STONY BOOK, N.Y. -- Senior UC Iroegbu knocked down a three with 4.2 seconds left in regulation that positioned the Stony Brook men's basketball team for victory as it defeated Maine, 71-70, in its America East opener Wednesday night at Island Federal Credit Union Arena. The Seawolves move to 6-9 on the year at 1-0 in league play after the dramatic win, while Maine sits at 3-13 overall, 0-1 the America East.

Boals' Reaction
"Wow, what a game! We feel very fortunate to come out with a win. That was a big-time shot by UC [Iroegbu] and then we defended at the end," said head coach Jeff Boals. "In this league you can win or lose any given night, and after being up 20 with 12 minutes left, we need to make sure we do a better job of closing out the game." 

Highlights
- After taking a 41-28 lead into the break, the Seawolves led by as many as 20 in the second half following a pair of free throws by redshirt freshman Andrew Garcia (Harlem, N.Y.) with 12:42 left to play. 
- An 11-2 run by the Black Bears put them back within 10 with under seven minutes to go, and they used another 11-2 scoring spree late to tie the game at 66-all.
- Senior Bryan Sekunda (State College, Pa.) laid one in with 39 seconds on the clock to put the Seawolves on top. After an official review with 19 seconds remaining, a three from Maine was counted with a Stony Brook foul to follow. The three gave the Black Bears a one-point lead and Andrew Fleming went 1-of-2 from the line to make it 70-68.
- The Seawolves pushed the ball down the court and senior UC Iroegbu got an open look from three and knocked it down with four second remaining.
- Maine was unable to get a final attempt up as the clock hit zero. 

Notes
- Redshirt sophomore Akwasi Yeboah (Chigwell, England) led the way with 20 points, making it four straight games with 20-plus points.
- Senior Tyrell Sturdivant scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, while also drawing two charges and adding a career-high five assists. 
- The Seawolves have now won their America East opener in each of the last ten seasons. 

Up Next
The Seawolves hit the road, traveling to Hartford to a 7 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 6.