Stony Brook wins at Manhattan for sixth straight victory
Stony Brook guard Akwasi Yeboah controls the ball against Molloy in the second half of a basketball game at IFCU arena on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
There hasn’t been a start like this by Stony Brook since the 1990-91 season when the Seawolves were known as the Patriots and were on their way to the NCAAs — in Division III.
Stony Brook was tested on the road Wednesday night by Manhattan’s vaunted defensive pressure and Pauly Paulicap, its talented 6-8 forward from Elmont. But Akwasi Yeboah scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half, helping the Seawolves win their sixth straight and their eighth in nine tries, 69-62, at Draddy Gymnasium.
This best-ever start in the program’s Division I era that dates to 1999 is coming from a mostly young team. Miles Latimer added 13 points and Jules Moor had 10 points and five rebounds. Both are freshman guards.
“Everyone’s buying in,” Yeboah, the redshirt junior swingman, who went 16-for-20 at the line, said. “We all want to be great.” The Seawolves are doing great road work, now 5-0, including at South Carolina.
“We talk about in order to win a league championship, you have to win on the road,” coach Jeff Boals said.
Stony Brook led 34-27 at halftime and 57-49 with 6:16 left. But Paulicap (24 points, 10 rebounds) scored six in a 10-1 run that gave the Jaspers a 59-58 lead.
Yeboah countered with two from the line. The Seawolves got a stop, and then Andrew Garcia made two free throws for a 62-59 edge with 1:52 left. Yeboah nailed a three to make it a six-point lead with 1:20 left. Paulicap’s three-point play to cut it to 65-62.
Then Jaron Cornish hit a clutch jumper with 36.8 seconds remaining.
“They played hard,” Paulicap said. “I feel like we actually fought even harder at the end of the game. But we didn’t get the win.”
