HOUGHTON, N.Y. (January 30, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team built a large first half lead Friday en route to a 69-43 Empire 8 Conference win over Houghton College.
 
The win moves Stevens (15-2) to 9-1 in conference while Houghton fell to 3-14.
 
Junior Kaitlyn Astel led the Ducks with 15 points while freshman Megan Brown added nine points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Brittany Washington chipped-in with 12 points, and sophomore Erica Guketlov dished-out six assists.
 
As a team, Stevens held the Highlanders to just 29 percent shooting from the field while forcing 26 turnovers.
 
The Ducks jumped out to an eight point lead midway through the half off a jumper from freshman Sydney Darby. Houghton answered with a layup on the next possession, but an 8-2 Stevens run over the next six minutes built the lead to 14.
 
Stevens extended its lead to 16 three minutes later off a layup from Brown before a three pointer from sophomore Daphne Ginn with under a minute remaining ballooned the lead to 19. Houghton mustered four more points in the half, but a layup from Ginn with eight seconds remaining put the Ducks up 19 going into the break.
 
The Ducks maintained their comfortable lead to start the second half, extending it to 21 with a jumper from Astel five minutes in. A free throw from Washington took the lead to 22 before a layup from junior Megan Petuskey midway through the half brought it to 25.
 
Stevens built its largest lead of the game at 31 with just under six minutes remaining, and cruised the rest of the way to pick-up the blowout win.
 
The Ducks will return to the court tomorrow with a 2 p.m. game at Alfred University.
 
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