ALBANY — As the wins pile up for Stony Brook again this season, the Seawolves remain haunted by the question that has troubled them for five agonizing years, beginning with when they first reached the cusp of the N.C.A.A. tournament: Can they finally win when it matters?
Of all the story lines circulating through the midmajor conferences, the most compelling might be the one hanging over Stony Brook — no matter how many times Coach Steve Pikiell and his players insist that one year has little impact on the next, or the next, or the next. Having won 18 games in a row — the longest active streak in N.