HOBOKEN, N.J. – Senior guard Donald Parrish recorded game-highs of 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead Rutgers-Newark to a 73-52 win over Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday in a non-conference men’s basketball game at the Canavan Arena.

Rutgers-Newark (5-2) shot 59.1 percent in the second half (13-for-22) as it broke open a four-point game at halftime.  Stevens, which dropped its fifth straight, falls to 1-6.

Leading 34-30 at halftime, Rutgers-Newark outscored Stevens 17-6 over the first seven minutes of the second half.  Senior forward Ronnie Melendez scored eight of his 14 points during that stretch while Parrish added five points.  Parrish’s layup with 12:58 left gave the Scarlet Raiders a 51-36 lead.

Stevens got as close as eight points on a 3-pointer by freshman guard Garrick Todechine (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunny Slope) with 8:45 left, but the Ducks scored just one basket the rest of the way.  Rutgers-Newark outscored Stevens 15-2 in the final eight minutes as Parrish led the way with six points.

Rutgers-Newark appeared comfortably in control in the first half as it built a 22-12 lead with 7:40 left.  But Stevens stormed back with a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to take its only lead.  Sophomore guards Ryan Kander (Belle Harbor, N.Y./Xaverian) and Ryan Lynch (Medford, N.J./St. Joseph’s Prep) had two 3-pointers each.  Lynch’s second trey at the 3:57 mark gave the Ducks a 26-24 lead.  Rutgers-Newark answered with six straight points, four from Parish, as it recaptured the lead and never trailed the rest of the way.

Kander led Stevens with 15 points while sophomore forward Mike Collins (Bronx, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) had nine points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.

For Rutgers-Newark, freshman forward Jermont Horton had 16 points while sophomore center Carl Everett added 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

Stevens is back in action on Friday, January 2, when it hosts New York University in a 2 p.m. game.