Stony Brook (6-6, 4-2) vs. NJIT (4-6, 3-5)
Wellness and Events Center, Newark, New Jersey; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Two guards will be on display as Juan Felix Rodriguez and Stony Brook will take on Zach Cooks and NJIT. The junior Rodriguez is averaging 12.8 points over the last five games. Cooks, a senior, has scored 20 percent of the team’s points this season and is averaging 11 over his last five games.
SAVVY SENIORS: Stony Brook’s Rodriguez, Mouhamadou Gueye and Jaden Sayles have combined to account for 43 percent of the team’s scoring this season, including 36 percent of all Seawolves points over the last five games.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS: The Seawolves have allowed only 66.5 points per game across six conference games, an improvement from the 78.6 per game they allowed over five non-conference games.JUMPING FOR JUAN FELIX: Rodriguez has connected on 31.7 percent of the 60 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 9 of 27 over his last five games. He’s also made 64 percent of his free throws this season.
SLIPPING AT 72: Stony Brook is 0-5 when it allows at least 72 points and 6-1 when it holds opponents to less than 72.
ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Seawolves have recently used assists to create buckets more often than the Highlanders. NJIT has 29 assists on 71 field goals (40.8 percent) over its previous three contests while Stony Brook has assists on 36 of 67 field goals (53.7 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: NJIT has committed a turnover on just 17.1 percent of its possessions this season, which is the second-best rate among all America East teams. The Highlanders have turned the ball over only 11.9 times per game this season.
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