On this day 20 years ago, the girls’ basketball team earned a second consecutive League Championship after finishing their league slate undefeated. Here is the recap from Greg Sarra of Newsday.

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Stony Brook Nets Outright Title

The Stony Brook girls’ basketball team put on a different face in each of the first two quarters in yesterday’s League VIII showdown with Eastport. The Bears shot a measly 28 percent in the first quarter, then a blistering 75 percent in a 21-8 second quarter to take a 13-point lead on their way to a 61-46 victory.

The win enabled Stony Brook (15-3, 12-0) to clinch the school’s first outright league championship.

“Last year we were co-champs with three other schools,” Stony Brook coach Keith Singer said. “This one was special. I was very pleased with our effort.”

The inside presence of forwards Rebecca Fischer and Michelle Spurlock was too much for the undersized Ducks. Fischer, a 6-1 junior, finished with a game-high 26 points and added 15 rebounds to lead Stony Brook. Spurlock, a 5-11 freshman, came off the bench to add six points and seven rebounds.

“Rebecca gives us a consistent effort every time we play,” Singer said. “Michelle comes off the bench and gives us a boost. They both played well tonight.”

After a lackluster first quarter that left the teams tied at 8-8, Fischer and Spurlock keyed a 15-4 Stony Brook run that took Eastport (10-6, 9-2) out of the game. Bears point guard Sara Kiernan, despite having two broken fingers on her right hand, added seven points and two assists in the second quarter.

“We were missing some fairly easy shots in the first quarter,” Singer said. “It seemed like everything was going in during the second quarter. And I’d have to say that Kiernan’s defensive effort was the key to the win.”

Kiernan held Eastport’s Tricia Vaughn (12 points) scoreless in the first half. Her defensive effort also was the key in Stony Brook’s 46-38 win over Eastport on Jan. 15.

“We just didn’t execute some of the things we worked on in practice,” Eastport coach Steve Giacalone said. “But that’s going to happen with a young team. And we’re still learning. When we worked our offense, we were successful.”

The Bears opened an 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Eastport never quit. The Ducks kept coming back and drew within 11 with 2:13 left. Fischer scored the next two baskets for Stony Brook and never allowed the Ducks to get within single digits.

“We just haven’t matured as a team yet but we will,” Giacolone said. “They were a better skilled and more aggressive team than we were. These are the type of games that will prepare us for the future. We gave up too many baskets on second-shot opportunities in that second quarter and that was the key.”

For Stony Brook, the win was another step in the right direction.

Singer said, “Now we have to take the next step and win in the playoffs.”

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