Seawolves Host, Win Eighth Annual Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Basketball Game

Stony Brook Athletics and the Stony Brook University men's basketball team hosted the eighth annual Stony Brook Children's Hospital Game at Stony Brook Arena on February 7, bringing together patients and their families with players, coaches and the SBU community.

Every Stony Brook men's basketball player wore a specially customized jersey with the name of a Stony Brook Children's Hospital patient on the back, and the team warmed up for the game wearing a special shooting shirt featuring a design created by a Stony Brook Children's Hospital patient. The Seawolves coaching staff also wore custom designed shoes, polos and quarter zips as well.

More than 20 patients and their families took part in the annual tradition. Patients got the chance to sit near the court, have access to a pregame interactive experience, be featured on the video board and participate in in-game activities and contests. After the game, patients met with SBU players and coaches, took photos and obtained autographs and game-worn jerseys from the Stony Brook players.

The Seawolves led for nearly the entire game in the 65-55 win over Northeastern. Erik Pratt led the scoring with 13 points as Stony Brook won its 15th game of the season.

Carolyn Milana, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and associate professor of pediatrics at Stony Brook Medicine, gave a halftime interview broadcast on SNY where she talked about what the game has meant to the community and how it showcases the high-quality, family-centered care at the only children's hospital in Suffolk County.

"Everybody at the Children's Hospital really looks forward to this game each year, and for us, it really embodies the thing that we feel most important about, which is the community," Milana said, adding that the Children's Hospital has specialized pediatricians who are board certified and available to the children of Suffolk County 24/7. "It's all about the family."

Executive Vice President of Stony Brook Medicine William Wertheim, MD, attended as well, meeting with the patients and their families. The game ball was delivered to the referee by patient Melody B., who recently won the naming contest for "Scout," the new plush figure available at the hospital.

Patients participated in the Anthem Buddies with the players before tipoff, as well as the "Cotton Eye Joe" dance in the second half. The first 750 entrants to the game received temporary tattoos of the Stony Brook Children's Hospital logo and paw prints. The hospital also hosted a vaccine safety table in the concourse, and Wolfie himself stopped by to receive a vaccine.

Photos by Stony Brook Medicine and Stony Brook Athletics.