Feb. 3, 2012
• 2011-12 Virtual Guide
2011-12 Stony Brook Men's Basketball
Game #22: Stony Brook Seawolves (14-7) at Albany Great Danes (15-9)
Sat., Feb. 4 • SEFCU Arena • Albany, N.Y. • 7 p.m.
On Television
Time Warner Cable Sports
On the Radio
WUSB 90.1 FM & GoSeawolves.org with Mike Solano & Jeff Bernstein
LIVE: STATS | AUDIO | VIDEO | TWITTER
INFO: GAME NOTES (PDF)
Stony Brook Seawolves (14-7, 9-1 America East)
Head Coach: Steve Pikiell, seventh season
Overall Record: 92-133
Record at SBU: 87-115
Albany Great Danes (15-9, 7-3 America East)
Head Coach: Will Brown, third season
Overall Record: 144-174
Record at Albany: same
About the Game: Stony Brook, winners of 11 of its last 12 games, begins a two-game swing on the road Saturday at Albany in a critical matchup between a pair of teams in the hunt for the regular season championship. The Seawolves are currently in first place in America East, looking to go 10-1 in the league for the first time ever. This is the 57th all-time meeting between the two teams, and the Great Danes lead the series 34-22, but the Seawolves have won two straight and have won at Albany in two of the last three seasons.
Scouting Albany: The Great Danes sport the America East’s top scoring offense at 74.1 points per game. The team has cracked 70 points or higher in 16 of its 24 games this season, which acts as a measure of victory. The team is 13-3 when it reaches 70 points, 2-6 when it does not. SBU was one of the teams to hold Albany under 70. The Great Danes also have the league’s leading scorer in Gerardo Suero, who is averaging 21.6 PPG and shooting 49 percent from the field. He is joined in double figures by Logan Aronhalt (15.9 PPG) and Mike Black (13.0 PPG). Like Stony Brook, Albany is undefeated at home this season (9-0) and has won 12 straight at SEFCU Arena.
Last Time Out: Stony Brook utterly dominated Binghamton in all facets, shooting 56 percent from the field, hitting a Div. I school record 14 three-pointers and holding the Bearcats under 50 points in an 82-48 rout Wednesday. All 11 Seawolves who played scored at least two points and grabbed at least one rebound, led by Anthony Jackson, who scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Jackson was part of an SBU bench that scored a season-high 45 points. The Seawolves also outrebounded their opponent for the 13th consecutive game.
A Stony Brook win...
- Would make the Seawolves 10-1 in America East for the first time ever.
- Would give SBU its 12th win over the last 13 games, a Div. I program record.
- Would give the Seawolves their third win at Albany in the last four years.
The Offense is Flowing: Stony Brook has won 11 of its last 12 games and the offensive rhythm the team is in has played a large role. The Seawolves are shooting 46 percent from the field over the last 12 games while averaging 68.7 points.
Third Time's the Charm?: Stony Brook’s Sears BracketBusters opponent has been revealed, and the Seawolves will be taking on Northeastern on Feb. 18 in Boston at Matthews Arena at 1 p.m. This is SBU’s first meeting vs. NU, a former America East foe, since March 5, 2005. It’s also SBU’s third game in Boston this season, having lost at Boston College and at Boston University earlier this year.
Don't Forget About the D: Not to be forgotten is Stony Brook’s defensive run during this 12-game stretch. The team is only allowing opponents to score 54.8 points per game over the last 12. The last five opponents have not reached 60 points, and the highest point total allowed in the span is 68 (to Albany). For the season, Stony Brook is 16th in the nation in scoring defense (58.8/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 12-0 this season when holding their opponent under 60 points.
From Way Downtown: Stony Brook had only been averaging six three-pointers made per game during its winning stretch, but then the Seawolves went crazy against Binghamton, hitting a Div. I program record 14 three-pointers against the Bearcats on Feb. 1. The previous record was 13, set against Rhode Island College on Dec. 2, 2002.
Dallis = Big D: Dallis Joyner has been a force in the paint for the Seawolves, both on offense and defense. The box scores may not show it, but he has been one of stronger defenders in the conference. His primary America East defensive assignments are averaging only 6.4 PPG against him, and he held double-digit scorers Ben Dickinson (Binghamton) and Chase Plummer (UMBC) to zero and one point, respectively.
Home Cooking: The Seawolves are unbeaten at home, and the stats have shown how important home games are for them. SBU is averaging 72.0 points and 47% shooting at home while averaging 62.7 points and 39% shooting on the road. Opponents are also finding it difficult to score at Pritchard Gym. Opponents are shooting only 37% and averaging 52.7 points a game there.
Home Streaks: Stony Brook has won 12 consecutive home games, dating back to last season. The program’s Div. I record is 13 straight home wins, which occurred between Dec. 2, 2000 and Dec. 4, 2001.
Balanced Team Efforts: Stony Brook has outstanding depth on its team, evidenced by the fact that eight different Seawolves have led the team in scoring on a particular night. Last season in 32 games, SBU had six different leading scorers.
Rebounding Machines: Stony Brook has done a nice job on the glass so far this season, outrebounding opponents by a 7.3 margin (37.2 to 29.9), which leads America East and is 21st 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 13.9 second chance points per game.
Camera Ready: Stony Brook appeared on television a school-record 11 times in 2010-11, including four broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks. This season, the Seawolves will appear on television at least 18 times, which will shatter the school record. The full schedule, released Nov. 30, includes three national television broadcasts. Stony Brook will host Boston University on Jan. 27 on ESPNU, and will host Maine on Feb. 26 on CBS Sports Network. The Seawolves will also be on CBS Sports Network Feb. 12 at Vermont.
Up Next: Stony Brook will remain on the road and take on New Hampshire Monday night in Durham at 7 p.m. in a game that will be streamed online at ESPN3.
