Box Score

HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 26, 2013) – Senior guard Andrew Meszaros (Phoenixville, Pa.) notched the first double-double of his career with 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team improved to 2-2 overall with a gritty 61-57 over FDU-Florham Tuesday night.
 
Trailing 48-46 coming out of a timeout with 6:01 on the clock, Stevens went on a 9-2 run over the next 4:30 to open a 55-50 advantage with just 1:31 left in regulation. On the ensuing inbounds play, senior guard Matt Skrelja (Clark, N.J.) found Meszaros for a layup, and Skrelja than turned FDU over with a clean steal and fast-break layup to give the Ducks a 50-48 margin. The Devils (1-3) tied the game on their next possession before a Meszaros three-pointer gave Stevens the lead for good at 53-50 with 3:01 on the clock.
 
Skrelja capped the 9-2 spurt with a layup of his own, but the Devils did not quit, getting within two points (59-57) with 10 seconds remaining but two free throws each from senior guard Phillip DeSeignora (Boston, Mass.) and sophomore guard Evan Klimchak (Readington, N.J.) secured the win for Stevens.
 
Early in the second half Stevens was able to create some space, opening a 44-37 margin with 9:53 left thanks to a steal and three-point play from DeSeignora, but FDU ran off 11 of the game's next 13 points to open a lead of its own.
 
The first half was a see-saw affair. The Ducks jumped out to a 9-4 edge 5:31 into the action following a steal and fast-break layup from DeSeignora, but the Devils quickly responded with five-straight points to tie the game at nine 3:06 later.
 
The Devils' first lead of the game came at 12-11 after three-pointer from senior guard Trevor Sykes (Cranford, N.J.) as the two teams played back-and-forth basketball for the next 5:59.
 
With FDU leading by one at the 5:08 mark, Stevens ran-off seven-straight points to open its largest lead of the night – six points – behind two points from Skrelja and Meszaros and a triple from DeSeignora.
 
That lead would be short lived as FDU answered and the two teams went into the intermission tied at 27-all. The Ducks shot just 29.0 percent from the field and 28.6 from deep. The Ducks had just four turnovers in the first 20 minutes and totaled five steals along with four assists.
 
Stevens shot 41.2 percent for the game (21-for-51) and hit 4-of-13 from three-point range. The Ducks converted 15 of their 23 attempts at the line, including six for their last six, and had 10 steals as a team.
 
Meszaros was 5-for-7 from the floor en route to his 17 points, 12 rebounds and two assists, while DeSeignora had 14 points and three steals. Skrelja finished with 13 points, four steals, four rebounds and three assists, while junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) notched seven points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
 
FDU shot 43.4 percent for the game (23-for-53) and 5-for-25 (20 percent) from deep. The Devils connected on just 6-of-13 attempts at the line and were led by 17 points, six assists and three rebounds from senior forward John Flete (Flemington, N.J.).