HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 9, 2013) – Senior guard Sheldon Jones (Queens, N.Y.) and sophomore forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) led the 25th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team to an 87-65 rout of Ithaca Saturday at the Canavan Arena.
Jones scored a game-high 25 points, dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds, while Sabatino poured in 20 points, had nine boards, three blocks and two steals. Senior guard Russ Thompson (West Orange, N.J.) had 15 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals, and junior guard Matt Skrelja (Clark, N.J.) tallied 13 points, six helpers, eight rebounds and three steals.
With the win, Stevens improves to 20-3 overall – the fifth 20-win season in program history. The Ducks also move to 10-2 in the Empire 8 which is good for a one-game lead on second place Ithaca.
The Ducks played a strong game from start-to-finish, shooting 53.2 percent (33-for-62) from the field, 7-for-17 (41.2 percent) from three and 14-for-17 (82.4 percent) at the line. They totaled 16 assists against just nine turnovers, and had five blocks along with seven steals. Stevens also finished with a 36-26 edge on the glass, 42-20 advantage in points in the paint and a 19-5 margin in second-chance points.
The Bombers – who defeated Stevens 80-69 back on January 25 in Ithaca – jumped out to an 11-7 advantage 4:56 into the action behind nine points from junior center Tom Sweeney (Ambler, Pa.). The Ducks sped in front with 20-6 run to take a 27-17 edge with 10:16 in the half, with Thompson hitting a pair of three-pointers, junior forward Max Schwartz (Bridgewater, N.J.) providing a much-needed spark off the bench with a couple of buckets and getting contributions from everyone on the floor.
Ithaca was able to hang tough, cutting the lead to two points (27-25) with 7:34 left in the first and again with 3:52 in the period, but Stevens closed strong to take a nine point margin (42-33) into the intermission.
From the start of the second half through the final buzzer, Stevens cruised. Sabatino started by converting a pretty pass from Skrelja into two points and Jones nailed a three the next time down. A Skrelja steal and Thompson layup had the Ducks on a 10-0 run before one minute had elapsed and they never looked back. In all, it was a 15-3 run over a span of 5:03 that essentially sealed the game.
After the start to the second, Stevens led by as many as 24 points and never less than 18. The Ducks earned a much-needed win and now control their own destiny if they hope to host the Empire 8 Championship slated for February 22 and 23 at the regular-season champion. Stevens has games at Alfred University and St. John Fisher College next Friday and Saturday to close out its regular and conference season.
In addition to the Ducks in double figures, sophomore forward Kenny Gan (Hillsborough, N.J.) had six points, two rebounds and a block, while Schwartz tallied eight points and a rebound in 12 big minutes off the bench.
Ithaca was led by Sweeney who had 17 points and one rebound, and junior forward Frank Mitchell (Hillsborough, N.J.) who tallied 17 points and eight boards. The Bombers shot 45.1 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from three and 14-of-21 at the line.
Prior to the game, Jones and Thompson were honored as part of the Senior Day ceremony. In addition to a variety of individual accolades, accomplishments and records, the duo has helped Stevens to an overall record of 79-27 – the most wins for any class in program history.
Stevens will return to action at Alfred next Friday night at 6 p.m.
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