Men's Basketball Falls Short In Conference Play

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

SB led 34-29 early in the second half as Tommy Brenton converted a driving layup on the left baseline. UAlbany (13-12, AE 5-7) regrouped to take a 39-38 lead when Tim Ambrose scored on a tip-in of a missed three-point field goal attempt. The final period featured six lead changes and two ties.

Martin, who had 12 second-half points, later canned a jumper in the circle to put his team ahead to stay at 41-39 with 7:16 remaining. Demetrius Young, the third SBU player in double figures with 10 points, made a 3-pointer from the top of the arc for a five-point cushion.

The Great Danes, who have lost four straight, were still in striking distance when Ambrose sank two free throws to slice the deficit to 48-45. But El-Amin, a junior college transfer, beat the shot clock with a 19-footer from the left side to extend the lead to seven with 2:53 to play.

“Our starting backcourt had 11 turnovers, and they did a good job of denying our wings,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team committed 21 miscues overall. “We didn’t take advantage of our opportunities and El-Amin made us pay with some big shots.”

In the first half, each team struggled offensively, with shooting percentages hovering just about 31 percent. The Seawolves ran off 10 unanswered points to take a 14-4 lead, as UAlbany went without a field goal nearly nine minutes to start the game. Young hit a slam dunk in transition during that span, while Martin canned back-to-back jumpers.

The Seawolves were still ahead 17-12, but then went scoreless for just over six minutes. UAlbany took advantage to reel off seven straight points. Louis Barraza drilled a three-point field goal from the left wing, before Brett Gifford tied the contest with a jumper. Anthony Raffa’s spinning fastbreak layup put his team in front. But Young countered on his team’s next possession with a conventional three-point play as he was fouled on a one-hander in the lane.

“We have been outplayed four games in a row,” explained Gifford, who had a career-high 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds as a non-starter. “I am frustrated. The turnovers are killing us. We have to take care of the ball.”

Ambrose, a 6-foot sophomore, finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. The Seawolves, the conference’s top defensive club, moved into sole possession of fourth place in the league standings.