HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 30, 2011) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team (3-5) put an end to their four-game skid with a convincing 71-55 victory over the College of Staten Island in both teams' first action since the start of the winter break. Seniors Dawn Garcia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Jillian Barrett (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the way for the Ducks; Garcia accounted for 19 points to lead all scorers and Barrett came through with her fifth-straight double-double (16 points / 11 rebounds).

Stevens played a fundamentally sound game at both ends of the floor as the team shot 83.3 percent from the free-throw line, out-rebounded the Dolphins 45-26 and held the visitors to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field.

CSI enjoyed the early lead, however, going up by as much as eight points with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Stevens began to chip away with a 7-0 run at that point, capped by a three-pointer from Garcia. The teams stayed close before Stevens took the lead for good late in the first: Barrett and Vicki Zucker (New City, N.Y.) both put away layups in the waning seconds of the period to give the Ducks a 29-26 halftime lead and a good jolt of momentum as well.

The Ducks scored 11 of the first 15 points in the second period, methodically adding to the gap growing between them and the Dolphins. A jumper by Kate Cox (Aston, Pa.) put Stevens up by 10 with 16 minutes remaining.

The Dolphins would make it a one-possession game once more at the 12–minute mark when Nikki Fabozzi (Staten Island, N.Y.) hit a three to cut the Duck lead in half, but Barrett answered right back with a second-chance layup on the next possession. That bucket began an 8-0 run for the home team and Stevens was never truly threatened again.

Zucker finished with 10 points, the first time she has reached double figures as a college player. Avis Benjamin (Queens, N.Y.) had a solid game for the Ducks with 9 points and 12 boards, and the game also saw All-Empire 8 player Victoria Webber (Silver Spring, Md.) return to active duty after missing the team's last few games with an injury.

Fabozzi led Staten Island with 15 points, and Katelyn Hepworth (Staten Island, N.Y.) finished with 12 for the Dolphins.

Stevens will ring in the New Year when it hosts Rhode Island College on January 4, 2012 at 6 p.m. inside Canavan Arena.

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