HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 17, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team snapped a two-game skid with a 91-52 win over Houghton College at the Canavan Arena Friday night.
With the win, Stevens improves to 9-5 overall, while the Highlanders fall to 3-11.
The Ducks dominated from the opening tip and took a 50-24 lead into the intermission, shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 13-for-16 from the line. The Ducks assisted on 12 of their first 17 made baskets and recorded nine first-half thefts.
Senior guards Matt Skrelja (Clark, N.J.) and Phillip DeSeignora (Boston, Mass.) each were marvelous in the opening period, scoring 14 points apiece. Skrelja also nabbed four rebounds as the Ducks held a 22-15 edge on the glass after one.
Junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) started the game with a three-point play and the Ducks went on to score 10 of the game's first 12 points. Three made free throws from sophomore guard Evan Klimchak (Readington, N.J.) gave Stevens its first double-digit lead of the night, and a triple from DeSeignora with 9:59 on the clock made it 28-8.
The Highlanders were able to get the lead under 20 with 6:05 in the first, but the Ducks came right back pushing the lead to as much as 29 (50-21) before taking a 26-point edge into the break.
Stevens seemed to only get hotter at halftime, draining four three-pointers in the first 3:35 of second half – three from Klimchak. A three-ball from sophomore guard Kevin Zychowski (Mendham, N.J.) with 13:53 left gave the Ducks a 72-31 lead, and the Highlanders could not get closer than 37 the rest of the way.
Stevens went 32-for-58 from the field (55.2 percent), 11-for-21 from deep (52.4 percent) and 16-for-20 at the line (80 percent). The Ducks had 24 assists and 18 turnovers, tallying 13 steals as a team. They also held a 41-27 margin on the glass.
Fourteen different players scored, and the Ducks were led by 17 apiece from Klimchak and DeSeignora. Klimchak added four assists to his line, with DeSeignora recording three. Skrelja finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists, and senior guard Andrew Meszaros had five points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds. Junior forward Kenny Gan (Hillsborough, N.J.) had nine points and four boards, and Sabatino tallied six points, three rebounds and three assists.
Stevens will return to the hardwood when it hosts Alfred University in an Empire 8 showdown Saturday at 3 p.m. All the action can be seen live at www.Empire8.TV.