RICHMOND, Va. – The Stony Brook University women's basketball team (23-6) was back on the national stage on Friday evening as it locked up with VCU (16-11) in Round 1 of the WNIT. The Seawolves put forth a valiant effort, but were edged by VCU, 56-48, and as a result their memorable 2021-22 season has come to an end.
Tonight's appearance in the WNIT marked the team's sixth national postseason tournament appearance during the program's Division I era. It was their third WNIT appearance and first since 2014 when they went head-to-head with Michigan.
Stony Brook and VCU both put forth strong defensive performances as neither team shot over 35.0 percent from the field in the game. The Seawolves held a narrow, 29-27, lead going into the halftime break as it used an 18-14 second quarter to go out in front.
The Rams took control of the game in the second half as they outscored the Seawolves, 29-19, over the final 20 minutes. After a made jumper by VCU's Taya Robinson with 9:12 to play in the fourth quarter, the Rams would not relinquish the lead en route to victory.
The Seawolves were led by graduate forward
India Pagan who score a team-high tying 11 points and pulled down a game-high tying nine rebounds in what was the final game of her collegiate career. Graduate forward
Leighah-Amori Wool finished tied with Pagan as she also scored 11 points in her final collegiate game.
Stony Brook finished the season tied for the league lead in wins and recorded 20 wins in a season for the eighth time in program history and the third time in the last four years. First-year head coach
Ashley Langford guided the team to their fourth-most wins in a season in program history. The 23 wins were also the most by a first-year head coach in program history.
STATS AND NOTES
- Pagan scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the free-throw line. The forward was one rebound shy of a double-double as she finished with nine in the game. It marked the 20th time this season that she has scored in double figures and it was the sixth game in a row that she has done so.
- Wool scored 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting and went a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. She added six rebounds on the night in what was her final collegiate game. It was the 17th time this season that she scored in double-digits.
- No one in the history of Stony Brook women's basketball has played in more game than McKenzie Bushee. The graduate played in her 136th and final career game, which is now a program record. She scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, grabbed five rebounds, and blocked two shots in 19 minutes
- Senior forward Nairimar Vargas-Reyes came off the bench to score eight points, pull down seven rebounds, and dish out three assists in 25 minutes.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"We just didn't make shots that we normally make, credit to VCU, they went a little more zone in the second half, but we still had pretty good shots; they just did not fall today. Our seniors have been with us so long, their leadership has been great. I hate that it has to end for them, they have put their all into this program and have put Stony Brook women's basketball on the map. For them to have their last game, that is tough. I'm really proud of the team, we were resilient, we never gave up tonight, we fought hard," said head coach
Ashley Langford.
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