DiPietrantonio
Mike McLaughlin
51
STEVENS STEVENS 0-1
56
Winner Skidmore College SKIDMORE 1-0
STEVENS STEVENS
0-1
51
Final
56
Skidmore College SKIDMORE
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
STEVENS STEVENS 18 33 51
Skidmore College SKIDMORE 31 25 56

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

Men’s Basketball’s Comeback Bid Comes Up Short Against Skidmore

DiPietrantonio double-doubles but Ducks come up short at Skidmore

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (November 13, 2021)  – Graduate student Alec DiPietrantonio posted his 26th career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team was unable to rebound from a sluggish start in falling to Skidmore College 56-51 Saturday in a non-conference game played at the Williamson Center. The contest marked the season opener for both squads.

First-year Jack Spellman nearly posted a double-double of his own in his collegiate debut, scoring nine points and pulling down a team-high 12 boards for the Ducks, who fell to 0-1. 

Tautvydas Kupstas and Ty Lamport each had 15 points for the Thoroughbreds, who moved to 1-0.

After averaging nearly a double-double over the course of the 2019-20 season, the last full season for the Ducks, DiPietrantonio picked up right where he left off. The Ocean City, New Jersey native made six baskets and a pair of free throws, while also pulling down three offensive boards and eight on the defensive glass for his first double-double since the 2020 NCAA Division III Tournament. DiPietrantonio also recorded his 119th career blocked shot

After a slow start from both sides, with a combined three baskets over the first five minutes, Skidmore was able to build a first-half lead on the strength of five 3-pointers, which accounted for more than half of the team's field goals in the period. The Thoroughbreds also went 8 for 8 from the line over the first 20 minutes to build a double-digit advantage at halftime.

The home team's advantage swelled even further after the intermission after a 6-0 Skidmore run in the opening minute of the second half. The Ducks began to crawl back into the contest with a long three from graduate student Maguire Sweeney. Stevens shot 40 percent from behind the arc in the second half, while forcing Skidmore into missing each of its 11 long-distance attempts, as the Ducks continued to cut into their deficit.

The resilient Ducks eventually trimmed the Skidmore advantage to single digits, drawing as close as three in the final minute. 

Pivotal Point
  • Trailing by five after a long three by graduate student Matt LaCorte with 93 seconds left, the Ducks forced a missed jumper on the other end of the floor giving them a chance to make it a one-possession game.
  • However, a turnover allowed Skidmore to maintain possession, before hitting four free throws in the final 25 seconds to seal the victory.

Inside the Numbers
  • Among the nation's leaders in opposing field-goal percentage in 2019-20, the Ducks held Skidmore to just 26.2% shooting (17 for 65), including a 5 for 29 (17.2%) performance from behind the arc.
  • Skidmore was able to hold its advantage by making 17 of 19 free throws.
  • The Ducks won the battle of the boards 53-46, including a 15-11 advantage on the offensive glass.
  • Skidmore's Greg Skoric had a game-high three rejections.
  • Junior Matt Crowley and sophomore Mike Goodall dished out a team-high three assists. 
  • Skidmore turned 18 Stevens turnovers into 11 points, while the Ducks converted 11 Skidmore miscues into five points.
  • Stevens held a 12-7 advantage in second-chance points. 
  • Skidmore's starters accounted for all of the Thoroughbreds' 56 points. Conversely, the bench accounted for 25 of the Ducks' 51 points.
  • The Ducks had a 7-4 edge in fast-break points, while Skidmore had a 22-18 margin in points in the paint.
  • The game marked the Stevens debut for LaCorte and fellow graduate student, David Dixon.
  • DiPietrantonio had the first basket of the season with a layup two minutes into the contest.

Unsung Hero
  • Goodall finished with 13 points and pulled down six boards, including four on the offensive glass.

From the Court - Head Coach Bobby Hurley
  • "We competed today. I thought we did a great job defensively, but we made too many mistakes on the offensive end. We'll get back to work this week to get better and prepare to host a talented NJCU team in Hoboken on Wednesday."

Up Next
  • Men's Basketball hosts No. 24 New Jersey City University in Canavan Arena on Nov. 17. 
  • The Ducks are 3-6 all-time against the Gothic Knights, but have won each of the last two meetings.
  • It will be the second time in three seasons that the Ducks host the Gothic Knights for their home opener. 
  • Live stats and video links are available on StevensDucks.com.

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