HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 12, 2019) – Led by a career-high 16 points from sophomore Allie Moss and a stifling defensive attack, the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team opened the 2019-20 campaign with a 60-49 victory over Western Connecticut State University Tuesday inside Canavan Arena.

The Ducks held WestConn to just 22.7 percent from the floor in the contest while also scoring 24 points off turnovers and won their second consecutive season opener over the Colonials. Stevens was also phenomenal from downtown, going 10 for 21 from 3-point-range. The 10 made 3-pointers were the most since the Ducks drained 12 in a victory over Houghton on Feb. 11, 2017.

WestConn, who played an aggressive full-court defense most of the contest, was able to force 34 turnovers and pull down 23 offensive rebounds in the loss. They were led by senior Genesis Toress who produced a team-high 14 points and freshman Jasmin Caldwell led the Colonials with 10 boards, six of which came on the offensive glass.

Moss was stellar from 3-point-range in the win for Stevens, going 3-for-5 from downtown while also adding five boards and three assists.

Junior Christina Li and freshman Danielle Cornetta also finished in double figures as Li produced 14 points and Cornetta added 12 in her collegiate debut.

Additionally, the Ducks got a big effort on the glass from junior Annetta Panayides who pulled down a career-best 12 boards in the victory.

After Stevens started the contest on by scoring nine of the first 11 points, the Colonials answered back with eight straight points of their own, capped off by a 3-pointer from Samantha Garcia.

Coming out of the break, the Ducks again were able to take the lead thanks to a 7-0 run featuring a pair of fastbreak buckets from Li and sophomore Meghan Douglas as well as a 3-pointer by Emily Nunez. WestConn was not to be denied, however, scoring seven of the final nine points of the half to take a 25-23 lead into halftime.

Stevens came out of the gates firing on all cylinders from deep in the second half, nailing four consecutive 3-point buckets in just five trips down the floor to take the lead they would not relinquish. 

The Colonials were able to keep the game in reach by trading blows for the remainder of the quarter and making the score 43-39 heading into the final stanza. It did not remain that close, however, as the Ducks outscored WestConn 14-4 to open the fourth quarter to create some breathing room and grab a win in their home opener for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.

Turning Point

• Trailing 27-26 with 7:35 left in the third quarter, Stevens was able to generate a 9-0 run thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Li and another from Moss to take the lead.
• The Ducks went on to extend the lead to as many as 16 and never trailed following the run.

Inside the Numbers

• Despite committing 34 turnovers in the contest compared to 24 from the Colonials, Stevens was still able to hold a 24-13 advantage over WestConn in points off turnovers.
• The two teams were almost even on the boards, with WestConn holding a narrow 42-41 edge even while grabbing 20 offensive rebounds compared to seven for the Ducks.
• Stevens was able to distribute the ball effectively in the contest with 15 assists on 21 made baskets.
• Panayides and Douglas made their presence felt down low with two blocks apiece as Stevens produced six as a team.
• Stevens found themselves behind 25-23 at the break, but outscored WestConn 37-24 over the final two periods to grab the victory.
• The Ducks held an 8-2 edge in fast break points and a 16-13 advantage in points in the paint in the victory.
• Both teams were able to hit a total of 10 3-pointers in the contest, with Stevens shooting 47.6 percent from beyond-the-arc the Colonials shooting just 27.8 percent.
• The 22.7 percent opponents shooting percentage was the lowest Stevens has held an opponent since limiting Utica to 19.0 percent from the floor on Jan. 25, 2019.

Unsung Hero

• Vanessa Elliott was very effective off the bench for the Ducks in the victory with seven points, three assists and two boards. She accounted for 70 percent of Stevens' bench points in the win.

From the Court (Head Coach Megan Haughey)

• "I was proud of our defensive effort throughout the game. We want to get better every day, and tonight I think we learned a lot about our areas that need improvement."

Next Up

• The Ducks will take on former Empire 8 Conference foe Hartwick College in the opening game of hte NYU Tip-Off Classic Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in New York, New York.
• The Hawks have won each of the last four matchups between the two teams, including ousting the Ducks from the Empire 8 Tournament last season.
• Overall, Stevens holds a 14-12 advantage over the Hawks dating back to 2007-08.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise