Anthony Roberts' three-point play in final seconds ends Stony Brook's skid
Stony Brook Seawolves guard Anthony Roberts brings the ball up court against the UMass Lowell River Hawks in the second half of an NCAA America East men's basketball game at Island Federal Arena on Wednesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The heartbreak kept on coming.
America East banned Stony Brook’s athletic programs on Feb. 2 from participating in conference tournaments after the university announced it’s bound for the entrance ramp to the CAA on July 1.
The deflated men’s basketball players, knowing their shot at a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament ticket were wiped out, lost that night at home by 16. Then the Seawolves dropped the next two on late tiebreaking shots.
So they showed up at Island Federal Arena Wednesday night, hoping to make a U-turn away from heartbreak and back to a winning path. Stony Brook did it. thanks to Anthony Roberts. The guard scored 28 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1.4 seconds left, providing an 87-85 win over UMass Lowell in a game that included a "Let Us Play" protest rally.
"It definitely feels good to win and kill the losing streak," Roberts said. "We needed it a lot. Even though the situation we’re going through, we [need to] just to keep playing every night and go out there and fight . . . It messed a lot of us up."
Tykei Greene, who scored 22, hit a one-hander in the lane and followed with a three to give Stony Brook an 82-80 lead with 1:43 left. But Allin Blunt’s layup tied it with 38.1 seconds left.
Frankie Policelli made two free throws for Stony Brook (14-10, 6-5) with 20.9 seconds left. But Blunt countered with a three-point play to give UMass Lowell (12-11, 4-7) an 85-84 lead with 7.2 seconds to go.
After a timeout, Roberts dribbled a long way, made a layup, was fouled and hit the free throw.
"There are times where he looks like the best player in the conference," coach Geno Ford said.
And his play Wednesday was a pick-me-up for the Seawolves.
"We’ve been pretty down," Greene said, referring to America East’s ruling.
The rally, which was organized by Stony Brook’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, featured student-athletes from different sports sitting in the stands behind one basket holding handmade signs.
"It’s upsetting that we work our entire seasons not to be able to finish it out," Claire Lewis, a junior from the swim team, said at halftime. "So it’s exciting that all of us are banding together and supporting each other."
Olaniyi leaves. Graduate guard Elijah Olaniyi, who missed much of the season with leg injuries, has withdrawn from the university. "He’s going to pursue the next step of his career," Ford said.
