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Stony Brook was this close to making it to the Big Dance.
The No. 7 seed Seawolves lost in an overtime heartbreaker Tuesday night in the CAA Championship to No. 1 Charleston. The final score was 82-79.
Senior guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore led the way for the Seawolves, notching 26 points while shooting 7 of 12 from behind the arc.
Stony Brook led the first half of the game, up 40-35 at the end of the first 20 minutes. They would go on to be outscored in the second half, 38-33, and then eventually lose in overtime.
Charleston (27-7) became the first team to win back-to-back CAA tournament championships since UNC Wilmington in 2016 and ’17.
“We ran out of gas in overtime,” said SBU coach Geno Ford after the game, which took place in Washington, D.C.
This was Stony Brook’s fourth game in as many days, including a victory over Nassau rival Hofstra, 63-59, yesterday.
The Seawolves finished the regular season 20-14 before going on this impressive streak. An incredible feat, especially considering it’s SBU’s second year in the CAA. The school accepted an invitation to the CAA in 2022 after 21 years in the American East.
The Seawolves were the first No. 7 seed to advance to the CAA tournament final since East Carolina in 1993.
The Seawolves won the America East in 2016 and earned the school its first bid in the NCAA Tournament. The team was a No. 13 seed and lost in the first round to No. 4 Kentucky. That 2016 team was led by Jameel Warneey, a three-time MVP in the Korean Basketball League who also spent time in the NBA.
Reporting with the AP
Top: Stony Brook forward Chris Maidoh (4) shoots the ball while being defended by Charleston forward James Scott during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament, Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
