ONEONTA, N.J. (January 23, 2015) – Stevens Institute of Technology was defeated by a score of 80-62 Friday night in an Empire 8 men's basketball game at Hartwick College.
 
Stevens falls to 4-4 in the conference and 7-9 overall. Hartwick improves to 4-4 in the conference and 9-8 overall.
 
After sophomore guard Patrick Barron opened the first half with a three-pointer, Hartwick would counter with a 14-2 run over a span of 3:24 to open a 14-5 lead with 15:34 left in the period.
 
The lead moved to 11 with a three-pointer from sophomore guard Joey Lufkin, and eventually ballooned to 20 with 2:58 left in the half, but the Ducks closed with a 10-3 run to get within 13 points (42-39) at the break. Thomas Ahern hit a pair of big three's late for the Ducks in what was a nine-point first half for the sophomore guard. Barron also had nine tallies as the Ducks connected on 7-of-16 attempts from deep in the game's first 20 minutes.
 
The Ducks were able to cut the lead to 11 early in the second half, but Stevens could not get closer. The hosts lead expanded to 19 with 10:34 left, before the Ducks chipped away. Three-pointers from Barron and freshman guard Chris Cosgrove helped Stevens get within 11 points (63-52) with a shade under six minutes on the clock. Hartwick responded with a three, and the teams traded buckets before a 9-0 run from the Hawks resulted in a 75-55 home lead with 2:34 left.
 
Barron led the Ducks with a career-high 21 points on the back of five three pointers on 11 attempts. He added a pair of assists and a rebound to his line. Junior forward Alex Lorenz finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in his first career double-double, while Ahern had nine points and three assists. Senior forward Patrick Sabatino had six points, seven rebounds and two assists, while senior forward Kenny Gan added five points, nine boards and a trio of assists.
 
Stevens finished the game with 10 three-pointers on 28 attempts (35.7 percent) and shot 23-for-66 for the game (34.8 percent). The Ducks had 19 assists – led by a team-high six from Cosgrove – and 11 turnovers, while holding a 43-31 margin on the glass.
 
Hartwick shot 48.1 percent from the field (26-for-54) and 14-for-28 (50 percent) from long range. The Hawks hit 82.4 percent of their free throws and a total of five players finished in double figures. Junior guard Trevor Norton scored a game-high 26 in the win.
 
Stevens will return to action at Utica College Saturday in another key Empire 8 showdown. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
 
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