STONY BROOK, N.Y. — In their second matchup in two weeks, preseason favorites Stony Brook and Vermont square off Wednesday night at Island Federal Arena at 7 p.m. in a matchup that will have seeding implications come March. The teams currently sit first and second in the America East standings, with Vermont at an unbeaten 5-0 and the Seawolves one game back at 4-1.
Stony Brook was picked first in the America East preseason poll, earning five of a possible nine first place votes, with Vermont right behind, collecting four.
The Seawolves enter Wednesday night on a three-game winning streak, knocking off rival UAlbany 86-75 in the capital district on Saturday night. Stony Brook had its most efficient offensive night of the season, scoring its second-most points of the season on its fewest shot attempts of the campaign.
THE GRITTY
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Island Federal Arena - Stony Brook, N.Y.
Streaming:
ESPN+
Live Stats:
Sidearm Stats
EFFICIENCY AT ITS FINEST
Stony Brook is coming off its most efficient offensive performance of the season, per KenPom. The 124.9 efficiency topped a 122.3 performance against Bryant. The Seawolves came one point from matching a season-high, totaling 86 in the victory over UAlbany, while shooting a season-low 52 times from the field. It was their best performance (55.8 percent) shooting of the year.
THEY'RE FREE
In conference play, Stony Brook has been clutch at the free throw line. The team has made 80.4 percent of its shots from the charity stripe, 3.3 percent ahead of UAlbany, who stands in second in the category. The Seawolves boast two of the top three shooters at the stripe during conference play, with Anthony Roberts (93.8 percent) and Jahlil Jenkins (93.3) pacing the rest of the league as two of three players hitting 90 percent or better from the line.
CLOSERS
The Seawolves proved again they can close out games on Wednesday night, defeating the Bearcats by just three. It was their second 3-point victory of the season, joining the thrilling win over Sacred Heart in the home opener. Stony Brook is 6-1 in games that are decided by single digits, including 4-1 in games that end with a five-point differential or less.
PROTECT THE ROCK
Leading the league in scoring at 72.9 points per contest, the Seawolves have been able to make the most of their possessions by recording few turnovers. The squad's 14.0 percent turnover rate in league play is second in the conference and their rate overall (15.6) is inside the top 25 nationally. This has included 10 performances of 10 or fewer turnovers this season. The squad's turnover margin of 2.2 is second to UMass Lowell's 2.3 in the America East.
GREENE TO THE GLASS
Already regarded as one of the best rebounding guards in the region, Tykei Greene has taken it to another level this season, already setting a career high in offensive rebounds (54), despite only playing 18 games. His 7.9 rebounds per game average is a career-best to this point and the second-highest mark for any guard nationally. He has recorded four performances of 12 or more rebound this season, including hauling in 14 against Sacred Heart on Nov. 22.
