straight and seven of their last 12. This is the 25th all-time meeting between the two teams, and the Hawks lead the series 13-11, but the Seawolves have won seven straight and three straight in Hartford. Last season in Hartford, the Seawolves won in overtime.
Scouting Hartford: The Hawks have been streaky of late, winning three in a row in mid-January before losing five straight games. Now Hartford has won four straight, including its first non-conference victory of the year last Saturday at St. Peter’s. Hartford’s key to victory is playing defense. When the Hawks hold teams under 60 points, they are 6-1. Otherwise they are 2-18. Two players coming on strong of late are Nate Sikma and Mark Nwakamma. Sikma is averaging 14.5 points over the last four games, and Nwakamma, who is second in America East in field goal percentage (.571) is averaging 13.5 points over the last four games while shooting 82% from the field (23-for-28).
Last Time Out: Stony Brook overcame a nine-point deficit with just over five minutes to go in the second half to leave Boston with a 76-69 win over Northeastern. Dave Coley scored a game-high 21 points and made six free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Tommy Brenton had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and was instrumental in a 17-2 run Seawolves run to complete the comeback. Stony Brook outrebounded NU 38-26 and turned 16 offensive rebounds into 26 second chance points.
A Stony Brook win...
- Would tie the 2009-10 Seawolves team for most America East wins (13).
- Would be SBU’s eighth consecutive victory over Hartford.
- Would be SBU’s seventh road win in its last nine tries.
Playoff Picture: At 12-2, Stony Brook has guaranteed itself no worse than a second-place finish in America East. If the Seawolves win their final two conference games, they will earn a share of the America East regular season championship for the second time in three seasons. If SBU wins both and Vermont loses one or both of its final two, Stony Brook will clinch the regular season outright and earn the No. 1 seed in the America East Championship.
Nothing Wrong with No. 2: Should Stony Brook earn the No. 2 seed in the America East Championship, there’s nothing to fret about. The No. 2 seed has gone on to reach the finals of the America East Championship 21 times in the 29 years that the tournament has been seeded. The No. 2 seed has won the title nine times.
Dougher Wallops the Hawks: Bryan Dougher lit Hartford up for 23 points in the first meeting this season, and it’s no surprise because he enjoys regularly playing the Hawks. In seven career games against Hartford (all Seawolves wins), Dougher is averaging 17.1 points while shooting 43% from the field, 45% from three-point range and 83% from the free throw line.
Hayes Enjoys the Chase: There must be something about the lighting at Chase Arena that interests Leonard Hayes. In three career games there (including America East Championship games), he is shooting 64% from the field and 69% from the three-point line.
All You Need is a Second Chance: Stony Brook has been the king of second chance opportunities this season with all of the offensive rebounding it’s doing. That was prevalent in SBU’s 76-69 win at Northeastern, when the Seawolves scored 26 second chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.
A Historic Winning Streak: Stony Brook is only in its 13th season of Div. I competition and 11th in the America East. The team is 15-2 in its last 17, SBU’s best 17-game stretch as a Div. I program. The 12-2 start to America East play matches the 2009-10 team, which also started 12-2 and finished 13-3.
Senior Leadership: The season and careers of four Stony Brook seniors are winding down and they have been a part of a massive turnaround. Before Bryan Dougher, Danny Carter, Dallis Joyner and Al Rapier stepped on the court at SBU, the Seawolves had only won 84 games in eight seasons as a Div. I program. Since they got here, the Seawolves have won 71 games in just under four seasons and are biding for their second regular season championship in three years.
The Offense is Flowing: Stony Brook has won 15 of its last 17 games and the offensive rhythm the team is in has played a large role. The Seawolves are shooting 45 percent from the field over the last 17 games while averaging 68.4 points. Five times during the streak, SBU has shot better than 50 percent and six times SBU has scored 75 points or more.
Don't Forget About the D: Not to be forgotten is Stony Brook’s defensive run during this 17-game stretch. The team is only allowing opponents to score 57.6 points per game over the last 17. Six of the last 10 opponents have not reached 60 points, and the highest point total allowed in the span is 69 -- to Albany, which has the America East’s best scoring offense, and Northeastern. For the season, Stony Brook is 22nd in the nation in scoring defense (59.5/game).
Rebounding Machines: Stony Brook has done a nice job on the glass so far this season, outrebounding opponents by a 7.4 margin (37.2 to 29.8), which leads America East and is 10th in the nation. What’s more impressive is the work on the offensive end, grabbing a league-best average of 14.0 offensive rebounds per game. That is leading to an average of 14.5 second chance points per game.
D is the Key: The math is usually simple for Stony Brook and its defense: hold the opponent under 60 points and it’s a victory. The Seawolves are 13-0 this season when holding their opponent under 60 points.
Up Next: Stony Brook wraps up the regular season Sunday against Maine at Pritchard Gym at 12 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. Prior to the game, Stony Brook will honor its four seniors Danny Carter, Bryan Dougher, Dallis Joyner and Al Rapier.
