Hempstead, NY - Senior center Jess Fuller scored 13 points and added 14 rebounds and four blocks for her 15th career double-double to lead Hofstra to a 67-61 victory over Stony Brook in a non-conference matchup Monday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
Fuller (Queens, NY) logged her second double-double of the season, sophomore guard Asia Jenkins (Piscataway, NJ) contributed a season-high 12 points and freshman Shante Evans (West Chester, PA) also added 12 points as Hofstra improved to 7-3 and extended its season-best winning streak to four games.
Sophomore guard Nicole Capurso (Staten Island, NY) added nine points and freshman Candace Bond (Fort Washington, MD) chipped in five points and six rebounds to help the Pride improve to 5-0 at home.
Evans scored all of her points in the second half and senior Sam Brigham (Simsbury, CT) scored eight points to stymie a Stony Brook comeback attempt. Sam Landers (14 points) and Kristin Jeter (14 points) were two of three players who scored in double figures for the Seawolves, which fell to 2-8.
Fuller entered the game ranked ninth nationally in total blocks and was a force in the post, helping Hofstra build a 46-39 rebounding edge and a 6-1 advantage in blocks.
The Seawolves came to within 47-42 in the second half before Evans found a comfort zone on the low block. The first-year power forward powered her way to a lay-up on the Pride's next possession and completed the three-point play with 10:34 left.
Crystal Rushin's steal and layup three minutes later made it 53-50. Yet Jenkins re-established Hofstra's cushion on the next possession, drilling a short-range jumper despite hard contact for the three-point play.
Tight defense forced two late misses as Stony Brook tried to make it a one possession game. Evans forced Jeter's missed driving attempt and Sam Brigham's perimeter defense forced Misha Horsey to miss a jumper to keep Hofstra's lead to 60-56 with a minute left.
Capurso hit two free throws to make it a six-point edge. Cassie Klockgether drilled a left-wing three-pointer to cut it to 62-59 with 39.6 seconds left, marking the closest the Seawolves would get. Brigham secured the wire-to-wire victory, hitting four consecutive free throws in the last minute.
Hofstra looked sharp from the outset despite a 45-minute delay to start the game because of Stony Brook travel difficulties. The Pride surged to a 19-4 lead almost halfway through the opening half as the defense held Stony Brook to a 3-17 shooting from the field at the start. But the Seawolves cut a 15-point deficit to as little as six points before the Pride regained momentum and headed into halftime with a 38-26 lead.
Fuller blocked two shots in the opening 55 seconds, moving her into second place on Hofstra's all-time list with 135 (137 total). Her physical play in the key allowed her to register a double-double before the break, scoring 11 points while adding 10 rebounds and three blocks by intermission.
Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey moved into a fourth-place tie with Felisha Legette-Jack on the program's all-time wins list after picking up her 54th career victory at Hofstra.
The Pride will close out the 2009 calendar year with road games against Southern Methodist (Dec. 28) and Rice (Dec. 30). Those two contests will be the last tune-ups before Colonial Athletic Association play begins Jan. 3 on the road against William and Mary.
