Empire 8 Standings

ELMIRA, N.Y. (February 13, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team improved to 19-2 overall and 12-1 in the Empire 8 with a 49-36 win at Elmira College Friday night.

The Ducks have now won eight-straight games and have allowed a grant total of just 63 points in their last two games.
 
Stevens came out firing, jumping out to a seven-point lead (7-0) 2:16 into the game following a three-pointer from junior guard Kaitlyn Astel. The Duck lead moved to 10 (13-3) when sophomore guard Daphne Ginn found sophomore forward Brittany Washington underneath for two.
 
Midway through the first, a pair at the line from junior guard Miranda Ripken resulted in a 20-7 margin for the Ducks, but the Soaring Eagles were able to claw back, getting within six at 24-18 at the break on the back of an 11-4 run.
 
The hosts were able to make it a four-point game on their first possession of the second half, but five-straight points from sophomore guard Erica Guketlov quickly upped the advantage to nine with 17:49 on the clock.
 
Elmira came back to get within five at 14:51, but that would be as close as the Soaring Eagles would get as the Ducks embarked on a 15-1 run to open a 44-25 lead with 6:53 to go. Ripken started the run with a bucket at 13:29, an Astel jumper at 11:18 pushed the advantage back into double digits and a Ginn three-point play capped it for the Ducks.
 
Elmira did get within 13 points at 2:37 but it was too little too late as the Ducks were able to pick up their 10th road win of the season.
 
Astel led Stevens with 11 points, with Washington tallying nine points (on five shots), four rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Freshman forward Megan Brown was strong all-around with seven points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, with Guketlov ending the contest with seven points, two assists and two steals. Ripken was also solid for Stevens, scoring eight points along with two assists, two rebounds and two thefts.
 
Stevens shot 32.8 percent from the field, 2-for-11 from deep and 7-for-12 at the line, finishing the contest with a 37-32 margin on the glass. The Ducks never trailed in the game and scored 26 of their 49 points in the paint.
 
Stevens and Ithaca are currently tied atop the conference standings with identical 11-1 records and will meet Saturday in Ithaca in a game that should go a long way in determining postseason seeding for the upcoming Empire 8 Tournament. St. John Fisher College and Nazareth College are currently in third and fourth place with both teams coming to Hoboken next weekend.
 
Visit www.stevensducks.com Saturday for links to follow the Ducks and Bombers live beginning at 2 p.m.
 
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