After losing in the America East championship game four times in the last five years, Stony Brook is finally over the hump and into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Seawolves trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half before staging a furious rally that allowed the home fans to storm the court after an 80-74 victory.
Stony Brook finally gets over the hump, wins 2016 America East Conference basketball tournament
The fifth time was the charm for Stony Brook in the America East championship game.
The man at the center of the Stony Brook comeback was the man who’s at the center of most things for the Seawolves: Jameel Warney. Determined to not come one game shy of the big dance yet again, the three-time America East Player of the Year poured in a career-high 43 points on 18 of 22 shooting from the field. The two-time league Defensive Player of the Year also swatted four shots and grabbed nine rebounds.
Like Stony Brook, Vermont has also had a great deal of success getting into the America East championship game in recent years. The Catamounts, however, have been a bit more prosperous with their moment in the spotlight. This was the ninth time since 2003 that Vermont had played for the league title, a title they won in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2012.
The story, though, is Stony Brook, which after coming so close for so many years will finally get to hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the first time ever. SB Nation’s Chris Dobbertean currently has the Seawolves pegged as a No. 14 seed playing in the West Region.
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