HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 25, 2009) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team dropped its second Empire 8 game of the season in a 49-47 loss to Ithaca College Sunday afternoon at the Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J. The Ducks led by three (45-42) with 2:30 left in regulation, as the Bombers closed out the game having scored seven of the final nine points. Stevens is now 14-3 on the year and 6-2 in league action, while Ithaca (11-5) stays unbeaten in conference play (7-0).
This is the first conference loss at home for the Ducks since the 2006-07 season when Stevens fell to Centenary College 55-58. Entering today's game, the Bombers and the Ducks sat as the top two teams in the Empire 8. Stevens still sits in second, however with today's loss, Utica College has joined the Ducks in the No. 2 slot.
At 10:55 remaining in the first half, both squads combined for only 17 points. There were many turnovers in the first 20 minutes of play, as Ithaca tallied 11 and Stevens gave up 10. The contest was tied up at 9-all after a three ball from sophomore guard Jordan Confessore (Kendall Park, N.J.). Stevens then pulled away to post an 11-5 run as both teams went into the locker rooms for intermision. During that span, senior guard Dani Dudek totaled five points on a three-pointer and a layup. Freshman forward Jillian Barrett recorded a pair of jumpers as well. The Ducks shot 29 percent from the floor on nine of 31 shooting. The Bombers posted a 17.6 field-goal percentage as they landed six of 34. 12 of the first 20 scored by Stevens came from inside the paint.
Both teams settled down in the second half and were more protective of the ball. At 15:33, the Ducks grabbed a 14-point lead (36-22) with the help of two three-point field-goals from junior guard Sarah Gehring. Dudek assisted on both baskets and dished out feed to sophomore forward Victoria Webber, who buried a bucket from behind the arc. Over the next seven plus minutes, Ithaca cut the deficit down to four (40-36) on a 14-4 spurt. During that stretch, sophomore forward Elissa Klie (Wyckoff, N.J.) totaled six points on a three ball and then converted a three-point play after being fouled. Junior guard Katherine Bixby (Philadelphia, Pa.) also got in on the action as she knocked down a pair of jumpers.
In the final eight minutes of play, it was back and forth as the Ducks tried their best to hold onto a four-point advantage. Stevens led 45-42 with 2:30 left after Fuller was successful on one of two free-throws. It was then Klie that hit a jumper on the Bomber's next possession to bring Ithaca within one. The Bombers took their second lead of the game since the start of the contest when junior guard Lindsay Brown (Danbury, Conn.) drilled her third field-goal of the game. After a foul charged to Dudek, Bixby converted both free-throws to put Ithaca up by three (48-45).
With less than 10 seconds remaining, Dudek drove hard through the lane and was fouled as she kissed the ball off the glass for the basket, to bring Stevens within one (47-48). Her free-throw attempt bounced off the front of the rim as the Ducks were forced to foul. Bixby returned to the line for Ithaca. She hit the first but missed the second. Webber snagged the rebound and handed the ball off to Dudek, who ran the length of the court. With less than two seconds remaining, Dudek got a shot off but couldn't get it to fall as the Bombers secured its undefeated mark in league action and posted their 11th win of the year.
Dudek was six of 15 from the field, dished out six assists and pulled down eight boards. Webber had eight rebounds and totaled seven points. Barrett led the Ducks in total rebounds (11), tallied seven points and posted four blocks. Fuller finished with nine points and seven boards.
For Ithaca, Bixby led with 21 points and eight rebounds. Klie was second with 12 points and pulled in five total boards. Ithaca out-rebounded the Ducks 52-46 and slightly out-shot Stevens 29.2 to 28.8 percent. Each team registered 17 turnovers.
The Ducks will host Nazareth College on Friday at 6 p.m. in their fifth-straight home-contest. Live stats will be provided as well as a live webcast at www.Empire8.tv.
