Jaron Cornish's 3-pointer lifts Stony Brook over Albany in overtime
Stony Brook guard Jaron Cornish dribbles the ball up court against LIU Brooklyn during the first half an NCAA Division I men's basketball game at IFCU Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Stony Brook is still perfect in the America East, but the Seawolves had to work for their victory Wednesday night, rallying to defeat host Albany, 67-66, in overtime.
Jaron Cornish, the Seawolves’ lone senior, played hero, making the go-ahead three with 1:43 left in overtime. Stony Brook (17-3, 5-0) didn’t allow a point in the final 3:41.
It wasn’t an easy game for the Seawolves, who struggled to find a rhythm down the stretch. They trailed by eight in the second half, and Albany (5-15, 0-4) controlled the game in the paint, including a 44-40 edge in rebounds.
Stony Brook still had a chance to put the game away in regulation after Miles Latimer made a jumper with 15 seconds left for a 61-59 lead. Albany answered nine seconds later, tying it on Ahmad Clark’s layup and forcing overtime.
Akwasi Yeboah gave Stony Brook a 64-61 lead on the its first possession of OT, but Albany responded with a 5-0 run and had a two-point lead with 3:42 left. Neither team scored until Cornish hit the winning shot.
Yeboah had a game-high 21 points along with 11 rebounds for the Seawolves, who will host Vermont Saturday at 7 p.m. The Catamounts dropped their first league game of the season Wednesday, falling to UMBC, 74-61, at home.
Albany 54, Stony Brook 49. Jerell Matthews scored 14 points and India Pagan added 12 for Stony Brook’s women’s team. Host Stony Brook (3-3) was held to only 32.7 percent from the floor, including 4-for-19 from behind the arc, and trailed Albany (4-2) the entire game.
