HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 5, 2020)  – Zac O'Dell corralled Abass Sallah's missed free throw with 5.8 seconds in regulation as No. 1 Swarthmore College held off a late flurry by the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team in the final minute to defeat the Ducks 74-71 Sunday in a non-conference contest at Canavan Arena.

Junior Alec DiPietrantonio posted his sixth straight double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and Spencer Cook led all players with 19 points as the Ducks dropped their final non-conference game of the regular season. Stevens closed non-MAC Freedom play at 9-2, marking the most non-league wins for the program in the regular season since the 2012-13 season. The third-year center continues to rank among the nation's leader in double-doubles (seven) and is one rebound shy of 450 for his career.

O'Dell finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for Swarthmore, who improved to 11-0. The Garnet have been Division III's top-ranked team since the preseason.

Trailing by nine with just under 90 seconds left in the game, Stevens mounted a valiant comeback that was sparked by three threes and a DiPietrantonio layup to pull within a single possession after senior Dylan Walsh sank his lone triple of the contest. The Ducks made each of their last four attempts from the field in mounting their late rally.

With just under six seconds left to play, Cook quickly fouled Sallah, who had attempted just two free throws on the season. The third-year guard made the first, but missed the second one, with the ball glancing off the left side of the rim. Several players attempted to collect the loose ball, but O'Dell fought off a pair of Ducks to collect the ball and quickly passed the ball away from the paint to secure the win for the visitors. O'Dell finished with eight boards, including two on the offensive glass.

Led by Cook, four players hit double figures for the Ducks, who responded from a slow start to close within two at halftime. Cook shot 7 for 15 from the floor and inched closer to 1,000 career points. The Washington Township, New Jersey native has 981 career points and needs just 19 to become the 22nd player in program history to reach the career milestone.

The second half saw Swarthmore open an 11-point lead after a Nate Shafer layup before the Ducks chipped away at the lead over the game's final 10 minutes. Six different players had at least one point during the final 20 minutes for the Ducks, who nearly had a chance for the game's final possession. With a fluidity to its offense, Stevens recorded eight assists on its 10 second-half field goals that sparked the comeback bid.

Pivotal Point

• Senior Tyler McShea converted a nifty Cook feed for his lone basket of the game to pull Stevens within two at 38-36 with 42 seconds left in the first half. 
• Ryan Ingram was fouled on a 3-point attempt across from Stevens' bench and made all three of the ensuing free throws.
• Cook drew Stevens back to two at the half with a long three.
• In possession of the ball to open the second half, senior Dylan Walsh drew the Ducks even with a layup. It'd be the only time the Ducks and Garnet were tied in the second half. 
• Nate Shafer made a pair of free throws and Conor Harkins drained a three to push Swarthmore's lead back to two possessions.

Inside the Numbers

• Swarthmore shot 27 for 59 (45.8%) from the floor in shooting the second-highest percentage from the floor against Stevens this season.
• Stevens finished 26 for 59 (44.1%) from the field. The Ducks finished 9 for 24 from behind the arc, marking the third time the Ducks made nine threes this season.
• The Ducks won the battle of the board, 39-38, including a 7-6 margin on the offensive glass. However, Swarthmore had the advantage in second-chance points, 9-5.
• Four of the five players that came off the bench for Swarthmore had at least three points, helping the Garnet to a 25-11 edge in bench points.
• Swarthmore turned 16 Stevens turnovers into 17 points, while the Ducks converted 15 Garnet miscues into eight points.
• DiPietrantonio did not block a shot and his streak of 12 games with at least one rejection come to an end.
• The Ducks dished out 17 assists on 26 field goals. Freshman Matt Crowley handed out eight to match a career high. The Westfield, New Jersey also scored 10 points.

Unsung Hero

• Walsh finished with seven points and seven rebounds and a block, while keying the Ducks defensive efforts.

From the Court (Head Coach Bobby Hurley)

• "Our effort and energy was great today, but we just didn't make enough plays to win the game. We still need to improve our execution on the offensive end and our ability to defend on every possession. Credit to Swarthmore, as they make you work on both ends of the floor and they made us work for every basket. Not happy with the outcome, but, this will be a great learning experience as we head into conference play."

Up Next

• Men's Basketball welcomes Delaware Valley University to Canavan Arena on Jan. 8 for the program's first MAC Freedom contest.
• Links for live stats and video are available on StevensDucks.com.

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