THE BASICS:
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RESULT: Stony Brook 66, Hartford 58
RECORDS: Hartford (14-9, 6-4 AE); SBU (13-10, 5-5 AE)
LOCATION: Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion (West Hartford, Conn.)
PHOTO GALLERY
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THE LEAD:
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A big fourth quarter propelled Stony Brook to a 66-58 victory against the University of Hartford women's basketball team inside Reich Family Pavilion on Saturday afternoon. Senior Darby Lee paced the Hawks with 17 points in the losing effort, while classmate Janelle Harrison recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points and adding 10 rebounds, including the 500th of her career.
Jerell Matthews led all scorers with 24 points behind an impressive 6-of-8 performance from behind the arc. Her first triple of the fourth quarter – and fourth of the afternoon – put Stony Brook on top for good with 8:51 left in the game.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
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- A quick start put Stony Brook out in front early, but the Hawks answered with three-straight buckets, including a pair of jumpers from Lee, to pull ahead, 11-7, at the midway point of the quarter.
- The Hawks continued to push in the first, using back-to-back three-point possessions to pull ahead by eight at 17-9. That lead grew to as many as 10 in the second quarter on a Lindsey Abed three.
- But momentum shifted, and Stony Brook made a big push to close the gap before halftime. Embarking on a 14-4 run over a nearly six-minute stretch, the Seawolves knotted up the score at 28-all with 79 seconds to go. A pair of Lee free throws before the end of the half broke the tie and provided the Hawks with the lead at halftime.
- Hartford scored the first seven points of the second half to extend its advantage to nine in the opening minutes of the second half. But behind a hot hand from Matthews, the remainder of the quarter belonged to the Seawolves. Converting on her next four field goal attempts, including three-straight three-pointers, Matthews ignited a 15-3 Stony Brook run that put the Seawolves up by three (43-40) inside the two minute mark.
- The Hawks rallied to reclaim the edge at 44-43 on a Jade Young jumper in the opening minute of the fourth, but the Seawolves responded by scoring 18 of the game's next 23 points to take their largest lead – a 12-point spread – with 2:41 left.
- Behind an increased defensive presence in the backcourt, the Hawks forced four Seawolves' turnovers in the final two minutes to end the game with a 7-3 run to pull within eight, but they ran out of time in the comeback bid.
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INSIDE THE BOX SCORE & NOTES:
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- Harrison became the 17th player in program history – and the first since Cherelle Moore (2011-15) – to eclipse the 500-rebound mark in Saturday's game.
- Harrison compiled a double-double for the second time this season, and the fifth time in her career.
- Abed scored in double figures for the third-straight game, finishing with 16 points.
- Stony Brook shot 43.9 percent (.474 from three) as a team to Hartford's 31.7 percent.
- Hartford forced 20 or more turnovers for the fourth-straight game, as SBU recorded 24.
- All but one of Matthews' three-pointers came in the second half.
- The defeat snapped Hartford's three-game winning streak against the Seawolves.
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NEXT ON TAP:
The turnaround is a quick one for the Hawks, as they head north to take on the Maine Black Bears on Monday. Tipoff from the Cross Insurance Center is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN3.Â
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