Box Score HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 6, 2020)  – Graduate student Kevin Florio's 30-foot shot bounced around the cylinder before falling to the wayside to end the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball season with a 74-72 loss to Nichols College Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament at Canavan Arena.

With 2.2 seconds on the clock, senior Dylan Walsh through a long outlet pass the length of the Canavan Arena floor that junior Alec DiPietrantonio caught well above the top of the key, in front of Nichols' Matt Morrow. The third-year center found Florio on the left wing. Florio calmly caught the ball and fired a shot just before the final buzzer sounded and was over the reach of the Bison's Nate Tenaglia. The ball hit the back of the rim and then the front before hitting the backboard and falling to the right of the fim, much to the shock of the Stevens faithful. 

Senior Spencer Cook finished with 22 points and junior Alec DiPietrantonio posted his 14th double-double of the year with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Ducks, who saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end. The Ducks finish their historic run at 23-5, matching a program record for wins in a single season.

Senior DeAnte Bruton posted a game-high 28 points, including the go-ahead jumper with just three seconds left in regulation. Junior Matt Morrow added 25 and a game-high 13 rebounds for Nichols, who won their 10th straight to improve to 21-8 on the year. The Bison will meet Christopher Newport in tomorrow's second-round matchup at Canavan Arena. The Captains topped Colby College 74-64 in the first game of tonight's NCAA doubleheader.

Senior Dylan Walsh opened scoring with a short jumper in the paint. Back-and-forth play marked the opening half and was the trend throughout the game as the teams combined for 10 ties and 17 lead changes. Nichols opened a seven-point lead on a Kash Jackson three, before the resilient Ducks forced a tie at 22. Stevens finished the game with six threes.

Burton and Morrow combined for seven straight points to give the visitors a 40-36 lead at the intermission in the first meeting between the teams. 

Cook opened scoring in the second half with a long triple and finished the game 3 for 4 from behind the line and finished the season by making exactly one-half of his 3-point attempts and set the single-season record with a 50% shooting percentage from behind the arc.

The Ducks opened up as much as a five-point lead heading into the final minute, but Burton scored seven of the team's final nine points to close the game.

Inside the Numbers

• Each team shot exactly 45.5 percent from the floor.
• Stevens won the battle of the boards, 41-36. Cook added eight rebounds and senior Dylan Walsh added six for the Ducks, who saw seven players snag at least one board.
• DiPietrantonio blocked a game-high two shots and brought his career total to 
• Bruton finished with six assists to lead all players, while freshman Matt Crowley led the Ducks with four. 
• Stevens dropped to 2-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, while Nichols improved to 5-3. 
• Cook finished his season with 1,316 career points and finishes his 2019-20 season seventh on the all-time scoring list. 
• DiPietrantonio's 11 rebounds' pushed the Mount Laurel, New Jersey native past the 600-rebound mark for his career to become the seventh player in program history to pull down 600 or more rebounds.

Unsung Hero

• Senior Michael Zignorski came off the bench to finish with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting. The Jefferson, New Jersey native finished 2 for 2 from the line and tied the score with 11 seconds remaining in overtime. 

From the Court (Head Coach Bobby Hurley)

• "Tonight was a great experience for our guys, but unfortunately, we just didn't make enough plays to win the game. Credit Nichols as they made every play down the stretch and Bruton and Morrow were terrific. Our effort was great, but the late turnovers really hurt us. We had one last opportunity as time expired and couldn't have asked for a better look to win the game."
• "It was a great season and this group accomplished so much. So happy for our seniors as they have us all they had and it's satisfying to know that they left their mark on this program."

Up Next

• Continue to visit StevensDucks.com for men's basketball off-season news and notes.

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