WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Graduate Victoria Keenan nailed a dagger shot with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter to put Stony Brook up 55-47, and the Seawolves ultimately secured a 59-51 victory over the North Carolina A&T Aggies at the Entertainment & Sports Arena on Saturday. With the victory, the Seawolves advance to the CAA Championships for the first time in program history.
The Seawolves (27-3) had two players score in double figures, led by graduate Khari Clark, who had 14 points. Keenan tacked on 12 points and four steals off of the bench and junior Sherese Pittman added nine points and eight rebounds.
The Stony Brook offense was strong from deep, pouring in eight three-pointers compared to three by North Carolina A&T. Junior Zaida Gonzalez, graduate Gigi Gonzalez, Keenan and Pittman hit two treys apiece for the Seawolves in the contest. Also, the Seawolves were storming in transition as they tallied 15 fast break points and the Aggies scored only six.
On the defensive side, the squad held the Aggies to only 14.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 29.6 percent from the field. For the second game in a row, Stony Brook held its opponent to less than 15 points in three different quarters.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind, 14-12, Stony Brook went on a 5-0 run with 2:14 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Zaida Gonzalez, to take a 17-14 lead. Stony Brook was consistent from deep in the quarter, knocking down three shots by Keenan, Pittman, and Z. Gonzalez to account for nine of its 17 points.
The Aggies rallied to take a 28-26 lead before Stony Brook went on a 6-0 run starting at the 3:45 mark in the second quarter following the three-pointer from Keenan to ultimately take a 32-28 lead, a score that would hold until halftime. The Seawolves dominated in the paint, scoring eight of its 15 points close to the basket.
Stony Brook continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Pittman, to expand its lead further to 40-30 with 5:03 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Aggies had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Seawolves still entered the fourth quarter with a 45-38 edge. Stony Brook knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 13 total points, led by Z. Gonzalez and Pittman.
The squad kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, all points by G. Gonzalez, to grow the lead to 53-42 with 4:27 to go in the contest. The Aggies narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Seawolves still cruised the rest of the way for the 59-51 win.
STATS AND NOTES
- The Seawolves shot 85% (11-of-13) from the line this afternoon, compared to the 60% (6-of-10) from North Carolina A&T. Stony Brook is 20-1 this season when they outshoot its opponent at the charity stripe.
- The Seawolves move to 6-0 on Saturdays this year.
- Stony Brook shot 36% (8-of-22) from deep, while A&T shot 14% (3-of-21). The Seawolves are 22-2 this season when they tally more three-pointers than their opponent.
- The Seawolves extend their winning streak to 10 games dating back to Feb. 11.
- With the victory, it marks the first time that the women's basketball team will play in the CAA Championship game. The last time the Seawolves played a conference championship game was in 2020-21 when the Seawolves faced Maine in the America East Championship.
- Stony Brook never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
- The Stony Brook defense forced 15 turnovers. They have forced 15 turnovers eight times during their current winning streak.
- Stony Brook moves to 3-1 all-time against North Carolina A&T.
- The Seawolves were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team. The five blocks were the most by Stony Brook since they collected eight against Drexel on March 1.
- Khari Clark led the Seawolves with a game-high 14 points. She has tallied double-digits in three of her last four games.
- Victoria Keenan was a spark off the bench as she led with 12 points and season-high four steals. She also tallied five rebounds and two assists.
- Stony Brook received a team-high eight rebounds from Sherese Pittman. Pittman has at-least seven rebounds in her last eight games and leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
UP NEXT
The Seawolves advance to the CAA Championship game where they will take on No. 7 Drexel tomorrow at 2 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
