There was only one incident of spitting this time, which led to an early exit for the player involved.
During a loss on Thursday night against Monmouth, Stony Brook’s standout Eric Pratt was ejected after allegedly spitting at a fan.
After the game, Pratt expressed his regret about the incident.
In a late-night Instagram Story, Pratt said, “I apologize for my actions tonight.” He further addressed Monmouth University and its fans, as well as his own team, taking full responsibility. “I let down my teammates, coaches, and Stony Brook University by not representing them appropriately. That’s not who I am.”
A surprising episode unfolded with 2:30 left in the second half when Pratt, nearing the baseline, reacted to a fan who was shouting at him.
Pratt, who is a graduate student from Lake Worth, Florida, leaned to the left and spat in the fan’s direction.
It’s not clear if the spit actually reached the fan, but the fan was notably pushed back as a result.
One announcer remarked, “Eh,” while another noted, “Eric Pratt just spat on one of the Monmouth students.”
As a consequence, Pratt received a technical foul and ended the match with a team-leading 14 points, along with eight assists, and five turnovers in 33 minutes of play.
Monmouth’s coach, King Rice, commented, “I didn’t see what happened, but we had an issue with the fans. Sometimes people come up and have a lot to say. I love our fans.” He acknowledged that things can heat up, especially with younger fans present.
With just two games left in the Seawolves’ regular season (17-12, 9-7), Pratt may face repercussions from the CAA, and losing him would be a significant setback for the team.
He currently leads the team with an average of 19.4 points per game—nearly double that of the next highest scorer—and also logs a substantial 34.2 minutes of play per game.
Pratt has scored at least 10 points in 26 of the Seawolves’ 29 games and is close to breaking Stony Brook’s scoring record over the last decade.
Stony Brook and Monmouth (15-14, 9-7) are now tied for the No. 5 seed in the upcoming CAA Tournament, which makes Thursday’s outcome particularly costly for the Seawolves.
Monmouth’s Jason Rivera-Torres, who scored a game-high 25 points, emphasized, “This was a game we should have won.” He added that every game leading up to the CAA Tournament is crucial for securing a good playoff position.
