MANHATTAN, N.Y. (November 15, 2011) – Senior Jillian Barrett (Philadelphia, Pa.) led all scorers with 23 points though it was not enough to lift the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team over Baruch College in both sides' inaugural game of the season. The Bearcats never trailed on their way to a 76-55 victory on their home floor on Tuesday night.

Senior Dawn Garcia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had the honor of scoring the Ducks' first points of the year by hitting a pair of free throws to tie the game at two early on in the first half. Stevens kept the contest close over the opening minutes, matching Baruch bucket-for-bucket through the five-minute mark and pulling within two as Garcia drained a jumper with 10 minutes left in the first half.

The Bearcats went on a run in the final 10 minutes of the half, however, to open a 43-29 lead at the break - shooting 55.9 percent from the floor in the half in the process. The Ducks did not shoot poorly from the field (44 percent) in the first half, but were outscored 17-3 in points off of turnovers.

Baruch continued to answer every Stevens comeback attempt for the rest of the night, playing solid basketball at both ends of the court and utilizing a balanced attack with Jessica Duleba (Commerce, Mich.), Kiara Johnson (Woodbridge, Va.) and Toni Fenn (Fall River, Mass.) all scoring in double figures. The Bearcats shot 49.3 percent from the field and an even 50 percent from three-point range.

Barrett led the Ducks with 23 points and eight rebounds, and fellow seniors Victoria Webber (Silver Spring, Md.) and Garcia chipped in with 13 and 11 points, respectively. The game also saw the collegiate basketball debut of freshmen Sarah Finnerty (Oak Ridge, N.J.) and Vicki Zucker (New City, N.Y.), as well as junior Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.). Finnerty was in the starting lineup for the Ducks.

Stevens will travel to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania this weekend to take part in the Swarthmore Invitational. The Ducks will take on Wheelock College on Saturday at 3 p.m. and have another game on Sunday with a time and opponent to be determined.