HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 11, 2011) – Junior guard Mike Cutri (West Caldwell, N.J.) scored 17 points in the second half, but it was not enough as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team fell to 8-3 on the 2010-11 season with a 65-60 loss to the United States Merchant Marine Academy at the Canavan Arena on Tuesday night. Sophomore guard Russ Thompson (West Orange, N.J.) had 12 points and junior forward Simon Smith (Cranford, N.J.) pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds in the loss.

The first half was extremely slow going with both teams struggling in different ways. Merchant Marine was 8-for-30 from the floor (26.7 percent) and 2-for-9 from three-point range (22.2 percent). The Mariners were able to grab 16 total rebounds, including seven on the offensive end which translated into four second-chance points, and the bench scored eight of the 19 total first-half points. They also had nine points off 12 Stevens turnovers.

Stevens connected on 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from the floor but did not make any of their six attempts from beyond the arc. The Ducks went 3-for-4 from the foul line.

Each team mustered eight points in the first 10 minutes before Merchant Marine opened a 17-10 lead with a 9-2 run over a span of 2:16. The Ducks were able to respond, scoring nine of the final 11 points in the opening stanza as the two teams went into intermission with game tied at 19-all.

The teams traded baskets over the first 10 minutes of the second half and went into the stretch run tied at 37. From that point, Kings Point went a 7-0 run and Stevens was never able to fully recover as the Mariners were able to get their seventh win of the season.

USMMA pushed the lead to 10 (52-42) after a 16-footer from senior forward Matt Hueber (Alexandria, Va.) with 5:17 to play, and 47 seconds later it earned its largest lead of the game (11) after a made free throw from freshman guard Zach Karczewski (Austin, Texas).

Stevens turned up the defensive intensity in the final five minutes and quickly fought its way back into the game. A jumper from sophomore guard Sheldon Jones (Queens, N.Y.) cut the lead nine with 4:22 left, and following empty possession on both ends, a Thompson triple with 2:53 on the clock cut the Kings Point lead to six.

Merchant Marine answered and pushed its advantage back to 10 with 1:59 left, but the Ducks did not quit, responding with a three from freshman forward Kevin McManamy (Charlotte, N.C.) on the next possession. Stevens got a much-needed stop on the defensive end, and Thompson buried a three to trim the lead to four (57-53) with 1:17 remaining.

Two made free throws from Hueber and freshman guard Jeffrey Mark (Elmont, N.Y.) negated a driving layup from Cutri, but a three from Cutri with 30 seconds left gave the Ducks hope with the scoreboard showing 61-58 Merchant Marine. They fouled immediately but senior guard Tom Izzzo (Bridgeport, W.V.) converted his two foul shots, and following another Cutri layup junior guard Kevin Kerr (Oakdale, N.Y.) slipped behind Stevens' pressure defense and sealed the win with a layup with just eight seconds left in the game.

Stevens shot 43.1 percent (22-for-51) for the game and hit six second-half three-pointers. The Ducks were 10-for-13 from the foul line (76.9 percent) and were out-rebounded 37-35. Kings Points grabbed 14 offensive rebounds compared to just six for Stevens.

Cutri finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while Thompson scored 12 points and handed out four assists. Senior center Bryan Franklin (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) was solid despite foul trouble, scoring eight points and pulling down five rebounds. Jones added eight points, while freshman forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) led the Ducks' bench with six points, four rebounds, and two blocks.

Hueber (12 points), Izzo (11 points), and Kerr (10 points) were all in double figures for USMMA. Hueber also added 11 rebounds. The Mariners shot just 32.3 percent (20-for-62) from the field but hit six three-pointers and were 19-for23 (82.6 percent) from the line.

Stevens will return to action on Friday night when it welcomes Empire 8 rival St. John Fisher College to the Canavan Arena for an 8 p.m. tip. For those unable to make it to the game, all the action can be seen live at www.PennAtlantic.com.