HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 10, 2018)  – Senior Megan Brown scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team inched closer to an Empire 8 Conference Championship berth with a 74-57 victory over Houghton College Saturday at Canavan Arena.

Freshman Maddi Hahn added 14 points and classmate Lily Taeuber added 10 points for the Ducks, who won their third straight game to improve to 11-12 on the year and 8-6 in conference play.

With the victory, the Ducks moved into a third-place tie with Houghton, although Stevens holds the tiebreaker over the Highlands by virtue of winning the season series. Earlier in the day, Nazareth fell to St. John Fisher to fall one-half game behind Stevens and Houghton. By virtue of holding the tiebreaker over both Nazareth and Houghton, a Stevens victory over Elmira next Friday guarantees the Ducks a spot in the E8's postseason tournament. The Ducks have made the conference championship every year since joining the E8 with the 2007-08 season.

Emily Swanson posted a double-double of her own with 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead Houghton. The setback was the second straight for the Highlanders, who fell to 12-11 on the year and 8-6 in the conference.

Prior to the game, Brown and classmate Sydney Darby were recognized for their career accomplishments and contributions to the Stevens Women's Basketball program. As a token of good will, the Ducks also recognized Houghton's lone senior, Laurie Call, prior to the ceremony honoring Brown and Darby.

Turning Point

• Stevens hit four of its first five shots in the second quarter to break open a four-point game
• Sophomore Alison Criswell opened the quarter's scoring with a long three. 
• Hahn rejected a Madison Detwiler layup leading to a transition layup from Brown that gave Stevens a nine-point edge.
• Freshman Sam Winter hit a short jumped and Criswell bookended the run with a fast-break layup to give Stevens a 33-20 lead before Houghton got on the board in the second stanza.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens shot 38.8 percent from the field, including a blistering 17-of-39 (44%) in the first half. Houghton finished the game 21-of-64.
• Attempting to rally, Houghton made four of its seven three-point attempts in the second half.
• One day after setting a program record with seven triples, freshman Christina Li shot 2-for-4 from behind the arc. Li finished with 15 points.
• Emily Swanson led all players with 11 rebounds, helping the Highlanders to a 44-41 edge on the glass. Despite Houghton having the advantage in rebounds, Stevens held a 13-12 edge in second-chance points.
• Stevens scored 12 fast-break points, while Houghton had two.
• Stevens converted 20 Houghton turnovers into 20 points. Houghton could only turn 12 Stevens miscues into four points.
• Hahn went 6-for-6 from the free throw line for the second consecutive game.

From the Court

• "We are playing with confidence and it's made a huge difference in our game, both offensively and defensively."

Up Next

• The Ducks will play their final two games away from Canavan Arena, beginning with a contest at Elmira College on Feb. 16. 
• Stevens downed Elmira 72-62 on Jan. 3 in a game relocated to Kean University due to a water main break in Hoboken.
• The Ducks have won 11 straight matchups between the programs.
• Live stats and video links on StevensDucks.com

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