WASHINGTON, D.C. — A hard-nosed defensive effort propelled Stony Brook women's basketball to a 51-45 victory over No. 5 Monmouth in the quarterfinal round of the CAA Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams traded three baskets each to start the game, with the score tied at 6-6 with 6:05 left in the first quarter. Four free throws from the charity stripe and a pair of makes in the post helped Monmouth build a 16-11 lead heading into the second quarter.
Despite shots not falling, Stony Brook's strong defensive play kept the game close in the second quarter, with the Hawks still leading 19-16 with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. Offensive opportunities remained hard to come by, as both teams' defenses made it difficult for each other in the final minutes of the second quarter. The Seawolves shortened their deficit to one point after
Janay Brantley drilled a jumper in the closing seconds of the half, making it 23-22 game in favor of Monmouth at the break.
Just like the beginning of the first quarter, both sides traded baskets during the third quarter, helping Stony Brook draw even at 31-31 with 4:11 left to play in the quarter. The back-and-forth play continued through the rest of the third quarter, with Monmouth holding onto a 38-37 lead as the quarter came to a close.
The Seawolves opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a nice make from
Melissa Mwanza, giving them a 39-38 lead. Stony Brook followed that up with a 7-2 run to take a 46-40 lead, capped off by a three-pointer by Brantley. The Hawks answered by scoring the next five points to make it a one-point game with under four minutes to play. The Seawolves' strong defensive play continued to be the story over the next few minutes, allowing them to keep the lead, at 47-45, with 35.3 seconds remaining. Following a Monmouth timeout, it had another chance to tie the game or retake the lead but was unable to convert, as the Stony Brook defense continued to smother the Hawks, allowing the Seawolves to seal the game at the free-throw line, securing the 51-45 quarterfinal victory and advancing to the tournament semifinals.
STATS AND NOTES
- Along with her team-high 14 points, Brantley grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.
- Frost posted 11 points with nine coming in the second half, while also bringing in eight rebounds and blocking two shots in the win.
- Alex Brown scored seven points and blocked two shots in her CAA Tournament debut.
- Sandra Frau Garcia dished a game-best six assists, while also scoring six points.
- Stony Brook out-rebounded Monmouth 41-35.
- The Seawolf defense held the Hawks to just 17-of-55 shooting from the field and a 30.9% shooting percentage.
- Stony Brook helped secure the win by forcing 16 Monmouth turnovers.
UP NEXT
The Seawolves now advance to the CAA Tournament semifinals, where they will face No. 1 Charleston tomorrow. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 pm and will stream live on FloCollege.
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