SBU women look to improve in America East

First-year Stony Brook women's basketball coach Beth O'Boyle has acknowledged that her squad is in a rebuilding mode.

That doesn't mean anyone gets a pass on the season, though.

In addition to wanting to change the culture of the program, O'Boyle wants to see improvement in every area.

With the return of three experienced senior guards -- Sam Landers, Misha Horsey and Tamiel Murray -- senior forward Destiny Jacobs in the mix and some new additions, including freshman Kellie Krueger, the Seawolves could move up a rung in the America East Conference.

"We want to place an emphasis on what we do in the weight room and our intensity level in practice,'' O'Boyle said. "We're working to become a really solid, disciplined and defensive team.''

In recent years, Stony Brook, which finished 7-23 last season, would struggle early and pick up a little steam late in conference play. That's a trend the Seawolves are hoping to improve upon.

"Playing as a team, having that chemistry, playing defense and just having some early momentum would help us get off to a good start,'' said Horsey, a fifth-year senior who missed last season with a torn ACL. "And we have to take care of the ball. We can't just turn it over.''

It won't be easy, as the Seawolves have non-conference road games against Ohio State and Seton Hall and home contests against Robert Morris and LIU.

Stony Brook won two of its final three games last season and finished with a 74-65 loss to top-seeded UMBC in an America East Tournament second-round game.

"We want to prove the conference wrong,'' Jacobs said. "Everyone will pick us to come in last with all the changes we've had. I think once we get the mentality that we can compete, that will motivate us.''