Interview - Patrick Sabatino, Kenny Gan

HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 15, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team will host Ithaca College and Elmira College in a pair of key Empire 8 games Friday and Saturday in the Canavan Arena.
 
The games will be part of #AllRise Weekend on campus in conjunction with the Stevens women's basketball team and the Stevens men's and women's swimming programs.
 
The Ducks and Bombers will tip-off Friday night at 8 p.m., and Saturday Stevens will welcome Elmira to town for a 5 p.m. tip.
 
The Ducks are coming off a 1-1 conference road swing that saw them suffer a tough loss at St. John Fisher College before bouncing back with a win over Nazareth College. Stevens currently sits at 3-2 in the Empire 8 and 6-7 overall.
 
2014-15 Schedule
2014-15 Stats
Empire 8 Stats
 
Scouting Ithaca
Ithaca is off to a slow start this year and will bring a record of 1-2 in the conference and 4-8 overall into the Canavan Arena for Friday's tilt with the Ducks. Despite the tough start, Ithaca has been improving, most recently surprising No. 20 Scranton 88-80 on Tuesday in Ithaca. The Bombers' lone conference win of the season came against Utica College (97-90), while falling to Fisher and Elmira by a combined 46 points in a pair of E8 home contests.
 
Senior center Keefe Gitto, senior guard Max Masucci and freshman guard Marc Chasin pace the Bombers offensive attack as the trio all averages in double figures. Gitto leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots, while sophomore guard Joe Masino and junior guard Chris McIlvaine are tied for the team lead in assists with 39 apiece.
 
Ithaca is in the middle-of-the-pack when it comes to scoring offense in the conference ranks, checking in at No. 8 in scoring defense. They are third in three-point field-goal attempts, fifth in triples made and ninth in three-point field-goal percentage defense.
 
Scouting Elmira
Elmira will play Hartwick College Friday before travelling south to Hoboken Saturday. The Soaring Eagles will bring a 5-7 overall record and 3-2 E8 mark on the road with them this weekend, taking conference contests against Ithaca, Utica College and Houghton College, but dropping Empire 8 games against Fisher and Alfred. Elmira owns a two-game winning streak heading into the weekend.
 
Elmira is fourth in the conference in scoring defense, and eighth in scoring offense ahead of only Stevens. The Soaring Eagles are second in the E8 in three-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 38.1 percent of its attempts from long range and are also second in three-pointers made with 8.8 per game.
 
Three Soaring Eagles average double figures in senior guard Neil Randolph, sophomore Oladapo Badmos and junior Justin Henderson. Senior forward David Borelli leads the team in rebounds, averaging 4.9 per outing, with senior Brian McDonald leading in assists per game with 4.0.
 
In 2013-14 Stevens swept Ithaca, winning both games by double-digits. The Ducks earned a pair of wins against Elmira as well, winning the meeting in Hoboken 74-68 on the final day of the regular season after earning a 60-58 win 20 days prior.
 
Visit www.stevensducks.com Friday for links to follow the Ithaca game, and again on Saturday for links to follow the Ducks vs. Soaring Eagles.
 
#AllRise