WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Stony Brook University women's basketball fell, 68-60, to No. 7 Drexel in the CAA Championship Game on Sunday.
The Seawolves (27-4) had four players score in double figures, led by Gigi Gonzalez, who had 18 points, five assists and two steals. Victoria Keenan tacked on 14 points and five steals off of the bench, while Khari Clark helped out with a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Stony Brook struggled out of the gate, falling behind 16-9 at the end of the first quarter. Clark and Shamarla King scored seven of Stony Brook's nine first quarter points.
The Seawolves pulled within four points on two occasions in the early portion of the second quarter, but lost ground and faced a 36-26 halftime deficit. Drexel shot nearly 50 percent from the floor in the opening half, knocking down five shots from beyond the arc over the opening 20 minutes.
After intermission, Stony Brook cut its deficit to 43-34 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a triple from King, to make it a one-possession game with just over three minutes to play in the third period. Drexel countered and stretched its lead to 51-42 heading into the fourth. Stony Brook took advantage of four Drexel turnovers in the quarter, scoring seven points off of takeaways.
Drexel widened its lead in the fourth, constructing a 64-50 advantage before Stony Brook went on a 10-0 run to shrink the deficit to 64-60 with 70 seconds to play. The Seawolves press forced another turnover, calling timeout with a chance to pull within a possession once more in the final minute. The two sides traded turnovers and Stony Brook came up empty on the possession. Stony Brook did not score in the final minute, while Drexel made four free throws to put the game on ice.
STATS AND NOTES
- Clark notched a double-double for the Seawolves with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
- Gigi Gonzalez led the Seawolves with 18 points. She was a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe.
- Keenan and Shamarla King scored 14 and 10 points, respectively, accounting for all 24 of Stony Brook's bench points.
- Gigi Gonzalez and Keenan were named to the All-Tournament Team.
- Stony Brook forced 21 Drexel turnovers, turning those takeaways into 19 points on the other end of the floor.
- Stony Brook cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 21 offensive boards in the game. The Seawolves scored 20 second-chance points, compared to just four from Drexel.
- Stony Brook's conference championship appearance was the second in program history and the first as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association.
