UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Stony Brook took control late in the game to pull out a 72-65 win over the Norfolk State men's basketball team on Saturday night in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena.
 
The third-place game of the Springfield bracket saw a back and forth affair throughout, one that featured 19 lead changes altogether. The last one, however, went the way of the Seawolves. They outscored the Spartans 11-1 in the last three minutes of the game to earn the victory.
 
The Spartans (2-4) were unable to capitalize on a pair of strong individual performances as well as Stony Brook's habit of turning the ball over. Junior Nic Thomas totaled 20 points on 6-of-16 shooting, hitting four of the team's seven 3-pointers.
 
Junior Steven Whitley added 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting, connecting on NSU's other three 3-point shots. He also tallied seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. He was later named to the all-tournament team.
 
The Spartans, though, made just 36 percent in the second half compared to 53 percent for the Seawolves. Stony Brook (3-1) did give the ball up 21 times for the game leading to 25-17 advantage in points off turnovers for NSU.
 
On the flip side, Stony Brook outrebounded the Spartans 38-23 and held a 17-6 edge in second-chance points.
 
It was a tight game throughout both halves – both teams' largest lead was seven – although NSU did start off strong in the second half. Down by three at the break, the Spartans got a pair of layups from Whitley for a 47-43 lead four and a half minute in.
 
They still led by four later in the half after buckets by Whitley and senior Jordan Butler. The last one made it a 55-51 game with 8:11 on the clock. But from there, the Seawolves went on to score 21 of the last 31 points in the game.
 
Still, NSU led by three on a trey by Whitley with four minutes left and then on two free throws from freshman C.J. Kelly at the 3:20 mark. The Seawolves got a three-point play from Akwasi Yeboah to tie the game up, and a trey from Jaron Cornish and an alley-oop dunk from Elijah Olaniyi pushed the lead to five. The Spartans missed their last five shots of the game as Stony Brook held on at the end.
 
Yeboah made 4-of-9 from the floor, 3-of-5 from deep, and all seven foul shots for a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Olaniyi added 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds, while Cornish finished with 15 points as well.
 
In the first half, neither team led by more than one possession until Stony Brook went ahead by five early on at 14-9. Thomas later hit a pair of treys as NSU scored eight in a row before the Seawolves responded with a 9-2 run for a 24-21 advantage with 7:33 to go.
 
Whitley and Thomas each made 3-pointers during a 10-0 spurt for the Spartans that put them ahead by seven. Stony Brook scored the next eight and later went up by six before Thomas drained a shot from the midcourt logo as time expired. That cut the Seawolves' lead to 41-38 at the half.
 
Thomas scored the last seven points of the first period for NSU, finishing with 18 at the break.
 
The Spartans made 46 percent in the first half, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. They finished at 41 percent overall (22-of-54) and 37 percent from deep after a 1-of-9 effort in the second half.
 
Stony Brook shot 22-of-47 (46.8 percent) and benefitted from a 22-of-28 effort from the foul line.
 
For the Spartans, senior Alex Long added 11 points, and Butler totaled nine points and five boards.
 
NSU will turn right around and return home to face Regent University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Joseph Echols Hall.