Feb. 5, 2012
• 2011-12 Virtual Guide
2011-12 Stony Brook Men's Basketball
Game #23: Stony Brook Seawolves (15-7) at New Hampshire Wildcats (8-13)
Mon., Feb. 6 • Lundholm Gymnasium • Durham, N.H. • 7 p.m.
On the Web
ESPN3 with Eric Frede & Frank Sullivan
On the Radio
WUSB 90.1 FM & GoSeawolves.org with Asha Michener
LIVE: STATS | AUDIO | VIDEO | TWITTER
INFO: GAME NOTES (PDF)
Stony Brook Seawolves (15-7, 10-1 America East)
Head Coach: Steve Pikiell, seventh season
Overall Record: 93-133
Record at SBU: 88-115
New Hampshire Wildcats (8-13, 3-7 America East)
Head Coach: Bill Herrion, seventh season
Overall Record: 314-289
Record at UNH: 77-120
About the Game: Stony Brook seeks its seventh straight win and 13th in the last 14 games Monday night at New Hampshire. The Seawolves are looking to maintain its position at the top of America East and go 11-1 in the league for the first time ever. This is the 24th all-time meeting between the two teams, and the Wildcats lead the series 14-9, but the Seawolves have won four of the last five matchups. SBU has only won at Memorial Gym three times in 11 tries, including last season’s 63-56 win.
Scouting UNH: The Wildcats, as usual, play hard-nosed defense and are third in America East in scoring defense (64.0 PPG), fifth in field goal pct. defense (.434) and first in three-point field goal defense (.325). UNH is very capable of winning games against the better teams in the league, having already beaten Vermont and losing to BU by only two points. Alvin Abreu is the team’s leading scorer and go-to guy. He hit the game-winning three-pointer with 28 seconds left in the game last Wednesday vs. Hartford. UNH has been outrebounded by a 1.4 margin this season but has the league’s leading individual rebounder in Brian Benson (8.6/g), who is also a versatile shooter (53% from 3-point range).
Last Time Out: Stony Brook shot a blistering 59.1 percent in the second half to overcome a modest halftime deficit and defeat Albany 76-69 at a sold-out SEFCU Arena Saturday night. Dave Coley had his most efficient game in an SBU uniform, shooting 8-for-9 from the field in a 17-point effort in just 20 minutes of action, which was due to foul trouble. Bryan Dougher added 14 points, Al Rapier had a double-double (10 pts, 12 rbs) and Anthony Jackson scored 11 points. The Seawolves nailed nine three-pointers and outrebounded UA, 34-32.
A Stony Brook win...
- Would give the Seawolves their third straight road victory.
- Would be the Seawolves’ seventh straight win and 13th in the last 14 games.
- Would secure their fourth straight win over New Hampshire.
The Offense is Flowing: Stony Brook has won 12 of its last 13 games and the offensive rhythm the team is in has played a large role. The Seawolves are shooting 47 percent from the field over the last 13 games while averaging 69.2 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 13-game stretch. The team is only allowing opponents to score 55.9 points per game over the last 13. Five of the last six 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. For the season, Stony Brook is 16th in the nation in scoring defense (59.2/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.
Coley Lights it Up: Dave Coley has made such big strides from his freshman to his sophmore year. Saturday at Albany was another example of how he has stepped up on offense. He shot 8-for-9 from the field and scored 17 points in just 20 minutes of action (foul trouble). The 8-for-9 percentage is tied for second-best in Stony Brook’s single-game record book and is the best ever in Stony Brook’s Div. I history.
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 7.1 margin (37.1 to 30.0), which leads America East and is 14th in the nation. What’s more impressive is the work on the offensive end, grabbing a league-best average of 13.8 offensive rebounds per game. That is leading to an average of 14.0 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 heads home to play its second-to-last regular season game at Pritchard Gymnasium, taking on UMBC Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on Optimum Local Channel 118.
