Box Score

YORK, Pa. (November 16, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team fell in its 2013-14 season-opener Saturday night by a score of 62-51 to New Jersey City University. Sophomore guard Evan Klimchak (Readington, N.J.) led the Ducks with 16 points.
 
The Gothic Knights (1-0) were able to use a 5-0 run early in the contest to erase a 3-2 deficit, and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way.
 
On several occasions early in the action, Stevens cut the margin to one, but the Ducks were unable to get over the hump. A layup from junior forward Kenny Gan (Hillsborough, N.J.) made it a 13-12 game with 14:04 left in the first, but a 9-2 response from NJCU pushed their lead to eight at the 10:45 mark. Sophomore guard Kevin Zychowski (Mendham, N.J.) nailed a three to slow the momentum after an Andrew Meszaros (Phoenixville, Pa.) layup, and Stevens was back within three (22-19), but a 7-0 run by Jersey City pushed the lead to 10 points with 6:31 left in the first half.
 
That lead moved to 14 with 34 ticks remaining in the opening period and the two teams would go into the intermission with scoreboard showing 38-27 in favor of NJCU.
 
The Gothic Knights extended the margin to 16 points with 14 minutes to play (46-30), but the Ducks did not quit, fighting back within 10 (50-40) with 6:42 to go following a made free throw from Klimchak.
 
A Klimchak jumper and a three-pointer from senior guard Phillip DeSeignora (Boston, Mass.) got the Ducks within eight points with a shade under five remaining, but NJCU did enough on defense and at the line down the stretch to secure the opening-night-win.
 
Stevens shot 15-for-44 (34.1 percent) from the field and 35.3 percent (6-for-17) from three-point land. The Ducks were 15-for-23 from the line and held a 37-31 margin on the glass. Stevens committed 23 turnovers, while dishing out 11 assists, tallying five steals and three blocks as a team.
 
NJCU shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep (5-for-15). The Gothic Knights committed just 13 turnovers, and tallied 12 steals total. Walik Albright had 15 points and 10 rebounds, with Jourdan Roberson scoring nine and dishing out a game-best seven assists.
 
Klimchak had 16 points behind 11-of-13 shooting at the charity stripe. He also had five assists. Junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) had nine points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while DeSeignora had nine points and five boards. Gan finished with five points and seven rebounds, Zychowski had six points and three boards and Meszaros ended with four points and seven rebounds.
 
Stevens will return to action Sunday in York against Gallaudet. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.