When used effectively, the 1-3-1 zone defense can choke the life out of any offense. The game plan involves trapping offensive players in hopes of causing a turnover or a poor shot. On Friday, Stony Brook used their speed and energy on defense to work the 1-3-1 zone to perfection as they defeated the Colgate Raiders 65-59 on Cotterell Court. Redshirt junior guards Mitchell Beauford and Ricky Lucas scored a combined 38 points for Stony Brook, while senior guard Jon Simon led Colgate with 15 points.

“We didn’t do a good enough job attacking the 1-3-1,” Head Coach Emmett Davis said. “We thought they (Stony Brook) were going to play it, but not as much as they did.”

Colgate outscored Stony Brook 24-19 in the first half and led 29-23 with 17:28 remaining in the game. Unfortunately Stony Brook’s pressure defense and the scoring of Beauford and Lucas swung the momentum in their direction, where it would stay for most of the second half. The Raiders had trouble finding open shots and committed eighteen turnovers on the night.

On the other end of the floor, the Seawolves got hot after shooting a meager 31% from the field in the first half. Stony Brook rode a 36-16 run to a score of 55-40 in their favor.

“They’ve got some very good one-on-one players,” Davis said. “They just made some plays.”

However, Stony Brook made very few plays down the stretch. After a 30-second timeout, Colgate would outscore Stony Brook 19-6 over a 3:48 span. Former Bergen Catholic Crusader and senior swingman Dan Gentile hit two three-pointers and junior guard Daniel Waddy scored five points in the waning moments of the second half. After junior Kyle Chones hit a three pointer with sixteen seconds left to cut the Stony Brook lead to two points, Beauford was fouled and hit both of his free throws to seal the game. Beauford, who led all scorers with 20 points, hit all six of his free throws in the last 23 seconds of the game.

Colgate will travel to Hanover, New Hampshire on Saturday to play Dartmouth. Last year, `Simon hit the game-winning shot in double overtime to give Colgate a 65-64 victory, and while the Raiders recognize the challenge, they hope to mow down the Big Green again this year.

“It’s going to be a little tougher (this year),” Simon said. “They’re a structured team and a good team.”