STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Stony Brook women's basketball is back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 31, traveling to UMBC for a 7 p.m. conference contest.
Last Time Out
- The Seawolves fell at Albany, 64-58, on Saturday afternoon at SEFCU Arena in conference play, dropping to 11-10 (3-5 AE) so far this season.
- Shania Johnson (Frederick, MD.) recorded a career-high 29 points for the Seawolves, knocking down 12 shots from the floor in the loss.
- Jerell Matthews (Chicago, Ill.) added nine points and four rebounds, while Aaliyah Worley (Philadelphia, PA) tallied six points and a season-high nine rebounds.
Scouting UMBC
- UMBC is 2-19 (1-7 AE) so far in 2017-18, falling its last time out at Maine (69-36).
- The Retrievers are led by Laura Castaldo, who has tallied 11.4 points per game so far this year.
- The Seawolves are 17-15 all-time vs. UMBC (Division I Era), going 1-1 against the Retrievers last year.
Head Coach Caroline McCombs
- Caroline McCombs is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Stony Brook women's basketball team in 2017-18, as the Seawolves' head coach has risen among the winningest coaches in Stony Brook's Division I era.
- With 11 victories to begin the 2017-18 season, McCombs has now won 57 games on Long Island – which ranks second among Stony Brook coaches in the Division I era. McCombs guided the Seawolves' program to 17 wins in 2014-15, 17 victories in 2015-16, and 12 wins in 2016-17.
Strong Shooting
The Seawolves have shot 41.0 percent from the floor so far this year, best of any team in the America East.
3-Point Field Goal Defense
The Seawolves have forced opponents to shoot just 27.3 percent from 3-point distance so far this season, which ranks No. 1 in the conference and No. 17 in the nation. Stony Brook featured a top-40 scoring defense in 2016-17, as the program stifled opponents from beyond the arc, allowing the third-fewest three-pointers in the nation.
Career Numbers for Four Players in 2018
Since the start of the new calendar year, four different Seawolves have recorded career-high numbers:
- Shania Johnson (Frederick, MD.): Tallied a career-best nine assists vs. Vermont (1/13/18)… Recorded a career-high 29 points at Albany (1/27/18)…
- Jerell Matthews (Chicago, Ill.): Scored a career-high 23 points vs. Hartford (1/6/18)… Bested that total with 28 points vs. Binghamton (1/18/17)
- Giolibeth Perez (Camuy, Puerto Rico): Recorded career-high 11 points vs. Maine (1/3/18)… Tallied career-best nine assists vs. Hartford (1/6/18)
- Reigning conference Rookie of the Week McKenzie Bushee (Pittsburgh, PA.) recorded 11 rebounds vs. Binghamton (1/18/17)
Johnson from Distance
- Shania Johnson (Frederick, MD.) has drained 64 3-point field goals so far in 21 games for the Seawolves, which ranks No. 1 in the America East and No. 25 nationally.
Pouring in Points
- Jerell Matthews (Chicago, Ill.) has recorded double-digit point totals in 15 of 21 games so far this year for the Seawolves.
Clark on the Glass
- Junior transfer Cheyenne Clark (Deptford, N.J.) has grabbed 9.4 rebound per game so far this season, which ranks No. 2 in the America East and No. 47 nationally.
- Clark grabbed 23 rebounds on Dec. 6 vs. Yale, which ties the Seawolves' single-season program record. She then recorded 11 offensive rebounds on Dec. 17 vs. CCSU, and now ranks No. 19 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.0).
America East Weekly Awards
Three Stony Brook players have earned America East weekly award honors so far this year:
Preseason Poll
The Seawolves were selected to finish No. 8 in the 2017-18 America East Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference on Oct. 19, 2017. Stony Brook received 16 total votes in the poll. New Hampshire was voted as the unanimous league favorite, garnering 64 total votes.
Next Up
Stony Brook is back in action on Feb. 3, traveling to Hartford for a 2 p.m. matchup. The Seawolves return home again on Feb. 5 to host Binghamton. To purchase tickets to all 2017-18 Stony Brook women's basketball home games,
CLICK HERE.
