WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Stony Brook women's basketball team (17-12, 11-7 CAA) put together an astounding come-from-behind effort at Monmouth (14-15, 9-9 CAA), but the Hawks were ultimately able to pull away in the closing seconds and secure a 72-71 win.
The Seawolves trailed by as many as 16 points with 5:07 to play in the fourth quarter. Despite the deficit, Stony Brook did not relent. The Seawolves went on a staggering 16-0 run that lasted from the 5:07 mark in the fourth until there was 43 seconds remaining in the game.
Before the run started, Stony Brook trailed Monmouth, 68-52. The Seawolves were able to tie the game up at 68-68 with 1:06 to play thanks to tenacious play on the defensive end and timely shooting.
With 46 seconds to play, Monmouth went back up by two, 70-68, after a made layup by Lucy Thomas. After the teams traded possessions, Stony Brook took its first lead of the game when graduate guard
Anastasia Warren drilled a three-pointer to put the Seawolves out in front, 71-70.
Following Warren's made three, Monmouth called timeout to regroup. On the ensuing possession, the Hawks worked the clock down and Brianna Tinsley knocked down a jumper to give them a 72-71 advantage with just five seconds to play. Stony Brook had one last crack at it as Warren put up a contested jump shot, which did not fall, and Monmouth held on to claim the victory.
The Seawolves were led by Warren and graduate guard
Daishai Almond, who each scored 21 points apiece. Both Warren and Almond did the bulk of their damage in the second half as both poured in 15 points to combine for 30 of Stony Brook's 40 second half points.
Stony Brook outscored Monmouth 40-34 in the second half and exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter. Almond and Warren teamed up for 21 points in the final frame. Almond dropped 11 points in the fourth, while Warren added 10, including a key three-pointer that gave the Seawolves their lone lead of the game with 19 seconds to play.
STATS AND NOTES
- Warren scored 21 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range. The guard shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, grabbed three rebounds, and swiped three steals. It was the 10th time this season that she scored 20-plus points in a game and the first time since she scored a season-high 30 points at the College of Charleston on February 17.
- Almond also scored 21 points, which is a new season-high as she shot 7-of-16 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line. It was the second time this season that she scored 20 or more points in a game (scored 20 points against the College of Charleston on Jan. 26).
- Senior guard Gigi Gonzalez scored seven points, dished out five assists, and swiped three steals.
- Sophomore guard Erin Turral provided a spark off the bench for the Seawolves as she scored a season-high seven points in 10 minutes of play off the bench. She pulled down three rebounds and came up with a crucial steal which she cashed in for a layup on the other end with 2:49 to play in the fourth to cut the deficit to 68-64.
- Junior guard Shamarla King scored five points and pulled down 10 rebounds. It was the third time this season that she pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game.
- Junior guard Kelis Corley scored six points and grabbed six rebounds in 22 minutes of play off the bench.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"I am proud of the sense of urgency that we displayed in the fourth quarter," said head coach Ashley Langford as she discussed Stony Brook's come-from-behind effort down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
NEXT UP
Stony Brook is back on the court next week when it competes in the CAA Championship. The Seawolves have secured the No. 6 seed and is set to face No. 11 Elon in the second round on Thursday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m., on FloHoops. The 2023 CAA Championship will be held at SECU Arena on the campus of Towson University.
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