Leissner Scores 27 in 72-63 Loss at Stony Brook

Sunday, February 18

Stony Brook, NY

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

10-18, 6-8AE

Stony Brook University

11-17, 6-8AE

New Hampshire

Stony Brook

Photo by: Steve McLaughlin

2/18/2018 5:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Tanner Leissner (Converse, Texas) scored a game-high 27 points but the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team was defeated 72-63 by Stony Brook University at Island Federal Credit Union Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Leissner made 11 of 17 field goal attempts, including both shots from 3-point range, and all three foul shots to score 27 points and increase his school-record career total to 1,911. Leissner also had four rebounds and three assists. The next leading UNH scorer was Jacoby Armstrong (Dallas, Texas) with seven points.

UC Iroegbu (17 points) and Junior Saintel (12) were SBU's top scorers. Saintel also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

UNH is now 10-18 overall, while SBU improved to 11-17. The Wildcats and Seawolves are tied for fifth place in the America East standings at 6-8 with the season series even at 1-1.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Wildcats hit the road again Feb. 21 (7 p.m.) the University of Hartford.
UNH's next home game is the regular-season finale, Senior Day on Feb. 27 vs. UMass Lowell. The four seniors will be honored prior to the 1p.m. start.
Tickets for all home games are available online at www.unhwildcats.com or by calling (603) 862-4000.

THE DIFFERENCE

The score was tied at 54 with six minutes remaining. Stony Brook closed the game on an 18-9 run.
SBU made 9 of 10 free throws during that stretch, including 7 of 8 in the last two minutes to keep the Wildcats at arm's length.
Trailing by five points, 63-58, with three minutes to play, UNH committed four of its season-high 19 turnovers down the stretch.

GAME RECAP

UNH scored the first five points of the game on a 3-pointer by Elijah Jordan (Orlando, Fla.) and pull-up jumper by Leissner.
SBU answered with an 8-0 run to take a three-point lead at 14:53.
Josh Hopkins (Greensboro, N.C.) drained a 3-pointer on the left wing to tie the score, 8-8, at 14:31, but the Seawolves scored the next six points to surge ahead, 14-8, at 13:13.
Armstrong converted a putback and drove the left baseline for a layup to trim the deficit to 16-12.
With UNH trailing 17-12, Leissner's 3-pointer ignited an 8-2 spurt that gave the 'Cats a 20-19 lead at 10:30.
The Seawolves quickley scored five consecutive points to surge back in front, 24-20, at 9:37.
The teams exchanged 3-pointers – one by UNH's Keon Burns (Beaverton, Ore.) – to push the score to 27-23 in favor of the home team.
Jordan Reed (Lucas, Texas) hit a driving layup and then a floater to start a 6-0 run that once again gave UNH the lead, 29-27, at 4:40.
SBU went on a 6-2 run to take a 33-31 lead with 1:06 on the clock, but Leissner hit his second 3-pointer of the half to put New Hampshire back in front, 34-33. He then drew an offensive foul at the other end of the court and made a reverse layup in the closing seconds to send UNH into halftime with a 36-33 lead.
The Wildcats built a double-digit lead, 45-35, at 15:43 on an 8-0 run in which John Ogwuche (Makurdi, Nigeria) hit an open 3-pointer on the left wing, then Reed and Leissner made layups.
UNH led 52-46 but SBU rallied to take a 56-54 lead (at 5:32) with a 10-2 run. The layup by Akswani Yeboah gave the Seawolves their first lead since 33-31 late in the first half.
The Wildcats called timeout and Leissner scored from in front of the rim to forge the fourth tie of the game, 56-56.
Yeboah hit a pair of free throws at 4:51 to give the home team a lead it would not relinquish. Iroegbu followed with a layup and 3-pointer to extend the margin to 63-56 with 3:15 remaining.
UNH once again called a timeout, and once again Leissner provided the answer on the right blocks to lift the 'Cats within 63-58 at 2:54.
In the next two minutes, SBU scored seven consecutive points to build a commanding 70-58 lead.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

There were two ties and six lead changes in the first half.
Led by Leissner's 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor (including 2 of 2 from 3-point range), UNH shot 50% from the floor – and 50% on 3's – in the first half.
UNH committed 14 of its 19 turnovers in the second half.
Other than Leissner, the rest of the 'Cats shot 14-for-38 (36.8%) from the floor.
New Hampshire is 0-13 when the opposition scored 70 or more points.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Camara increased his school record for career rebounds to 986.
He also moved into sole possession of No. 2 on the career games played list (119).
Leissner increased his career points record to 1,911. He also extended his UNH career benchmarks in FTs made (516) and attempted (667), as well as minutes played (3,985).
Leissner is tied for No. 3 on the career games played list with 118.
Armstrong is tied at No. 9 in career games played (114).
On UNH's single-season lists, Leissner is No. 3 in free throws made (148; No. 2 is 150), No. 3 in free throws attempted (191) and No. 8 in points (530).
Also on the program single-season leaderboard, Camara eclipsed 300 rebounds and is No. 4 with 301 (303 is No. 3).