Box Score 

ITHACA, N.Y. (January 24, 2014) – Junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) scored 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting to lead four players in double figures as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team improved to 5-2 in the Empire 8 with an 85-68 win over Ithaca College.
 
The Ducks are now 11-5 overall, while Ithaca drops to 4-13 overall and 0-7 in the conference.
                                                                                                     
Sabatino grabbed seven rebounds and blocked one shot to go along with his 23 points. Senior guard Matt Skrelja (Clark, N.J.) had 15 points, six assists, four rebounds and two of the seven Stevens steals. Senior guard Andrew Meszaros (Phoenixville, Pa.) had 15 points, six boards and two helpers, and sophomore guard Evan Klimchak(Readington, N.J.) finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists. Junior forward Kenny Gan (Hillsborough, N.J.) had six points, five rebounds and four assists, with senior guard Phillip DeSeignora (Boston, Mass.) notching eight points off the bench.
 
Stevens shot 53.2 percent from the field (33-for-62). It was the third-straight game the Ducks shot over 50 percent. They also connected on 8-of-18 from deep and went 11-for-15 at the line. Stevens had a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (16-8), and its eight turnovers were a new season-low.
 
Up one point with 10:44 left in the first, Stevens went on an 8-1 spurt to take an eight-point margin following a Sabatino three-pointer, and the lead swelled to 12 (37-25) after a Meszaros jump shot with 2:51 in the opening period.
 
Meszaros opened the second-half scoring with a three-pointer to make it 46-33 Ducks as they would open up an 18-point margin at 51-33 with 16:11 to go. The Bombers finally scored 4:16 into the period, and eventually trimmed the Stevens lead to six (72-66) with a shade over five minutes to play in regulation.
 
The Ducks responded in a big way over the next three minutes, going on a 12-0 run to put the game away. Sabatino scored the first four points, and a Klimchak three pushed the lead to 13 with 3:07 on the clock and the scoreboard showing 79-66 visitors as the Ducks cruised the rest of the way.
 
Stevens has now won its last three games and nine of its last 11. All three wins have come by double-digits with the Ducks committing less than 15 turnovers per game. On Friday, the Ducks held Ithaca to a total of just eight points in the paint – four in each half, and allowed the Bombers just two points off turnovers. Stevens also held a 36-29 margin on the glass.
 
Ithaca shot 44.8 percent from the field, 11-for-25 (44 percent) from three and 5-for-6 at the line.
 
Next up for Stevens is an Empire 8 road game at Utica College Saturday at 2 p.m. Check www.StevensDucks.com for links to all the live action.