HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 17, 2017)  – Graduate student Kaitlyn Astel led all players with 20 points, junior Anna Toke added 10 points and three blocks, and the Stevens Institute of women's basketball team moved one step closer to an Empire 8 Conference regular season championship with a 75-41 victory over St. John Fisher College Friday night.

Junior Megan Brown scored four points, but grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists and blocked a shot, as the Ducks improved to 14-9 on the season and 13-2 in E8 play. Stevens remains a half-game behind Ithaca College in the conference standings, but a victory in Saturday's season finale would give the Ducks the league's regular season crown via tiebreaker.  
 
Maria Kelleher was the only Cardinal to reach double digits, scoring 12 points as St. John Fisher fell to 12-12 overall and 9-6 in conference play. St. John Fisher is locked into the fourth seed in the playoffs.

Turning Point

• Fourteen unanswered points turned a one-possession game into a 16-point advantage for the Ducks.
• Erin Hulbert ended a small Stevens run with a short jumper to reclaim a 13-11 lead for the Cardinals.
• Over the next 4:32, bridged across the first and second quarters, Stevens would force four missed shots and five turnovers. 
• Four different Ducks registered a point in the 14-0 run, including freshman Zoe Hahn, who had a pair of threes.

Inside the Numbers

• Toke scored her 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting.
• Astel, among the league leaders in field goal percentage, shot 8-for-11 and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
• All 12 Ducks scored,
• Sophomore Elena Sanchez went 3-for-4 from behind the arc. Stevens made eight threes as a team.
• Stevens received 35 points off the bench.
• The Ducks held a +10 advantage on the boards.
• A big second quarter led to a 54.55% first half shooting percentage.
• Stevens forced 17 turnovers.
• St. John Fisher was held to four points in the third quarter.

Unsung Hero

• Brooke Stoddard grabbed seven rebounds. The junior forward has pulled down at least six rebounds in seven games this season.
• Zoe Hahn blocked a career-high five shots

Haughey's Thoughts

• "I was extremely proud of our defensive focus tonight."
• "Our bench continues to define us a team."

Up Next

• The Ducks close out the 2016-17 regular season by welcoming Nazareth College to Canavan Arena.
• Stevens defeated Nazareth, 75-66 on Jan. 20 and has won the last eight matchups between the teams
• Stevens Athletics will honor the women's basketball class of 2017 in a pregame ceremony. 
• Live stats and video links are available at StevensDucks.com.

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