STONY BROOK, N.Y. — For the first time in 622 days, the Stony Brook men's basketball program will take to the floor at Island Federal Arena with the full force of the Seawolves fans behind them. They will host Sacred Heart in the first of two games in the Stony Brook Invite in the first of 17 home games at Island Federal Arena, the most in program history.

Stony Brook has been able to hang tough with a couple teams in the national spotlight to start the season, keeping close second-half margins with George Mason, who knocked off No. 21 Maryland last week, and No. 3 Kansas in its first two games of the campaign. The Seawolves were 20-9 in front of their loyal fans the last two seasons and will look to continue that string of results today.

THE GRITTY
Time: 6:31 p.m.
Location: Island Federal Arena (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
Streaming: ESPN3
Radio: WUSB Sports
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

• Sacred Heart enters The Island on a three-game losing streak to Division I opponents. Outside of its 109-49 win over NAIA Fisher College, Anthony Latina's club is looking for its first win since opening night when it knocked of La Salle 86-81.
• Aaron Clarke led the squad with 21 points on 6-for-17 shooting and Tyler Thomas added 17, but nobody else cracked double figures for the Pioneers on Saturday night.
• The Pioneers were able to cut Fairfield's lead to three with 10:50 to go, but a quick 6-0 spurt would distance the Stags the rest of the way.

OH, BROTHER

Monday will mark a matchup of sibling pairs, as Sacred Heart and Stony Brook both boast brothers on the same team. They are two of 17 teams in the country that have siblings on the same roster. The Seawolves' Payton and Preston Shumpert, natives of Jamesville, N.Y., will go up against the Thomas brothers of Tanner and Tyler.

SUCCESS ON THE ISLAND

The fans at Island Federal Arena have been second to none for the Seawolves, pushing their home team to double-figure win seasons on Long Island during each of the last two years they've been allowed in the building.

Before last season, the Seawolves were 101-30 at Island Federal Arena over the previous nine years, including a 20-9 clip over the past two years in front of the
Stony Brook faithful.

STARTING FROM THE TOP

For the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, the Seawolves were selected Number 1 in the America East preseason poll. Holding five of the 10 first place votes, head coach Geno Ford's club finished ahead of Vermont by three points heading into the year.

New Hampshire and defending champions Hartford round out the top four in a poll selected by the league's ten head coaches. The Seawolves have made three semifinal appearances since that 15-16 campaign and are looking to get back to the final for the first time since that championship season.

RECORD-BREAKING HOME COOKIN'

After the Seawolves played just 10 of its 23 games at home last season, Stony Brook will break a program record in that department this season, hosting 17 games at Island Federal Arena.

This will include hosting the Battle of Long Island on Decmeber 8 against Hofstra, part of a six-game homestand and seven home games in the last month of the calendar year. Fans will also see a new team on a regular basis, with NJIT making its rounds to each arena for the first time as a member of the America East.

OLDER AND WISER

With an average age of 21.13, the Seawolves enter the 2021-22 campaign as one of 17 teams in the country with an average age above 21. Just four players on the roster are below 21 entering the campaign.

Eastern Kentucky is atop the age chart coming into the season with an average age of 22.02, the only school in the country toutting a mark above 22. The Seawolves are the only school inside the top 20.

The Seawolves boast a deep roster that contains 10 different players who have started a game in their careers and 10 athletes with a double-figure scoring game in their collegiate tenures.

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