Feb. 2, 2008

Box Score

Albany, N.Y. - Senior Ricky Lucas (Herndon, Va.) scored a team-high 11 points but it wasn't enough as Brian Connelly led four Albany players in double-figures with 16 points as the Great Danes defeated the Stony Brook men's basketball team 64-46 on Saturday night at SEFCU Arena. Stony Brook falls to 4-17 and 1-8 with the loss while Albany improves to 10-11 and 5-4.

SBU trailed just 11-8 nearly nine minutes in after two free throws by sophomore Rio Pitt. But UAlbany took off from there, scoring 16 unanswered points to take a 27-8 lead with 6:22 to go. Josh Martin hit two threes during the run as Albany held the Seawolves scoreless for nearly six minutes.

A three from Lucas finally broke the drought but SBU still went into the half, down 34-15 and shooting 27.3 percent.

The Seawolves came out of the gate strong in the second half, scoring six of the first eight points on hoops by Lucas, freshman Chris Martin and Pitt. An acrobatic lay-up from junior Demetrius Young and fastbreak lay-up from senior Mitchell Beauford a minute later closed the Seawolves to within 39-25 with just over 14:30 to go.

Beauford hit two free throws with just over 10 minutes to go to keep the Seawolves within striking distance at 46-31 but Albany answered with five straight points and Stony Brook would get no closer than 16 the rest of the way as the Great Danes hit 15 of 21 free throws in the second half.

Lillis finished the game with a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds ) for the Great Danes and Lucas also added a team-high seven rebounds for the Seawolves.

The Seawolves return to action Wednesday, traveling to take on UMBC at 7 p.m.