HOBOKEN, N.J. – Junior guard Aracely Cruz (Union City, N.J./Union Hill) scored a game-high 18 points and freshman forward Jenna Gambino (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa Academy) added season-highs of 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench to lead Stevens Institute of Technology to an 84-46 win over Centenary College on Thursday in a women’s basketball game at the Canavan Arena.
Cruz, who reached the 1,000-point mark for her career on Monday against FDU-Florham, has 1,019 points, moving her ahead of Shanna Garber (1,016) into second on the Ducks all-time list. She needs just 36 points to surpass Erin Horner (1,054) as Stevens' career-leader. The 84-point output is the highest of the season for Stevens (6-9), which snapped a three-game losing streak. Centenary falls to 6-10.
Stevens, which never trailed, used a 10-2 run in a four-minute stretch midway through the first half to open up 10-point lead. Cruz and sophomore forward Jaime Mehnert (Waldwick, N.J./Waldwick) had four points each. Cruz converted a layup off a Mehnert steal with 10:15 left in the first half to put the Ducks ahead 18-8.
Centenary trailed 26-19 following a layup by freshman guard LeNaya Price with 5:49 left in the half. Stevens ended the half with a 17-4 run to build a 20-point halftime lead. Senior guard Mia Molfino (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) and Mehnert, who had a season-high 13 points, scored five points each as the Ducks built a 43-23 halftime lead.
Stevens held a 54-45 rebounding advantage as six players had at least six rebounds. The Ducks also connected on a season-best 84.6 percent of their free throws (22-for-26). Senior forward Vanessa Williams (Forest Hills, N.Y./Townsend Harris) recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Centenary was led by freshman guard Ariel Hausmann who scored 13 points off the bench. Freshman forward Jamilya Speaks had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Stevens returns to action on Saturday, February 1, when it hosts St. Joseph’s-Patchogue in a 5 p.m. Skyline Conference game.
