HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 4, 2021)  – Graduate student Matt LaCorte went 4 for 5 from behind the arc to power the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team to a 77-65 victory over Lycoming College Saturday in a MAC Freedom matchup at Canavan Arena.

Junior Conor Coffey totaled a team-high 17 points and first-year Jack Spellman posted his second career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Ducks, who won their fourth straight to improve to 4-3 on the year and to 2-0 in league play. 

DeAundre Manuel had a game-high 22 points to lead three Warriors in double figures. The setback was the second straight for Lycoming, who dropped to 4-4 on the year and to 0-1 in MAC Freedom play. It was the first meeting between the programs.

LaCorte made 4 of his 6 attempts from the floor in the first half, helping Stevens amass a 10-point lead at halftime. The Westfield, New Jersey native finished 6 for 9 from the field and has made 10 of his last 17, including 7 of his last 11 from behind the arc. 

After the Ducks won the tip, Coffey put Stevens on the board first, taking a LaCorte feed for an easy layup just 13 seconds into the contest. The Ducks would continue to lead through the early stages of the contest with Coffey putting Stevens up five with a long three.

Lycoming would make three consecutive shots to produce a 7-0 run in taking the lead for the first time in the contest. A Matt Ilodigwe layup would give the Warriors a 19-14 lead to force a Stevens timeout. The five-point lead marked Lycoming's largest lead of the day.

Shooting nearly 50 percent in the first half, Stevens quickly chipped away at its first deficit before a LaCorte three put Stevens up 28-26. The Ducks would go on a 19-3 run over the final seven minutes to open a 42-32 margin at halftime. 

After a slow first half, Spellman got on track offensively in the second stanza, going a perfect 4 for 4 over the final 20 minutes, including making his only attempt from behind the arc. As a team, the Ducks were dialed from long distance in the second half, making 6 of their 10 attempts. Conversely, Lycoming only made 7 of its 30 attempts (23.3%) for the game. 

Pivotal Point

• With the Ducks trailing by one with just over 13 minutes left in the second half, LaCorte sank a long three to spark a 7-0 run to put Stevens back in front for good.

Inside the Numbers

• The Ducks finished 28 of 60 (47%) from the floor. 
• Over their last three contests, the Ducks are shooting 50% from behind the arc (33 for 66).
• Stevens outrebounded Lycoming by one, 35-34. Each team had 24 defensive rebounds. 
• Lycoming had a 34-30 edge in points in the paint, but the Ducks held an 8-5 margin in second-chance points.
• Each side had three blocks. Spellman rejected two shots, while graduate student Alec DiPietrantio had one.
• Coffey dished out a game-high six assists against just one turnover. 
• Junior Brett Bischoping made his second career three. He's 2 for his last 2 from long distance.
• Stevens scored on exactly one-half of its possessions.

Unsung Hero

• Graduate student Maguire Sweeney sank a pair of threes and nabbed two steals. He finished a team-high plus-15.

From the Court - Head Coach Bobby Hurley

• "Happy for today's win against a good Lycoming team. I thought we were a bit inconsistent on the defensive end and that allowed them to get some easy, and open, looks. We will need to be better defensively on each possession as we continue to move forward against some really talented teams to end the semester."

Up Next

• Men's basketball continues conference play on Dec. 8, when the Ducks welcome No. 25 DeSales University to Canavan Arena.
• The Ducks are 2-3 all-time against the Bulldogs, but swept the season series in the 2019-20 season.
• Live stats and video links are available on StevensDucks.com.

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