HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 4, 2019)  – Sophomore Alec DiPietrantonio corralled senior Ryan Coffey's lob pass and fired a right-handed layup as time expired to send the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team over Elmira College 84-83 in overtime Friday evening in a wild Empire 8 Conference matchup at Canavan Arena. 

In a game that was often played at a frenetic pace, Shawn Backus sank a jumper to give the Soaring Eagles a four-point lead with 69 seconds left in the extra period. Senior Kevin Florio quickly responded with an old-fashioned three-point play on Stevens' next possession.

The margin would remain at one over the next 67.6 seconds with each team missing a pair of free throws that would have swung the momentum into their favor. 

Coffey pulled down his ninth rebound following a missed free throw with nine seconds left ensuring the Ducks would have a final chance at victory.

The Ducks quickly advanced the ball to the frontcourt and with junior JoJo Mosca calling a timeout. The officials added six-tenths-of-a-second back on to the game clock, giving Stevens 1.4 seconds to run a final play.

Elmira used a timeout of its own before Coffey was able to get the final play in motion. 

Setup on the sideline across from his bench, Coffey ball-faked and found a streaking DiPietrantonio, who was freed by a Frank Amari screen. The Mount Laurel, New Jersey native caught the ball on the right block and fired a perfectly-placed layup over the outstretched arm of Elmira's Jeremy Every. The ball hit high off the window and sailed through the net, sending the Ducks into a wild celebration on the court.

DiPietrantonio finished with a team-high 18 points and set a career high with 18 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Amari added a season-high 18 points and Coffey contributed 17 points and nine rebounds for the Ducks, who won their sixth straight to improve to 9-2 on the year and 2-0 in the E8.

The victory was the 183rd career win for head men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley to set a new program record for coaching victories. Hurley moved past Stevens Hall-of-Famer Frank Partel, who won 182 games over a 25-year career. 

Porrett finished with a game-high 20 points and added a game-high eight assists. Rashaad Nurse came off the bench to add 12 points and seven rebounds for the Soaring Eagles, who fell to 2-8 on the year and 0-1 in conference play. Elmira has dropped three straight. 

Stevens improved to 20-3 all-time against Elmira.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens outshot Elmira 42.4 percent to 39.5. The Ducks fired a season-high 69 shots.
• Elmira made 10 threes on the evening and shot 32.3 percent from behind the arc. 
• The Ducks won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Elmira, 55-41. The 55 boards were a season high.
• Coffey recorded three of Stevens' six blocks.
• Stevens scored 50 of its 84 points in the paint and converted 16 offensive rebounds into 22 points.
• The Ducks overcame an eight-point first-half deficit and a seven-point second-half deficit to force overtime.
• Stevens has won four straight overtime games.

Unsung Hero

• Junior Dylan Walsh scored four points and grabbed a season-high seven rebounds in 27 minutes. A key cog in Stevens' defensive efforts, Walsh also added a team-high four assists and finished a team-high +5.

From the Court

• "Tonight was a great conference win. Elmira plays a style that is tough to guard and they came ready to play. I was proud of our team that they continues to battle even when we were behind and we were just lucky enough to have one more possession to make a play and get the win." - head coach Bobby Hurley

On His Career Milestone

• "It's exciting to have been a part of so many wins at Stevens. This accomplishment shows just how lucky I have been to coach so many amazing student-athletes and work with so many great coaches. Stevens is a special place that I've been lucky to call home for the last 16 years." - head coach Bobby Hurley

Up Next

• Stevens welcomes Utica College to Canavan Arena to close out the homestand. 
• The Pioneers won two out of the three matchups between the teams last season, including a 63-62 decision in the Empire 8 Semifinals/
• Live stats and video links are available on StevensDucks.com.

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