After losing the season home opener 60-52 to Fairfield University on Thursday, the men's basketball team came out strong Sunday, defeating Stony Brook University 64-56.
On Thursday, the Eagles came out strong in front of a crowd of just under 1,500 fans, led by junior guards Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer, who scored 11 points each in the first half. The team shot 55 percent from the field in the half and led 30-21 after 20 minutes of play.
However, Fairfield came out like a totally different team in the second half. The Stags went on a 14-0 run to begin the half and took the lead. Fairfield wore down the Eagle defense as the game went on, outscoring the Eagles 32-16 in points.
"They physically imposed their will upon us," said head coach Jeff Jones. "They just pounded the ball inside, and when they missed, they crashed the offensive boards."
Despite a brief comeback of their own, the Eagles could not keep up with their opponent. Shooting just 25 percent from the field in the second half, they were ultimately defeated. Carr led all scorers with 18 points in the loss.
Nevertheless, AU bounced back Sunday afternoon, defeating the Stony Brook Seawolves. Once again, the Eagles opened the game shooting well, connecting on eight three-point shots in the first half en route to a 33-29 halftime lead.
However, unlike Thursday, the Eagles stayed strong in the second half. Junior forward Bryce Simon led the Eagles with 15 points, while Mercer scored 11 points. Perhaps the biggest difference from Thursday was a much more balanced scoring attack.
"[Mercer] didn't get that many looks, and Garrison Carr didn't have a great shooting night," Jones said. "It forced other guys to make plays."
Still, AU had to sweat out the win in the final minutes. The Eagles had stretched their lead to 11 before the Seawolves mounted a 10-0 run in the final minutes.
Jones said he told the team to "just keep playing." The Eagles answered with a 7-0 run of their own to finally put Stony Brook away.
With the win, the Eagles improved to 2-2 on the season. The Eagles' next game is Tuesday.
