CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (December 7, 2016)  – Graduate student Kaitlyn Astel missed a potential game-winning basket with time expiring and the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team fell at DeSales University, 54-53, in a non-conference matchup Wednesday evening.

Astel led all players with 17 points and the guard contributed to a strong Stevens performance on the glass with nine rebounds. Junior Megan Brown recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 boards and classmate Anna Toke grabbed nine rebounds of her own and blocked a pair of shots for the Ducks, who fell to 0-5.

Morgan McCollian led DeSales with 16 points and eight rebounds and Megan Baird scored 15 off the bench, including the game-winning three-point basket. The victory was the fourth straight for the Bulldogs, who improved to 6-1.

Turning Point

• Trailing 50-43 in the final quarter, a Toke layup sparked an 8-1 run for Stevens, tying the game at 51 with 3:34 to play.
• Astel gave Stevens a 53-51 lead with a jumper in the paint. The two-point margin was the first lead for the Ducks in over a quarter.
• After the teams alternated misses, DeSales called their second timeout of the final 75 seconds.
• Stevens forced a pair of missed shots, but DeSales grabbed both offensive rebounds and again called timeout.
• With 2.4 seconds to play, Baird drained a three-pointer in her third shot attempt of the sequence to win the game.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens shot a season-best 36 percent from the field (19-for-53), leading to 53 points, the highest total for the Ducks this season.
• A back-and-forth defensive affair, the game featured 11 lead changes and six ties.
• Stevens held the edge in points in the paint (22-20) for the second consecutive game.
• The Ducks also held the edge in points off turnovers (22-21) and in fast break points (8-6).
• Freshman Zoe Hahn, the reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Week, scored eight points with three rebounds in her first career start.
• Each team held a seven-point lead as its largest advantage. Stevens led 21-14 in the second and DeSales led 50-43 in the fourth.
• Sophomore Megan Anderson saw her first action of the 2016-17 season, playing four minutes.

Unsung Heroes

• Anna Toke drew three charges.
• Kaitlyn Astel led both teams with four offensive rebounds as Stevens won the battle of the boards, 39-34.
• Senior Erica Guketlov scored a season-high 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including a pair of threes.

Haughey's Thoughts

• "Our kids played with guts and heart and lost a tough one. This was our best game the year so far."
• "We shared the ball, prided assists, took charges and won the boards - things we have been emphasizing, I am extremely proud of them."
• "[DeSales] hit a tough shot down the stretch and sometimes that happens.'
• "Our best days are ahead of us, as we continue our journey of growth, and believe in the process."

Up Next

• After a three-week layoff for finals and the holiday break, the Ducks travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for the D3Hoops.com Classic. 
• Stevens will take on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on December 28 and Lewis & Clark College on December 29.