HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 5, 2008) – Leading by three points at the break, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team put the clamps down defensively as the Ducks limited the College of Staten Island to just 18 second-half points en route to a 73-47 victory over the Dolphins (14-12) during an ECAC Metro Championship quarterfinal game on Wednesday evening at the Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J. With the win, top-seeded Stevens (21-6) will now face fourth-seeded Brooklyn College on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Following a tightly-played first half that featured seven ties and five lead changes, the Ducks blew the game wide open by out-scoring Staten Island 41-18 over the final 20 minutes. Stevens came out of the gates with a 13-2 spurt in the span of 5:20 to grab a 45-31 lead. Junior guard Michael Baker started the rally with a lay-up on the first possession of the period. Junior guard Virgil Gray and senior forward Tim Williams followed with back-to-back baskets. Sophomore guard/forward Matt Higgins capped the run with a pair of free throws with 14:40 remaining.
Leading 45-36 with a little over 12 minutes left, Stevens ripped off a 14-2 burst over a seven-minute stretch to build a 21-point lead (59-38). After making 3-of-4 free throws, Gray threw down a two-handed dunk off a Dolphins' turnover to spark the Ducks. Sophomore guard/forward Ian Masone and Higgins scored three points apiece in the run. Sophomore guard George Greco capped the rally with three-pointer from deep along the right wing.
Senior guard Waleed Farid posted a double-double in the win (14 points, 14 rebounds). He also added four assists and two steals. Gray finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Williams chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds. Greco had 10 points and two assists off the bench. Higgins totaled seven points and four rebounds. Masone contributed six points and three rebounds.
Staten Island was led by senior guard Robert Mesjasz (Staten Island, N.Y.), who posted 10 points, seven rebounds, and five steals. Senior forward Gari Blackett (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 10 points and eight rebounds. Senior forward Andrew Aimetti (Staten Island, N.Y.) finished with 10 points as well.
For the game, Stevens shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the floor. The Dolphins made just 27.9 percent (17-for-61) of their shots. The Ducks dominated the glass as they out-rebounded Staten Island 56-34.
In its game against fifth-seeded Rutgers-Newark, fourth-seeded Brooklyn rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to post an 87-79 win. Saturday's semifinal game between the Ducks and the Bridges will tip off at approximately 8 p.m. following the women's game between Stevens and Staten Island, which will start at 6 p.m. Live stats for the men's game will be provided here.
In other ECAC men's action on Wednesday, sixth-seeded New York University defeated third-seeded St. Joseph's College, 83-79. Also, second-seeded York College topped seventh-seeded New Jersey City University by the score of 70-67. York and NYU will meet in Saturday's other semifinal game.
