HOBOKEN, N.J. – Junior guard Lauren Bialko (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) scored a season-high 19 points while senior guard Aracely Cruz (Union City, N.J./Union Hill) added 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead Stevens Institute of Technology to a 55-43 win over Rutgers-Newark on Saturday in a non-conference women’s basketball game at the Canavan Arena.

Stevens improves to 4-3 with its fourth straight win.  Rutgers-Newark remains winless at 0-7.

Stevens won despite shooting just 27.4 percent (17-for-62) from the floor.  The Ducks were aided by 31 Rutgers-Newark turnovers.

Following five ties and seven lead changes in the first half, Stevens pulled ahead in the final five minutes of the period.  After sophomore forward Christyal Anderson gave the Scarlet Raiders a 20-19 lead on a layup at the 5:40 mark, Cruz scored four straight points over the next two minutes to put the Ducks ahead to stay.  She tied the game with a free throw at 4:39 and then scored on a driving layup 30 seconds later to give Stevens a 22-20 lead.  Bialko added four points in the final 1:20 as the Ducks extended their lead to 28-22 at halftime.

Senior guard Shakima Thomas scored the first basket of the second half to pull Rutgers-Newark within four, but Stevens scored the next ten points to push the lead to double figures.  Cruz had three and Bialko scored four, including a pair of free throws at the 13:07 mark that gave the Ducks a 38-24 lead.

Rutgers-Newark pulled to within seven point, 45-38, following a pair of free throws by freshman Alisha McLean with 5:22 left, but Bialko answered with a 3-pointer on the next trip to increase the lead to 10 points.

Anderson led Rutgers-Newark with 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while McLean added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Stevens is back in action on Tuesday, January 6, with a 6 p.m. game at New York University.