HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 8, 2019)  – Senior Spencer Cook and junior Alec DiPietrantonio each posted a double-double, but the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team was unable to rebound from an early deficit and fell to No. 4 Middlebury College 78-68 Sunday in a non-conference contest at Canavan Arena.

Cook recorded a game-high 22 points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in recording his first career double-double. DiPietrantonio added 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for his third double-double in as many games for the Ducks, who fell to 7-1 and saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end. It was the first meeting between the teams since 2007.

Matt Folger had 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead Middlebury, who won their eighth straight game. At a perfect 8-0, the Panthers are one of just 21 remaining unbeaten programs in Division III. Entering the highly-anticipated matchup, there were 26.

Although Stevens controlled the opening tip, it was Middlebury that scored the first basket of the game. Jack Farrell stripped DiPietrantonio and streaked down the court for a fast-break layup for the game's first bucket. The basket was the first of five straight by the Panthers in opening a 12-0 lead.

DiPietrantonio tipped in a missed jumper five minutes in for Stevens' first basket of the game. The second-chance basket started the Ducks' climb back into the game. Senior Michael Zignorski came off the bench to nail a long three as Stevens scored 13 unanswered to pull within 17-15, with nine of the 13 coming from beyond the arc. Zignorski finished with 16 points.

However, Middlebury, who led wire-to-wire, answered the Ducks' run with eight straight points to push the lead back to a comfortable margin. The sequence, which saw Tommy Eastman and Nash Goldman sink long threes was typical of the back-and-forth play that dictated play. Every time Stevens trimmed the margin down to either one or two possessions, Middlebury would go on a run of its own to push the lead back to three or four.

The second half was a mirror image of the first. Freshman Matt Crowley sank a jumper to pull Stevens within seven, however Middlebury connected for a pair of fast-break layups to open its largest lead of the game at 46-30, only to see the resilient Ducks claw their way back into the game. 

DiPietrantonio scored after his own offensive rebound to pull Stevens within six with just over two minutes left in regulation. However, after a Cook block gave the ball back to the Ducks, Stevens missed a pair of field-goal attempts on the next possession and Folger turned an offensive rebound into a back-breaking three as Middlebury reclaimed a nine-point advantage. The Panthers sank six free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the victory. The team had attempted just one free throw prior to the game-clinching sequence.

Pivotal Point

• Stevens trimmed its early deficit to just one after a free throw by senior Dylan Walsh with 4:17 remaining in the first half.
• Cook stripped the Panthers' Alex Sobel on the next possession to give the ball back to the Ducks with a chance to take the lead for the first time.
• Cook missed a jumper and Fogler converted a layup on the end to push Middlebury's lead back to three.
• The basket sparked a 9-1 run over the remainder of the half by the Panthers, that created separation between the teams at the intermission.

Inside the Numbers

• Middlebury outshot Stevens 42.6 percent to 32.4. The margin was wider in the first half as the Panthers shot 47 percent (15 for 32) against just 30 percent (10 for 33) as Middlebury entered halftime with a nine-point lead. 
• The Ducks held Middlebury to its lowest field-goal percentage of the season.
• The Panthers' 11 threes were the most by a Stevens opponent this season. 
• DiPietrantonio blocked three shots, extending his streak of consecutive games with at least one block to 10.
• Each team grabbed 43 rebounds, although the Ducks controlled the offensive glass, earning a 16-advantage. However, it was Middlebury taking advantage of the extra possessions, edging Stevens in second-chance points, 15-14.
• Crowley finished with a team-high four assists.
• Cook was a perfect 3 for 3 from the line and is now shooting 90% from the charity stripe on the year.

Unsung Hero

• Senior JoJo Mosca came off the bench to score six points on a pair of threes, however Mosca's two steals were key in both of Stevens' comeback runs.

From the Court (Head Coach Bobby Hurley)

• "Tough one today against Middlebury. We had great effort, but we didn't execute at a high enough level. We competed well, but Middlebury responded any time we made a run. I'm excited [about] where we are at this point in the season, but we still have many areas to improve on."

Up Next

• Men's Basketball returns from the winter break on Dec. 29 for the opening round of the 2019 Stevens Men's Basketball Holiday Tournament.
• The Ducks will meet The College of New Jersey on their side of the bracket, while Drew and No. 15 Johns Hopkins meet on the opposite side.
• Links for live stats and video for the entire tournament are available on StevensDucks.com.

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