STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Stony Brook University women's basketball team improved to 7-0 as it defeated New York state foe St. Francis Brooklyn (2-4), 71-64, on Sunday afternoon at Island Federal Arena. The Seawolves were paced by four student-athletes who scored in double figures as they become the 11
th team in the nation to hold a perfect 7-0 record up until this point of the season.
Stony Brook came away with the fast-paced contest as both teams looked to run from the opening tip. The Seawolves were led by junior guard
Gigi Gonzalez, graduate forward
Leighah-Amori Wool, senior forward
Nairimar Vargas-Reyes, and graduate forward
McKenzie Bushee in the win.
The four accounted for 58 of the team's 71 points as the Seawolves finished the game with at least four student-athletes scoring in double figures for the second game in a row. Gonzalez led Stony Brook with 17 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter as she helped the Seawolves outscore the Terriers, 22-16, in the frame to secure the victory.
Stony Brook received standout play from Wool, Vargas-Reyes, and Bushee. Wool scored a season-high tying 16 points, Vargas-Reyes posted her first career double-double with a career-high 13 points and career-high 13 rebounds, and Bushee added a season-high 12 points.
The Seawolves used a crucial 11-0 run down the stretch of the fourth quarter to pull away from the Terriers. At one point in the fourth Stony Brook trailed, 55-54, but used the 11-0 run to rally ahead, 65-55, with 4:21 to play. The run was fueled by Gonzalez who scored seven of the 11 points to give the Seawolves their largest lead of the afternoon.
Stony Brook went on to close out the game as it took away the three-ball from St. Francis down the stretch. The Seawolves held the Terriers to 1-of-9 shooting from behind the arc over the final 5:08 of the game after it previously had gone 9-of-22 from deep over the course of the game.
STATS AND NOTES
- Head coach Ashley Langford has now taken the Seawolves to 7-0 as the team continues to build on its best start to a season in program history.
- Wool poured in a season-high tying 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, scoring seven points in the first quarter to help the team jump out to an early lead. She also pulled down five rebounds and dished out a season-high four assists.
- Gonzalez took over the later stages of the game. She finished first on the team in scoring with 17 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. She shot 5-of-13 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-6 from the line. The junior shot an efficient 4-of-5 from the field, 1-of-1 from deep, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
- Vargas-Reyes ended the game with 13 points and 13 rebounds, both career-highs, and became the first Seawolf to record a double-double since Wool did so on January 24, 2021, against NJIT. She shot 5-for-8 from the field and 3-of-7 from the line.
- Bushee tallied 12 points and five rebounds, making her the fourth Seawolf to notch a double-digit performance in the game.
- The Seawolves again controlled the boards, outrebounding St. Francis, 42-37.
- With the win, the Seawolves improve to a perfect 4-0 against fellow New York state opponents (defeated St. John's, Iona, Columbia, and St. Francis Brooklyn).
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"We found a way to get it done again. It wasn't our best performance today, but we did find a way. It was nice to see us have 14 assists again, that means we are moving and sharing the ball, and making shots, which makes me happy. We just have to tighten some things up defensively, but we had some people step up. I was really pleased that in the fourth quarter we came through and did get stops when we needed to, and were able to be successful," said coach Langford.
NEXT UP
Stony Brook is back in action when it heads to the Bronx to take on New York state foe Fordham on Thursday, December 2, at 7 p.m. The Seawolves and Rams are set to go head-to-head for the ninth time in program history. The game is set to broadcast on ESPN+.
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