Box Score 

HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 17, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team picked up a 69-48 victory over Houghton College on Friday evening in Canavan Arena to improve to 9-5 overall on the season. Ten different players for Stevens tallied at least four points in the win.

The Ducks fell behind early in the first half to Houghton (4-10), 10-5, over the opening 4:36, and trailed by as many as nine points, 18-9, midway through the half. After a timeout by Stevens with 10:37 to go, the Ducks notched four quick points to cut the deficit to 18-13. Houghton scored on its next possession to push its lead back out to 20-13, but the momentum would change after an intentional foul was called on the Highlanders with 8:44 remaining.

From that point, Stevens closed out the half on a 21-9 run and went into the break with a 34-29 edge. Freshman Hannah Brophy (Bridgewater, N.J.) paced Stevens with six first half points on 3-of-3 shooting to go along with three blocks. Senior Molly Spadaro (Sewell, N.J.) added five points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in the opening period.

Senior Lisa Tessitore (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.), sophomores Kaitlyn Astel (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Miranda Ripken (Fallston, Md.), and freshman Erica Guketlov (Spotswood, N.J.) all registered four points in the first half.

As the second half began, the Ducks held Houghton scoreless for the first 6:02 and increased their lead to 48-29 before the Highlanders ended the drought on a three-pointer with 13:58 left in regulation. In all, the run lasted 14:46 of game time and resulted in a 35-9 run for Stevens.

Houghton fought back to within 14 points, 48-34, only to watch Stevens balloon its advantage out to a game-high 25 (61-36) over the next seven-plus minutes. The Highlanders could only get back to within a 17-point difference in the final 6:28, but Stevens held a 20-point cushion for a majority of the final six minutes to come away with the victory.

Brophy finished the contest with six points and five blocks, while Spadaro concluded the game with seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Guketlov would lead Stevens in scoring with 11 points, Astel added eight points and four boards, Ripken pulled down four rebounds with six points and Tessitore chipped in six rebounds and five points.

Sophomore Dylan Krause (Atlanta, Ga.) went 5-for-6 from the free throw line to total seven points and filled the stat sheet with four rebounds and three blocks. Senior Avis Benjamin (Queens, N.Y.) registered nine points (4-for-8 shooting) and six boards in 13 minutes played. Sophomore Megan Petuskey (Mays Landing, N.J.) and freshmanDaphne Ginn (Lawrenceville, N.J.) added four points apiece.

The Ducks shot 42.9-percent from the field (27-for-63) and held Houghton to just 27.3% shooting (18-for-66). Stevens was plus-seven in free throws (13 to six) and finished with 11 blocks as a team.

Houghton was paced offensively by 25 points from Kristen Moose, who went 8-for-17 overall and 5-for-6 from three-point range. Maisie Pipher led all players with 10 rebounds.

Stevens is back in action tomorrow at 5 p.m. for an Empire 8 Conference game against Alfred University in Hoboken. Tomorrow's showdown with Alfred concludes the first half of the Empire 8 slate for the Ducks.

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