Women's basketball falls to Stony Brook in Battle of Long Island

Stony Brook University won their home-opener 77-49 over Hofstra women’s basketball on Tuesday night, Nov. 13. The Seawolves’ first win of the year comes off their loss to Rutgers University in their season-opener, giving the team a 1-1 record. Hofstra drops to 1-2 and have now lost two-straight. 

Opening the game, the Seawolves jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead on their way to a 29 point first quarter, putting the Pride in an early hole they could not bounce back from. Led by senior guards Shania Johnson and Jerell Matthews, the Pride defense could not stop the explosive Stony Brook backcourt from getting to the hoop.

Matthews shot an outstanding 7-for-14 from the field and finished with a team-leading 20 points. Johnson, the 5’1” guard, notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. The Seawolves were hot all night long, shooting better than 50 percent from the field as a team.  

It was a poor performance all-around for the Pride. Stony Brook won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding Hofstra 49-35. More importantly, Hofstra struggled to get the ball in the basket. The Pride shot an abysmal 18-of-66 (27.3 percent) from the field. 

“We need to know how to handle adversity,” said Hofstra head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. “Things are going to happen throughout the course of a game, it’s not always 85 and sunny.”

Senior guard Boogie Brozoski was forced to take on a bigger role in the Hofstra backcourt with starting guard E’Lexus Davis out of the contest with an injury. She struggled to get going all night without her running mate, shooting 3-of-15 from the floor but finishing with a team-leading 11 points. 

A bright spot for the Pride was the play off the bench by freshman guard Vanerlie Valcourt. The Queens native took advantage of her minutes for Kilburn-Steveskey. Valcourt scored seven points in just 10 minutes of play. Her most notable play was in the fourth quarter when she picked off a Stony Brook pass and ran the open floor for an easy transition lay-up. Again, late in the game, Valcourt converted a three-point play when she drove to the basket, was fouled and finished a tough contested shot. 

“I was definitely proud of what she did,” Kilburn-Steveskey remarked. “How she tried to compete and help the team was a positive note.”

On the Stony Brook side, freshman guard Anastasia Warren finished as the second-leading scorer for the Seawolves with 16 points. Sophomore forward India Pagan chipped in with 10 points as well. 

For Hofstra, junior guard Ana Hernandez Gil notched double figures with 10 points, while forward Marianne Kalin led the team with six rebounds.

Up next, the Pride takes on St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Nov. 17, Hofstra travels to Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, Nov. 23 for its first game of the “Challenge in Music City” Tournament against Wright State at 2:30 p.m.