One-Bid Wonders

Tommy Brenton’s no-look pass to Jameel Warney was the number two play on Sports Center’s Top 10.

(Amherst, MA) – It will be a long time before the pain of falling short of the NCAA Tournament fully goes away for Stony Brook (if ever). But Wednesday night went a long way towards softening the sting of heartbreak and restoring the shine to a historic season for the Seawolves.

Playing on the road against second-seed UMass in the opening round of the NIT Tournament, the Seawolves thoroughly out-hustled and out-played the Minutement to pull off a resounding 71-58 win.

“It was a great win for us,” Stony Brook coach Steve Pikeill said. “I’m real proud. This is a good basketball team.”

“We got beat by a team that was better than us this evening,” said UMass head coach Derek Kellogg.

Stony Brook guards Anthony Jackson and Dave Coley scored 20 points a piece to pace the Seawolves and lead all scorers, shooting a combined 16-of-25 from the floor. Sensational freshman center Jameel Warney added 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting – among them several rim-rattling dunks – and two blocks.

Playing in what could have been the final game of his career, senior point-forward Tommy Brenton added seven assists, six rebounds, six points and four steals, but his impact was far larger than his raw production. The player responsible for changing the trajectory of Stony Brook basketball did what he has always done in his career: Brenton threw jaw-dropping passes and elbows, took charges, mixed-it-up in the scrum, aggravated and instigated against the bigger Minutement and was the engine that powered the Seawolves to the win.

“I like hitting people and I like being hit. Physicality is part of my game,” said Brenton in perhaps the understatement of the century.

Stony Brook got back to their program staples: Dominating the low-blocks and defending every inch of the hardwood. The Seawolves shot 51.8 percent from the floor (29-of-56) and 41.7 percent from behind the arc while suffocating the Minutement into just 36.7 (22-of-60) and 23.1 percent (6-of-26), respectively.

Stony Brook forced 19 UMass turnovers, turning them into 23 points (compared to UMass’ 10 points off turnovers). The Seawolves also dictated the pace of the game, while flat-out playing harder than the Minutemen.

“They executed their game plan very well,” said Kellogg. “They seemed more energized and quicker to the ball. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t have a little more scrap and toughness and fight.” (more…)

(Albany, New York) – Tommy Brenton said it all – and likely far more than the Stony Brook’s senior forward and the America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year meant to imply.

Two and a half hours earlier, the Seawolves had already all but been anointed America East Champions — Stony Brook was not simply the number one seed in the conference tournament, but The Number One Seed: the most dominant team to come through the league since the 2005 Cinderella Vermont Catamounts, the Seawolves’ semifinal matchup against the University Albany was a mere formality and an America East Championship and NCAA Tournament berth a foregone conclusion.

Now, Brenton was being asked – more precisely baited – by a Long Island reporter, if Albany’s hosting the tournament – and playing what was in essence a home game against the highest seed – put added pressure on the Seawolves and played a role in the Great Danes’ 61-59 last-second shocker.

“It’s no added pressure for us: we’ve won on the road all year long,” said Brenton, the Seawolves’ senior captain, heart, soul and emotional center, before adding “it was just another game.”

Without intending it, Brenton hit the cause of the Seawolves’ heartbreaking fall right on the head: While Albany amped-up its energy and ratcheted up its intensity to match the magnitude of the moment, Stony Brook played as if it was just another game.

When Stony Brook took the floor 30 minutes prior to tip-off, there wasn’t any of cocky swagger that has been a Stony Brook staple all season long, or the electric our season comes down to this game and we’ll be damned if we’re going home energy that has defined the post season runs of previous America East Tournament Champions (most notably 2005 Vermont, 2002 BU, 2006 Albany and 2008 UMBC).

From the opening tip until just under three minutes remained in the game, the top-seed Seawolves played like they had nothing to lose — in the worst possible way: without passion, purpose, or a sense of urgency. By the time the Seawolves returned to coherence, realizing their NCAA Tournament-or-bust season was on the brink, rattling off a 17-7 run, it was too late.

With 7.3 seconds remaining, Albany point guard Mike Black refused a ball screen at the top of the key, crossed over from his left to his right and beat Stony Brook freshman Carson Puriefoy off the dribble to the hoop, kissing his right hand floater off the glass and in with 2.3 seconds left, for the win. (more…)

The Seawolves showed poise and toughness, winning a gut-check game over Rider, 54-46, that tipped-off at the crack of dawn. But there were also some early warning signs of the same troubling offensive trends that have impeded the program’s NCAA pursuits each of the past three years.

Freshman center Jameel Warney scored nine points to go with nine rebounds, three steals and a block. Guards Anthony Jackson and Dave Coley led the Seawolves in scoring, with 12 points apiece. Senior forward Tommy Brenton scored eight points and pulled down seven rebounds, but only took four shots and committed an uncharacteristic five turnovers.

“We were good enough to grind out a win today. I like the fact that we outrebounded them and that, when it was tied, we won the basketball game,” said head coach Steve Pikiell. “The guys did a real good job with less than 48 hours to prepare for a big basketball game.”

