March 7, 2008

Box Score

Vestal, N.Y. - The Stony Brook University men's basketball team scored the first eight points of overtime on its way to a thrilling 73-65 victory over the Maine Black Bears in the opening round of the 2008 America East Tournament on Friday night at the Events Center in Vestal, N.Y. The Seawolves will now take on top-seeded UMBC in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at Noon.

"Our defensive effort was tremendous in the second half and overtime," Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. "I couldn't be prouder of our effort tonight."

Lucas scored a game-high 18 for the Seawolves while junior Nick Carter (Huntington Station, N.Y.) added 16 and junior Demetrius Young (Sacramento, Calif.) recorded his third career double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds). Mark Socoby led the Black Bears with a game-high 30 points, going nine for 16 from three.

The Seawolves held a three-point advantage with 13.4 seconds left in regulation after two free throws from senior Ricky Lucas (Herndon, Va.) but Socoby banked in an off-balance three from the top of the key to tie it at 57 with 4.2 seconds left. The Seawolves called timeout to set-up a play for senior Mitchell Beauford but his three-point attempt from 25 feet fell short as SBU went to overtime for the fourth time this season.

A Young hoop gave Stony Brook the lead on the first possession of the extra session and the Seawolves would not trail again. Carter pushed the lead to four a minute later with a lay-in and then added two free throws to make it 63-57 with 3:02 left in overtime. Young nailed a jumper with 2:04 left to make 65-57 and the Black Bears would get no closer than six the rest of the way as the Seawolves advance to the conference quarterfinals for the first time since 2005. SBU allowed Maine to shoot 42.3 percent from the field in the opening half but held the Black Bears to 25.8 percent shooting in the second half and overtime combined.

Both teams struggled offensively at the start but a hoop from Lucas got the Seawolves on the board at the 17:32 mark. After the Seawolves took a 5-4 lead on a put-back from Carter, the Black Bears answered with a three-point basket from Kaimondre Owes to make it 8-6 just under five minutes in.

A jump hook from senior Emanuel Neto (Luanda, Angola) tied it at eight but the Black Bears went on a 8-2 spurt capped by a three from Socoby to take a six-point lead. But Lucas answered with a three and Young grabbed a loose ball and put it in to make it 16-15 just over midway through the half.

Maine built its lead back to three but Lucas continued his hot-shooting with a long three to tie it up at 18. The teams then traded baskets but another Lucas trifecta gave the Seawolves their first lead since the early going.

Owes scored five straight points to give Maine the lead back but an acrobatic reverse lay-up from sophomore Eddie Castellanos (Hoboken, N.J.) tied it up again. But Socoby then got hot, hitting two long three-pointers in the final minutes of the half to give the Black Bears a 33-28 advantage heading into the locker room.

Socoby scored a game-high 12 points in the opening stanza to lead the Black Bears while Lucas paced the Seawolves with 11 first-half points.

Socoby hit a three just over two minutes into the second half, giving the Black Bears an eight-point lead and two Owes free throws a possession later gave Maine a 10-point lead at 38-28 with 17:15 remaining. Young hit a floater in the lane for the Seawolves first points of the half but Socoby got fouled shooting a three on the ensuing possession and hit all three freebies to push Maine advantage up to 11.

An old-fashioned three-point play from Young and a lay-up from Beauford cut the SBU deficit to six but another long three from Socoby made it 44-35 with 13:51 to go in the game. But Beauford brought Stony Brook back, hitting a contested three from the corner and then a 12-foot jumper from the right side to bring Stony Brook back within four.

Maine would build its lead back to eight but junior Marques Cox then energized SBU with a lay-in and a steal that resulted in a Lucas three from corner that sliced the Black Bear advantage to three with 8:09 to go. SBU tied it after another Black Bear turnover as Carter hit a three from the left side.

A Maine free throw gave them the lead back but a tough runner from Carter gave the Seawolves their first lead of the half. The Black Bears tied it on a free throw from Junior Bernal who then missed the second allowing Maine to collect the rebound. The ensuing possession resulted in a Seawolves foul and Brian Andre hit both free throws to give Maine a 54-52 advantage with 3:35 left. But Carter answered again with a three to give Stony Brook the lead back.