Men's Basketball Makes Island Federal Credit Union Arena Debut in America East Championship Rematch Monday Night
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ALBANY, N.Y. – On a four-game league winning streak, University at Albany men's basketball (9-7, 4-0 AE) makes its first visit to Stony Brook's (12-7, 3-1) Island Federal Credit Union Arena on Monday night. Tip is set for 7:03 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
In a 73-58 win against Binghamton on Wednesday night, Will Brown picked up his 200th career victory en route to raising $12,000 for the Cancer Council of South Australia. Peter Hooley scored a Great Danes-high 16 points, while Mike Rowley had a career-best 13 points and eight rebounds. Evan Singletary racked up seven assists. The Purple & Gold bested Binghamton in points off the bench by a sizeable 24-6 margin.
LAST WE MET
For the second straight year, UAlbany hit the road to take the America East Championship at Pritchard Gym, 69-60 on March 15, 2014. Sam Rowley had 18 points and four steals, while Peter Hooley totaled 15 points. The Great Danes shot 18-for-19 (.947) from the free throw line, and Stony Brook shot just 2-for-14 (.143) from three.
SERIES HISTORY
Monday's match-up marks the first time the teams have met in the Island Federal Credit Union Arena. The last time UAlbany made a trip to Stony Brook in the regular season, the Seawolves took a 73-68 victory to take the No. 2 seed in the 2014 America East Tournament. Despite out-rebounding the Seawolves on their own floor, five double-digit scorers downed the Great Danes.
UNDIES RUN
Through the sale of wristbands and donations at the door, UAlbany raised nearly $6,000 in Wednesday's game against Binghamton. An anonymous donation matching the amount raised from a family attending the game brought the total to $12,000. All proceeds are set to benefit the Cancer Council of Australia and the annual Undies Run for Bowel Cancer on Sunday, Jan. 18 in Adelaide, Australia.
200 IN THE BOOKS
Head coach Will Brown tallied his 200th career victory at UAlbany on Wednesday night in a 73-58 win over Binghamton. In his 14th season, Brown has won four America East Tournament titles, including 103 league regular season games and 12 conference tournament contests. Only Jim Calhoun's tenure at Northeastern has earned a school more America East Championships.
GOING FOR 1,000
Junior guard Peter Hooley is four points away from 1,000 for his career. Fellow Aussie Sam Rowley is 40 points shy is 1,000 points after becoming the Division I UAlbany career rebounding leader earlier this season with 616 to date.
magic EIGHT BALL
Through 16 games, the Purple & Gold is 8-2 when out-rebounding its opponent, 8-2 when leading at the half and 8-1 when shooting more free throws than its opponents.
CHARITY STRIPE KINGS
The Great Danes have shot .819 from the free throw line in winning seven of their last eight games. In a four-game January winning streak Will Brown's squad has gone 80-for-97 (.825) from the charity stripe, while opponents have taken just 61 free throws (15 per game). UAlbany is ranked eighth in the nation in free throw percentage (.764). Evan Singletary is 40-for-44 (.909) from the line this season.
DEFENDING THE CROWN - LITERALLY
Will Brown's squad has recorded impressive defensive numbers in its 4-0 January start. In Wednesday's win against the Bearcats, UAlbany had a season-low 10 fouls, while recording just seven turnovers. Against UMass Lowell on Saturday, the Great Danes allowed a season-low nine assists to the River Hawks. With a 4-0 league record, UAlbany is giving up just 56.3 points per game and out-rebounding its opponents by four boards per game.
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
- Stony Brook is 3-1 in league play including two straight wins behind a 82-39 beat down at Maine on Saturday afternoon.
- Steve Pikiell's squad is 8-0 in the brand new Island Federal Credit Union Arena on campus.
- The NCAA's leader in rebounds per game Jameel Warney helps the Seawolves post a rebounding margin of +9.3 per game to date. Stony Brook is also averaging 4.1 blocks per game.
- Earlier this season the Seawolves downed then-No. 13 Washington 62-57, behind 15 points from Warney. Warney has been the leading scorer in 10 of Stony Brook's 19 games.
- Warney is averaging 16.1 points and 11.7 points per game to date. Fellow junior Carson Puriefoy boasts 3.4 assists per game.
- The Seawolves fell 71-57 at Patrick Gym to Vermont earlier this season. Stony Brook posted a rare perfect performance from the free throw line, going 16-for-16. Pikiell's squad is shooting 67.4% from the charity stripe for the year.
