Box Score

ONEONTA, N.Y. (February 18, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team dropped a 78-72 Empire 8 game at Hartwick College Tuesday night.
 
With the loss, Stevens drops to 9-4 in the conference and 16-8 overall. Hartwick is now 14-9 overall and 9-4 in the Empire 8 as well. Stevens, Hartwick, Alfred University and Nazareth College are all tied at 9-4 atop the conference standings with one regular-season E8 game remaining Friday or Saturday.
 
Stevens will host Elmira College Friday night at 6 p.m. in the Canavan Arena. Senior Night will precede the game at approximately 5:50 p.m.
 
Trailing by two points with 1:30 left, junior forward Kenny Gan (Hillsborough, N.J.) blocked a driving layup from senior forward Kyle Bradley (Cornwall. N.Y.), junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) grabbed the rebound and senior guard Matt Skrelja (Clark, N.J.) took it the rest of the way to tie the game at 72 with 1:20 on the clock.
 
Hartwick converted 1-of-2 at the line on the next possession to take a 73-72 edge, and a runner in the lane from Skrelja did not drop for the Ducks. Stevens then had to foul, and freshman guard Joey Lufkin (Argyle, N.Y.) sunk a pair to put Hartwick on top 75-72 with 20 seconds remaining. The Ducks could not get a shot on their next possession, and Hartwick sealed the win with a fast-break layup.
 
Stevens jumped out to an early 13-point lead just 5:34 into the game. Sabatino tallied a layup on Stevens' first possession, and put the Ducks on top 4-0 with 17:03 on the clock. A free throw put the Hawks on the board, but Stevens rain off the next 10 points to take a 14-1 lead. Sophomore guard Evan Klimchak (Readington, N.J.) and Skrelja hit three-pointers.
 
Hartwick fought back within seven points with 10:50 left in the first, but the Ducks answered with a 7-0 spurt of their own to go up 28-14 at the 8:54 mark. The Hawks again came back, this time hitting six three's and drawing even with Stevens by the half (39-39).
 
Each team traded buckets in the opening eight minutes of the second. Hartwick's largest lead of the second half was the final score, and Stevens' largest edge was five points (69-64) with five minutes remaining.
 
Hartwick shot 52.2 percent from three (12-for-23), 12-for-21 at the line (57.1 percent) and 27-for-56 from the floor (48.2 percent). The Ducks shot 46.0 percent from the field (29-for-63), hit 8-of-22 three-pointers (36.4 percent) and went 6-for-11 at the line.
 
Skrelja scored 18 points for Stevens, adding six assists and five rebounds. Gan had a season-high 16 points and three rebounds. Senior guard Andrew Meszaros (Phoenxville, Pa.) had eight points and 14 rebounds, with Sabatino notching 12 points and nine boards. Senior guard Phillip DeSeignora (Boston, Mass.) had 12 points and was 4-for-7 from deep.
 
Stevens had 13 assists and 12 turnovers and held a 38-35 margin on the glass.
 
Friday's game vs. Elmira will be webcast live at www.Empire8.TV.