Zignorski
53
TCNJ TCNJMBB 4-5
73
Winner Stevens STEVENS 8-1
TCNJ TCNJMBB
4-5
53
Final
73
Stevens STEVENS
8-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
TCNJ TCNJMBB 24 29 53
Stevens STEVENS 36 37 73

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Stevens Athletic Communications

Defense Delivers! Men’s Basketball Downs TCNJ 73-53 in Opening Game of Holiday Tournament

Ducks use smothering defensive effort to advance to championship of inaugural holiday tournament.

HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 29, 2019)  – Junior Alec DiPietrantonio recorded his fourth straight double-double as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team held The College of New Jersey to its lowest field-goal percentage since 2016 en route to a 73-53 victory Sunday in the opening game of the 2019 Stevens Holiday Tournament at Canavan Arena.

Senior Spencer Cook netted a game-high 15 points and classmate JoJo Mosca added 12 for the Ducks, who returned to the win column in improving to 8-1. It was the first meeting between the programs since December 30, 2008.

Travis Jocelyn had 13 points to pace TCNJ, who fell to 4-5. The Lions have dropped two straight. 

An aggressive Stevens defense held TCNJ to just 27.3 percent (15 for 55) shooting from the floor, including 5 of 26 (19.2 percent) from behind the arc. The Lions were unable to solve the swarming Stevens defense and were held to their lowest field-goal percentage since shooting 28.6 percent from the floor against New Jersey City University on Dec. 10, 2016.

DiPietrantonio finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and 15th of his career. Over his last five games, the Mount Laurel, New Jersey native is averaging 15.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game to move into the top-10 in both scoring and rebound in the MAC Freedom. The third-year center is 10th in the conference in scoring (13.7) and tied for the league lead in rebound (9.8).

After taking control of the game in the opening half, the Ducks closed out the first stanza on a 9-0 run over the final 3:31 to take a commanding 36-24 margin into the intermission. The Ducks forced their in-state foes into a pair of scoreless droughts that covered nearly 11 of the game's first 20 minutes. The run bridged halftime when senior Dylan Walsh turned a Cook pass into a fast-break layup for the first points of the second half. Walsh finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

Pivotal Point
  • Trailing 7-4, the Ducks used a 15-0 run to take control of the game.
  • A Dylan Walsh three sparked the run in which six different players recorded at least one point. 
  • In addition to three straight three-pointers, including a fast-break triple by freshman Matt Crowley, the Ducks held TCNJ scoreless for 7:37 in opening a 12-point lead.

Inside the Numbers
  • Stevens finished 28 for 63 from the floor (44.4 %), including 10 of 28 from behind the arc. The 10 threes marked the second time this season that the Ducks drained double-digit threes.
  • The Ducks attempted a season-low 12 free throws.
  • Behind DiPietrantonio and Walsh, the Ducks won the battle of the boards 42-40, although TCNJ out-earned Stevens on the offensive glass, 10-8.
  • Cook matched a career high with a team-leading six assists. The Ducks recorded 17 assists on 28 baskets.
  • DiPietrantonio blocked a pair of shots and has registered at least one rejection in every game this season.
  • The Ducks turned 14 TCNJ turnovers into 20 points. Stevens committed a season-low 10 turnovers.
  • Walsh and classmate Tyler McShea were perfect from the field.
  • Senior Michael Zignorski finished a team-high +24.
  • Freshman Peter White notched his first collegiate statistic with a second-half rebound.
  • Junior Ray Cortes made his collegiate debut. The third-year guard joined the program after spending two seasons on the baseball team.

Unsung Hero
  • Walsh led the defensive efforts that helped hold TCNJ's leading scorer, Randall Walko to 12 points on 2 of 10 shooting. Walko entered the game averaging 21.1 points per game.

From the Court (Head Coach Bobby Hurley)
  • "I was really pleased with our effort and energy tonight. We were really balanced offensively and our defense was great against a really talented TCNJ team."

Up Next
  • Stevens faces No. 13 Johns Hopkins University Monday afternoon in the championship game of the inaugural Men's Basketball Holiday Tournament.
  • The Blue Jays defeated Drew University 81-70 to reach Monday's championship. It is believed to be the first meeting between the programs.
  • Links for live stats and video are available on StevensDucks.com.

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