Men's Basketball Closes Out Regular Season with 67-60 Conference Loss to Hartwick

2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

ONEONTA, N.Y. (February 21, 2009) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team dropped its Empire 8 and regular-season finale to Hartwick College, 67-60 on Saturday afternoon in Oneonta, N.Y. despite seven more three-pointers from senior tri-captain Anthony Passalacqua. The loss drops the Ducks to 13-12 overall and 6-10 in the Empire 8, and the win improves Hartwick to 13-12 overall and 6-10 in conference. Passalacqua finished with 24 points and junior guard Matt Higgins finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Hartwick jumped out to an early 16-10 lead six minutes into the contest, but Stevens used the long ball to get right back in it. The Ducks went on a 10-3 spurt over 2:17 to take a 20-19 lead halfway through the first half. Senior Michael Baker and Passalacqua connected from long range in the run.

The two teams traded buckets over the next six-plus minutes as the score was tied at 29 apiece before Passalacqua hit his sixth three of the half to put Stevens up three, and Higgins hit back-to-back jumpers after Hartwick tied the score to send the Ducks into the intermission with a four-point edge at 36-32.

Stevens shot 56 percent in the game's first 20 minutes and forced eight turnovers. The Ducks also hit seven triples as a team.

The Ducks were able to extend their lead to 42-34 2:15 into the second after a Higgins jumper, but the Hawks proceeded to go on a 9-0 run to take a 43-42 lead after an A.J. Beaulieu (Chicopee, Mass.) layup.

Stevens came right back with an answer of their own with back-to-back triples from senior guard Virgil Gray and Passalacqua. Higgins connected on another jumper to put the Ducks up seven (50-43) with 11:36 on the clock.

The game continued its back and forth as the Hawks came back from the Stevens run to tie the score at 52 and then took a lead for good at 54-53 after a Greg Bankowski (Schenectady, N.Y.) layup. Hartwick went up three points after Jan Cocozziello (Scotch Plains, N.J.) drilled a jumper, but freshman guard Michael Cutri hit a jump shot of his own to get the Ducks back within one.

That however was the closest the Ducks would come as Mark Blazek (Erie, Pa.) hit a three after a Stevens turnover with 2:36 left to put the Hawks on top 59-55, and after two missed jumpers on the next possession, Cocozziello converted two free throws to put Hartwick up six.

Higgins brought Stevens within four after a layup, but the Ducks could not get the stops they needed and Hartwick was able to make the lead hold over the final 60 seconds.

Cocozziello finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-for-20 from the floor to lead the Hawks. Beaulieu was solid, netting 11 points. Center Raymond Doyley (Yonkers, N.Y.) had 13 boards and six points.

After a strong shooting first half, the Ducks shot 37 percent over the final 20 minutes and hit just two of eight from long range. Hartwick ended the game with a 37-31 advantage on the glass and committed just three second-half turnovers.

Stevens will now hope for a berth in the upcoming Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Metro Tournament.

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