Tipping off at 6 a.m. as part of ESPN’s 24 hours of basketball, the game was what one would expect from two teams whose schedules were flipped completely upside down for two days: far more bad and ugly than good, from purely a basketball aesthetics point of view.

The Seawolves showed their usually ferocity on the glass and tenacity defending the ball – staples of Pikiell’s program – holding Rider to just 30.8 percent shooting (16-for-52), while out-rebounding the Broncs 35-27 — the 25th time in the last 27 games that Stony Brook has out-rebounded its opponent. The Seawolves also forced Rider into 15 turnovers.

“That’s what we do, we defend and held them to a season low,” said Pikiell.

Stony Brook showed mental toughness: watching an 11-point second-half lead slip away in the most momentum-shifting of fashions: The Broncs first banked in a half-court shot with the shot-clock winding down, before tying the game a steal and transition dunk tied the game 41-41 with 4:16 to play.

Before a partisan crowd that grew louder as the Seawolves lead slipped away, exploding as Rider completed its comeback, most teams in Stony Brook’s position would have completed the collapse. Stony Brook dug in and fought back, putting the game away.

While Stony Brook’s heart and guts were admirable, the Seawolves offense remains stagnant. (more…)

(Stony Brook, NY) — Maybe they were there all along; hiding in the shadows, biding their time and waiting to strike until the time was absolutely right.

The Stony Brook Seawolves exorcised their offensive demons en route to a 14-2 conference record, regular season crown, number one seed in the conference tournament, and host of the America East Championship game.

But in the biggest game in program history, the demons came roaring back – crippling the Seawolves; ripping out the program’s heart while tearing down their dreams of March Madness.

In the America East title game, Stony Brook shot just 29.3 percent from the floor (a Championship Game-record low), while hitting only 4-of-19 3’s. Despite holding the Catamounts without a field goal for the final 9:56 of game time, the Seawolves fell 51-43.

They just couldn’t get anything going on offense.

Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell was quick to point to an off-night shooting, saying “I thought we got good looks,” but the tale of the tape told a very different story.

We’d seen it all before. (more…)

(West Hartford, CT) — With regulation about to draw to a close, Stony Brook sophomore guard Dave Coley faced the Albany Great Danes’ defense, searching for a point of weakness. The Chase Arena crowd was at a fever pitch after Albany’s Jacob Iati hit what threatened to be a soul-crushing 3-pointer to draw his team level with 37 seconds remaining. Even after more than 39 minutes of all-out effort, the Danes’ energy and alertness was formidable. No path to the basket emerged. Coley had to settle for a jumper, which missed. As the ball headed skyward, then downward, the audience began to exhale and prepare for overtime.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the ball rose back up and fell through the cylinder, and Albany’s season was over.

Stony Brook forward Tommy Brenton had gotten a hand to the basketball – while his tip was not enough to direct the ball in the right direction, its new trajectory brought it to the hand of another Seawolf forward, senior Dallis Joyner, who rose up among a crowd of purple and white jerseys for the tip-in as time expired, giving top-seeded Stony Brook a 57-55 victory over No. 4 Albany.

“That was a pass from me to Dallis,” Brenton deadpanned.

“Coach drew it up for Dave to get a shot up and when I tipped it I didn’t think it would count because I heard the horn go off for the shot clock. But when I went up I still saw time running off the game clock and I knew it was good,” said Joyner.

Thirty-seven seconds earlier, the Great Danes had run a picture-perfect execution of a collapsing double-screen to spring 5’8″ guard Jacob Iati for a game-tying three. (more…)

(Boston, MA)–Hurricane Brenton struck Matthews Arena Saturday afternoon, leaving quaking backboards and a path of destruction in his wake.

Stony Brook forward Tommy Brenton was everywhere Saturday night – clogging passing lanes, dishing out assists, rattling the rim for big dunks, and making all the plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet – leading the visiting Seawolves to a win over Northeastern in the Sears BracketBusters.

“I thought [Brenton] was the biggest single factor in the game,” said Northeastern head coach Bill Coen.

Brenton scored 13 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting to go with seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two blocks, and a pair of thunderous dunks, to carry the Seawolves back from a nine-point deficit with under six-minutes to play, to a 76-69 win.

“Tommy does everything for us: [He] made every big play, grabbed every big rebound,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell.

During a five-minute span late in the second half in which the Seawolves turned an eight-point deficit into a two-point lead, Brenton played a direct role in 15 of the Seawolves 17 points, scoring nine, dishing out two assists, while adding two steals that led directly to baskets.

“I think he just willed his way: He just made winning basketball plays, whether it was hustle plays, tips on the ball, offensive rebounds, defensive stops,” said Coen.

Sophomore guard Dave Coley matched his career-high with a game-high 21 points – including huge plays to close out the first half and put Stony Brook on top in the second, and four free-throws in the final 40 seconds to ice the game. Center Dallis Joyner added a 10 point 10 rebound double-double. (more…)

(Durham, NH) – Good teams find a way to win even when they don’t play well.

Visiting Stony Brook lost the turnover battle to host New Hampshire (14 to 12), and the Seawolves were outshot from both the floor (31.1 percent to 36.7) and behind the arc (18.8 percent to 28 percent), while registering only 4 assists to 14 turnovers. Stony Brook leading scorers Bryan Dougher and Dave Coley, along with starting forwards Dallis Joyner and Al Rapier, were all held below their season averages.

Yet, at the final buzzer, the Seawolves stood comfortably in control, with a 57-48 win.

Stony Brook won the game on the defensive end, on the glass, and at the free-throw line. The Seawolves out-rebounded New Hampshire 40-24; the 14th straight game in which the Seawolves have out-rebounded their opponent. Stony Brook made 26 of 33 free-throws to UNH’s 5-7, and scored 10 points off turnovers, compared to New Hampshire’s three.

“We knew it’d be a grind and it was,” said Stony Brook coach Steve Pikiell. “Lucky to get on the bus with a win. Did enough to win; our defense again held a team to under 50 points.”

The Seawolves defense ranks as the league’s best in scoring defense (55.1 ppg) and field goal percent defense (.396) in America East games. In 12 conference games, America East opponents have only broken 60 points against Stony Brook three times.

New Hampshire managed just four offensive rebounds to Stony Brook’s 12, as the Wildcats were outscored 10-3 in second chance points.

“We don’t really have an inside game where we can just throw it to the post, and, consequently, we had nothing on the offensive glass,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion. (more…)

(Albany, NY) — When push comes to shove, the Stony Brook Seawolves are going to come out on top.

“They’re going to win most street fights in this league,” said Albany head coach Will Brown of Stony Brook.

In an incredibly hard fought and physical game, the Seawolves relied on clutch shooting, a deep bench, and a lot of contact, to emerged with a 76-69 win on the road against Albany, remaining alone atop the America East standings.

“They’re the best defensive team in the league, the best rebounding team in the league and the toughest team in the league,” said Brown. “They imposed their will on us.”

David Coley scored 17 points on 8-9 shooting, Bryan Dougher added 14, Al Rapier had a 10 point 12 rebound double-double, and Anthony Jackson scored 11 points in 10 minutes off the bench.

“A lot of guys stepped up and made big plays on the road, which isn’t easy to do in front of a sell-out crowd,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell.

Stony Brook shot 53.1 percent from the floor (26-49) and 56.3 percent from behind the arc (9-16), and out-rebounded the Great Danes 34-32, the 13th straight game that the Seawolves have out-rebounded their opponents. Stony Brook held the Great Danes – The league’s best offensive back court – to just 5-22 from behind the arc.

Nine different players scored for Stony Brook, as the Seawolves bench outscored Albany’s 23-4.

“I like my bench, I trust them; they can really shoot the ball. They give us a different dimension coming off the bench,” said Pikiell.

Albany’s three-headed back court monster of Gerardo Suero, Mike Black and Logan Aronhalt combined for 51 points, but had to work for every single one of them.

“They out-physicaled us,” said Black.

“It was definitely the most physical game we’ve played all year,” added Aronhalt.

Playing before a sellout home crowd of 4,538, the game (Albany’s “Big Purple Growl” for winter homecoming), had a post season feel. 60 minutes before tip-off, bass blared from the overhead speakers. Both teams rocked the rims with high-flying dunks during lay-up lines, and the floorboards shook beneath the fans. The noise was deafening. (more…)

(Albany, NY) — The first place Stony Brook Seawolves registered 76-69 road win over the Albany Great Danes to remain alone atop the America East conference standings.

“We’ve played every team in the league, and they are by far the team that I’m most impressed with,” said Albany head coach Will Brown.

Played before a raucous capacity crowd of 4,538, the game was an incredibly physical, hard fought battle.

“It’s always a war when we play them and tonight was not different,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell. (more…)

(Stony Brook, NY) With 12:46 left in the first half, Stony Brook forward Tommy Brenton fought through four BU defenders to rebound his own missed free-throw. Bested but not beaten, the Terriers quickly swarmed Brenton, knocking the ball loose. In the ensuing loose-ball scramble – which looked more like a gridiron pig-pile after a fumble – bodies flew in all directions as seemingly every player on the floor entered the scrum.

“This was definitely a championship caliber game, you could tell by both teams how hard they were playing – like it was their last game,” Brenton later reflected.

With sole possession of first place on the line, a sellout crowd and a national TV audience on ESPNU, the America East “Game of the Season” more than lived up to its billing Friday night. Host Stony Brook and visiting Boston University engaged in a heavyweight slug-fest, with both teams landing haymakers early and often.

Senior guard Bryan Dougher poured in 20 points, including several huge buckets in the clutch, Tommy Brenton continued to disrupt every facet of the game with nine points, eight rebounds and four steals, and all-out-effort on the defensive end and in the low post turned the tide for Stony Brook in a 66-57 win. The Seawolves now stand alone atop the America East standings at 8-1 in league play.

When the final buzzer sounded, both coaches — visibly exhausted — shared an embrace.

“They punched us, then we punched them back and the game kind of went back and forth from there,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell. “It was a big-time college basketball game today. (more…)