HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 17, 2017)  – Graduate student Kaitlyn Astel lead all players with 23 points, junior Meg Brown filled the stat sheet with 13 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, and the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team secured the number one overall seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament with a 67-41 victory over Nazareth College Saturday.

Junior Anna Toke added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Ducks, who improved to 15-9 overall and 14-2 in Empire 8 play. With the victory, Stevens ends the regular season in a first-place tie with Ithaca College, but because of the conference's tiebreaker rules, the Ducks will be the number one seed in the conference tournament for the second year in a row. Stevens will host both rounds of the E8 tournament at Canavan Arena.
 
Rachel Benedict scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Nazareth, who fell to 11-14 overall and 7-9 in conference play. Stevens held the E8's leading scorer, Sam Sorge to eight points on 3-of-19 shooting. 

Stevens will host fourth-seeded St. John Fisher in the opening round of the E8 tournament Friday evening at Canavan Arena.

Prior to the game, the women's basketball Class of 2017 - Kaitlyn Astel, Daphne Ginn, Erica Guketlov, and Ruth Waters, were honored in a pregame ceremony

Turning Point

• Stevens scored 17 straight points to turn a 10-6 first-quarter deficit into a 23-10 advantage.
• The Ducks held Fisher scoreless for 8:43, bridging the first and second quarters.
• A Shelby Benjamin basket finally broke the cold streak for Nazareth, but would be the only basket on the frame for the Golden Flyers.
• Owners of the top scoring defense in the conference, The Ducks forced nine straight missed and eight turnovers in breaking the game open..

Inside the Numbers

• Brown's double-double was her 11th of the season. Her 18 rebounds and four blocks marked season-best totals.
• Freshman Alison Criswell came off the bench to score three points, grab four boards and record three steals. Guketlov also recorded three thefts.
• The Ducks held an opponent to single digits in a quarter for the second straight game.
• A smothering defense forced Nazareth into 15-for-65 shooting (23.1%), including 2-of-21 (9.5%) from behind the arc.

Unsung Hero

• Brooke Stoddard grabbed six rebounds. The junior forward has pulled down at least six rebounds in eight games this season.
• Senior Daphne Ginn scored five points in 19 minutes in the fourth start of her carrer.

Haughey's Thoughts

• "I thought we played great team basketball."
• ""We've built our chemistry and got deep contributions, which has defined our success."

Up Next

• Stevens will host fourth-seeded St. John Fisher in the opening round of the E8 tournament Friday evening at Canavan Arena.
• Stevens defeated the Cardinals twice in the 216-17 season, including a 75-41 victory in Hoboken on Feb. 17.
• Live stats and video links will be available at StevensDucks.com.

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