HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 19, 2010) – Despite sophomore forward Simon Smith's team-high 15 points and game-high 16 rebounds, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team fell to visiting Ithaca College, 76-63, in front of a packed house at Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J. The Ducks are now 17-6 overall with a 9-5 league ledger, while the Bombers improved to 18-7 with an 10-6 mark against conference opponents.
Down 6-4 in the early going after a Phil Barera (Belmont, Mass.) layup, Stevens sophomore guard Mike Cutri netted the game's next five points to stake Stevens to a 9-6 lead just shy of the 16-minute mark. Still down three at 15-12, Ithaca freshman guard Sean Rossi (Sparta, N.J.) knifed into the lane for two before burying his first three-pointer of the evening to put the Bombers back on top.
With the game knotted at 24, Ithaca junior guard Chris Cruz-Rivas (Syracuse, N.Y.) connected down low to momentarily give the Bombers the advantage, but an Ian Masone bucket on the ensuing Stevens possession tied the game for the seventh time with just over four and a half to play in the first.
Stevens would go up three after a Smith layup at the 1:10 mark, but an Eli Maravich (Pittsburgh, Pa.) trey on the next Bomber possession tied it at 34 heading into the half.
Smith opened up scoring in the second, hitting a layup to put the Ducks up two before a Jordan Marcus (West Orange, N.J.) three helped Ithaca regain the lead. Stevens senior forward Matt Higgins tied it for the tenth time with just over 17 to play, but a Cruz-Rivas three again put the Bombers ahead.
Smith responded by hitting back-to-back layups, putting Stevens on top, 43-42, but a 15-4 Ithaca run over the next nine minutes stretched the Duck deficit to 10 at the 6:07 mark. Stevens pulled within seven on a Masone jumper at 4:25, but nine-unanswered Bomber points, capped off by a Barbera tip-in upped the margin to 16 with 1:51 left in regulation, all but sealing the Ducks' fate.
Stevens' senior guard George Greco finished with 13 points and eight assists, while Cutri added 11 points in the loss. Masone had eight points, 10 boards, and three blocks.
Cruz-Rivas headlines a group of four Bombers in double-figures, pouring in a game-high 23 points. Rossi added 17 points, while Barbera had 15 points and 14 rebounds. Marcus rounded out the list of Ithaca players in double-digits with 10.
After shooting 50.0 percent (16-for-32) in the first half, the Ducks only managed to go 11-for-35 (31.4 percent) in the second. Ithaca shot 28-for-67 from the floor (41.8 percent), while out-rebounding the Ducks, 47-41.
Stevens will host Rochester Institute of Technology on February 21 before wrapping up the regular season against Elmira College on Tuesday, February 23.
