WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Stony Brook men's basketball team (10-20, 6-11 CAA) took on the UNCW Seahawks (22-8, 12-5 CAA) on Thursday night at Trask Coliseum and despite having two student-athletes record career-best performances, the Seawolves fell, 76-69.
Graduate center
Keenan Fitzmorris and freshman guard
Toby Onyekonwu were the stories of the game for Stony Brook.
Fitzmorris poured in a career-high 25 points. He shot 9-of-14 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. The center also pulled down seven rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Onyekonwu registered the first double-double of his career. The guard scored 14 points and hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds in 35 minutes on the floor. The freshman shot 7-of-14 from the floor and dished out three assists.
Stony Brook and UNCW played a tight battle, up until the final stages of the game. Fitzmorris and Onyekonwu carried the Seawolves in the first half. Fitzmorris scored 16 points and Onyekonwu dropped 12 points in the first frame. Stony Brook trailed, 41-36, at the break.
In the second half, senior guard
Tyler Stephenson-Moore began to contribute. After going scoreless in the first frame, the senior finished with 12 points in the second half.
With the dominant play of the aforementioned trio, the Seawolves were able to cut their deficit back to two with 4:22 left in regulation. Stephenson-Moore earned a trip to the free-throw line and made both of his attempts to cut the deficit to 60-58.
UNCW would not give in as it scored the next four points to extend its lead back to six. The Seawolves competed for almost the entirety of the game, before the Seahawks pulled away late for their second win over Stony Brook this season.
STATS AND NOTES
- Stephenson-Moore finished the contest with 12 points, all of which came in the second half. He added five rebounds.
- Stephenson-Moore played in all 40 minutes. It was his fourth-straight game and 11th time this season playing 40+ minutes in a game.
- Onyekonwu's 10 rebounds and three assists led the team in the game. It was his first time this season leading the team in boards and 10th time leading in dimes.
- Stony Brook shot 52 percent (28-of-54) from the floor and held UNCW to shoot 43 percent from the floor.
- The difference in the game was the three-point shot, with UNCW making 10 and Stony Brook knocking down just five. Also, at the free-throw line, UNCW shot 14-of-17 and Stony Brook shot 8-of-11.
- The Seawolves outrebounded the Seahawks, 38-27.
- Stony Brook had 32 points in the paint and 12 second-chance points, which were both higher than UNCW's totals, respectively.
- The Seawolves had five blocks in the game, while UNCW had one.
- There were six ties and seven lead changes in the game.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"We competed our tails off. We just continued to have turnovers that led to run outs. Toby and Fitz had good ballgames. We just have to keep at it and hopefully get the turnover issues resolved," said head coach
Geno Ford.
NEXT UP
Stony Brook will travel to Charleston, South Carolina, to face off against the Charleston Cougars in the regular season finale on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tip- off is set for 12 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
For an inside look at the Seawolves men's basketball program, be sure to follow them on
Facebook,
Twitter, and
Instagram.
