ROCHESTER, N.Y. (January 4, 2008) – Senior forward Dora Enright scored 18 of her game-high 23 points in the second half on Friday evening as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team upended Rochester Institute of Technology, 67-58, at Clark Gymnasium in Rochester, N.Y. With the win, the Ducks improved to 8-3 overall and 5-0 in Empire 8 action. As for the Tigers, they fell to 6-4 on the year and 2-3 in league play.
Knotted at 49-49 with 7:38 left in the latter stanza, Stevens sparked an 18-9 spurt to close out the game and propel itself to the win. Enright knocked down three consecutive buckets to start the run. Then, as the Ducks were in front by a score of 56-53, Enright recorded four unanswered points to take a 60-53 edge with 3:05 to go. Overall, Enright accounted for 10 of the 18 points that were scored in the streak. She had 18 points (9-14 FG) and five rebounds in the second half alone.
Leading 15-13 with nine minutes to go in the first half, Stevens went on a 9-3 run in a span of 3:31 to notch a 24-16 lead with over five minutes remaining. Junior guard Dani Dudek opened the burst with a pair of made free throws and freshman forward/center Paige Armstrong capped it off with a jumper.
RIT sophomore guard Danielle Furman (Coudersport, Pa.) quickly responded with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five points. However, the Ducks out-scored the Tigers by a 10-6 count over the final 4:01 to clutch a 34-25 advantage heading into the locker room. During that time, Stevens used an 8-2 spurt in a period of 3:33 to grab hold of a 32-21 lead with 1:33 to go. Senior guard Jean Matusiak scored four points in the run.
The Ducks opened up the closing stanza by going ahead 38-27 off a steal and a lay-up by Dudek. RIT answered back with an 11-2 run over a four-minute stretch to get within 40-38 with 14:32 left. Senior forward Joanna Dobeck (Victor, N.Y.) notched six points in the burst, while freshman guard/forward Brianna O'Dell (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) hit a trifecta.
Shortly thereafter, Stevens jumpstarted a 9-1 streak to take the contest back at 49-39 with just over 11 minutes left in regulation. Freshman guard/forward Victoria Webber started it with a three-pointer, and Enright picked up the final four points of the run.
After that, the Tigers used a 10-0 run in a period of 3:17 to tie the game up at 49-49. Furman led off the burst with a three-ball. Dobeck followed with a deuce. O'Dell continued with a trifecta of her own and the Victor native (Dobeck) ended it with another made jumper.
On the night, the Ducks shot 44.8 percent (26-for-58) from the floor and 45.8 (11-for-24) percent from the free-throw line. Enright finished with a double-double (23 points, 11 rebounds). She made 11 of 20 field goals in the game. Dudek accumulated nine points, five rebounds and three steals. She also dished out a game-high 12 assists, which is a new Stevens single-game record. Sophomore forward Brittany Fuller added 12 points and five rebounds, while Armstrong contributed 11 points and eight boards.
Rochester Institute of Technology compiled a field-goal percentage of 35.4 (23-of-65) and a free-throw percentage of 60.0 (6-of-10). Furman posted a 14-point, six-assist, four-rebound day. Dobeck had a team-high 15 points and eight boards. O'Dell amassed 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, while freshman guard Danielle Weekes (Syracuse, N.Y.) totaled seven points and seven boards.
Head Coach Jon Hochberg and the Ducks return to the court tomorrow when they continue their three-game road trip at Nazareth College. Action is scheduled to get underway from the Kidera Gymnasium at 2 p.m.
