HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 20, 2021)  – Graduate student Matt LaCorte scored a season-high 18 points, but  the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team fell to a hot-shooting Catholic University 75-62 Saturday in a non-conference matchup at Canavan Arena.

Graduate student Alec DiPietrantonio posted his second double-double of the season, and 27th of his career, with 15 points and 11 rebounds and junior Matt Crowley added 13 points and six assists for the Ducks, who dropped their third straight to fall to 0-3.

Jake Timby had 17 points and Tommy Kelly finished with 16 points and six steals for the Cardinals, who won their sixth straight in moving to 6-0. The victory was Catholic's first over Stevens in four all-time meetings.

LaCorte connected on three of his nine attempts from behind the arc and went a perfect 3 for 3 from the line to finish with 18 points. The Westfield, New Jersey native's 18-point performance was his highest scoring output since netting 26 in a Liberty League victory over Scranton on Jan. 22, 2020.

The Ducks spotted Catholic as much as a 12-point lead in the first half as the Cardinals made 16 of their 33 field-goal attempts (48.5%), including 4 for 10 shooting from behind the arc.

The Cardinals hot shooting continued at the start of the second half, pushing their advantage to as many as 17 after a Timby three, before the Ducks began to mount a comeback. 

DiPietrantonio sparked the Ducks' offense with a putback basket before Crowley scored in transition. LaCorte followed with a long three as the Ducks scored on three straight shots to climb back within 10.

A triple by first-year Jack Spellman would spark a second scoring run for the Ducks, who scored on five straight shots to trim the deficit to five. Crowley would convert back-to-back jumpers and then feed LaCorte and junior Conor Coffey to help Stevens outscore Cathollic 11-6 over a four-minute span to climb back into the game.

Pivotal Point

• LaCorte's final 3-pointer of the game trimmed the Ducks' deficit to three near the midpoint of the second half.
• A Kelly miss on the other end of the court presented the Ducks with a chance to tie the game, but sophomore Mike Goodall's 3-point attempt was blocked. Kelly came down the floor and made a short jumper to push the deficit back to five. 

Inside the Numbers

• Catholic outshot Stevens 45.2% to 32.8%.
• The Ducks finished with a 22-20 edge in points in the paint, while also holding an edge in points off the bench (16-15).
• Stevens won the battle of the boards 44-42, including a 14-6 margin on the offensive boards. The decisive advantage on the offensive glass, led to a 14-4 edge in second-chance points.
• Coffey recorded the Ducks' lone block of the day.
• The Ducks matched a season high with 12 free throws.
• LaCorte and DiPietrantonio each had two steals.

Unsung Hero

• Coffey came off the bench to score nine points and pull down seven rebounds. He led the team in plus/minus.

From the Sidelines - Head Coach Bobby Hurley

• "Credit goes to Catholic as they came ready to play from the start and every time we tried to close the gap, they had an answer. We will learn from this one and get back to work on Monday."

Up Next

• Men's Basketball welcomes Baruch College to Canavan Arena on Nov. 23. 
• The Ducks have won each of the last two meetings between the teams and seven of the last eight.
• Live stats and video links are available on StevensDucks.com.

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