HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 30, 2009) – Junior forward Brittany Fuller led with 19 points on seven of 12 shooting and pulled in nine boards to help lift the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team to its 15th win of the season and seventh in Empire 8 play as the Ducks down Nazareth College 61-52 at the Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J. Friday night. Three other members of the Stevens squad posted double-digit scoring figures as the team shot 42.6 percent from the field and tallied 29 rebounds. The Golden Flyers fall to 10-7 on the year and 4-4 in league action.
The Ducks shot better in the first half (46.7%), than they did in the second (37.5%). Stevens went ahead 12-2 as 4:30 expired from the clock. Fuller started the game with a jumper followed by a layup by sophomore forward Victoria Webber. Sophomore center Paige Armstrong got on the board for Stevens when she drained a two-point basket. Senior point guard Dani Dudek got her first points of the night off a pair of free-throws. Freshman guard Brittany Wilson (Fairport, N.Y.) recorded the first basket for the Golden Flyers after trailing 0-6 to start the game.
Stevens increased its margin to 14 (28-14) with 6:41 remaining in the first half. Nazareth came back to bring it within nine as sophomore guard Mary Holland (Dryden, N.Y.) recorded a basket, followed by a three ball from Holland. However, in the span of four minutes, the Ducks increased the deficit to 16 (35-19) off a pair of baskets from Fuller and two more free-throws from Dudek. Wilson cut the score to 35-21 in favor of the Ducks, after she hit a field-goal for the last score of the half. As both teams headed to their locker rooms, Fuller led with 16 points and six rebounds. Wilson shot 4-of-5 from the field for eight points. 14 points came from inside the paint for Stevens.
In the second half, the Ducks maintained a 10-point advantage through 15 minutes of play. Ahead by 12 (51-39), the Golden Flyers started to pick up some momentum. Holland buried a deep three to cut the lead to nine. A missed three by junior guard Sarah Gehring allowed Nazareth to come down the court and setup an offensive play. The Golden Flyers found Holland once again, just outside of the arc for her fourth three-pointer of the game. With Stevens on top 51-45, Armstrong was fouled and went to the line. She hit her first but missed the second to increase the lead to seven (52-45). However, the hot hand of Holland brought Nazareth within four as she nailed her fifth deep ball of the game. Both teams swapped baskets until Stevens took a seven-point lead after freshman guard Dawn Garcia drained one of two free-throws. Nazareth fought to stay in it; however it could not convert any of its attempts in the final minutes as the Golden Flyers fell, 61-52.
Dudek, Webber and Armstrong all finished with 10 or more points. Dudek tallied 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Webber registered 10 points on five of eight shooting, while Armstrong notched 11 points and five boards. For Nazareth, Holland led with 21 points as Wilson had 12. Senior center Lizzie Barlow (Cazenovia, N.Y.) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Stevens will return to action on Sunday when the Ducks host St. John Fisher College at noon at the Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J. The matchup will be the sixth of seven straight-home games for the Ducks. A live webcast of Sunday's contest will be provided at www.Empire8.tv in addition to live stats.
