WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Stony Brook women's basketball team went back-and-forth in an absolute thriller with Hartford in the America East Semifinals, but ultimately fell short, 59-64, at Chase Family Arena on Sunday afternoon.
 
Sophomore F India Pagan (New London, Conn.) led the led the way with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Senior G Shania Johnson (Frederick, Md.) and sophomore G/F Hailey Zeise (Pittsburgh. Pa.) backed her up with point totals of 12 and 11, respectively.

McCOMBS REACTION
"I thought it was a very competitive game. It was back and forth throughout the entire game. It was the kind of game that you want as everyone's competing for a championship and I think Hartford was able to persevere and wear us down a bit with the press as they do and have done throughout the course of the season. We needed to do a better job of handling the ball and get better shots within our offense. But, credit to Hartford, they're a great team. They do what they do and they did it tonight."
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The second half was the definition of postseason basketball as both squads went toe-toe with each other to the very end.
• Stony Brook, who had the lead since 4:03 left in the first quarter, saw Hartford steal back the advantage towards the end of the third quarter as the Hawks cashed in on two-consecutive takeaways.
• The Seawolves didn't back down, taking the lead on three separate occasions to open up the fourth quarter until Hartford pulled away with a 19-12 run in the game's final eight minutes.
• Johnson opened up the final frame with a three to give Stony Brook its lead back and to break the program's single-season threes record with 96 made baskets from behind the arc during the 2018-19 year.
• Johnson held the previous standard with 95 made three-point field goals during her junior season.
• The Seawolves jumped out to an eight-point lead – it's biggest of the day – twice during the second quarter.
• The first came after a long-range shot by Zeise to make it 19-11.
• The host team responded to Zeise's shot with a three of its own, but senior G Jerell Matthews (Chicago, Ill.) went the other away and splashed through a triple to preserve the advantage.
• Pagan started the day with the game's first four points until Hartford scored seven unanswered.
• Sophomore F McKenzie Bushee (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and redshirt sophomore F Oksana Gouchie-Provencher (Montreal, Canada) combined for eight consecutive points to get Stony Brook out to a 12-7 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

NOTES

• Zeise tied her career highs in both points (11) and rebounds (8)
• Pagan also matched a career's best with five assists and Matthews notched a new career high with 10 rebounds.
• Stony Brook led for nearly 26 minutes, but Hartford scored 23 points off of 22 forced turnovers while the Seawolves weren't able to capitalize on their nine takeaways.
• Stony Brook held the 46-33 advantage in rebounds, which was well above its 38.4 season average on the boards.
• The team's defense held Hartford to just two made field goals on the first quarter for 10.5 percent shooting
• Stony Brook shot 50 percent in the second half and went 6-of-7 overall from the free throw line.