HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 27, 2021)  – Sophomore Andrew Abujawdeh had a career-high 13 points but the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team was unable to overcome a sluggish start and fell to Wilkes University 81-66 Saturday afternoon in a non-conference tilt at Canavan Arena.

Senior Alec DiPietrantonio had 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds and junior Maguire Sweeney added a career-high 12 points for the Ducks, who dropped to 0-2.

Trent Fisher had a game-high 14 points and four assists and Matthew Davidheiser came off the bench with 13 for the Colonels, who evened their record at 3-3. 

In his second career start, Abujawdeh connected on 5 of his 9 attempts from the floor, while making three of his four attempts from the line. The Howell, New Jersey native is shooting 64 percent from the field on the young season. Abujawdeh also paced the Ducks with three assists.

A hot shooting first half saw the visitors connect on 9 of 14 attempts from behind the arc in the opening half to build a 20-point lead. The youthful Ducks clawed back into the game in the second half, outscoring Wilkes by five points over the game's final 20 minutes, including a chance to trim a 25-point deficit into single digits late in the second half. 

After winning the opening tip, DiPietrantonio scored the first points of the game with a short jumper. Derek Heiserman answered for Wilkes, sparking a 12-0 run to take control of the game. Sophomore Jacob Krantz finally stopped the run with a jumper only to see Drake Marshall answer with a long three.

Trailing at the intermission, junior Sashank Sindhia hit a three to open second half scoring, which was followed by a jumper by sophomore Matt Crowley. Back-to-back threes by junior Nate Carpenter, the first two triples of his career, brought renewed energy to the Ducks' efforts, but a Marshall layup and a full timeout halted the home team's run.

Pivotal Point

• After Wilkes took its first lead of the game, Sean Coller, who scored the game-winning basket in Friday's season-opening contest, connected on consecutive 3-point attempts less than 30 seconds apart to push the Colonels' advantage to eight. 

Inside the Numbers

• Wilkes won the battle of the boards 36-30, although the Ducks held a 12-8 advantage on the offensive glass. 
• The Ducks' prowess on the offensive boards created a 9-5 edge in second-chance points. Over the two-game series, Stevens has compiled a 15-10 edge in the statistics.
• DiPietrantonio blocked two shots and recorded a game-high three steals.
• For the second straight day, Stevens forced 20 turnovers. 
• First-years Mike Goodall, Matt Coletti, Frank Gelfman, Jenaro Galan Prieto and Matt O'Connor all made their collegiate debuts. 
• Despite the pace of the game, Stevens held Wilkes without a fast-break point.
• The consecutive games against Wilkes marked the first time the Ducks have played back-to-back games against the same opponent since meeting Utica College in the regular season finale and opening round of the Empire 8 Conference playoffs, Feb. 17 and Feb. 23, 2018.

Unsung Hero

• Sophomore Brett Bischoping came off the bench to score four points and matched a career-high six rebounds. The Austin, Texas native was also a perfect 2 for 2 from the line.

From the Court (Head Coach Bobby Hurley)

• "Wilkes came ready to play from the start. They shot the ball extremely well and we couldn't overcome the early lead they created. We did, however, have some great segments in the game where we defended really well and executed our offense effectively. Losing is never fun, but these two games will help us grow in so many ways."

Up Next

• The Ducks host No. 6 Yeshiva University at Canavan Arena on Monday, Mar. 8 at 7:30 p.m. 
• It will be the first meeting between the programs since Feb. 20, 2007, when, as members of the Skyline Conference, the Ducks and the Maccabees met in the quarterfinal round of the league tournament. 
• Live stats and video links are available on StevensDucks.com.

Please note that all event times, dates and opponents are subject to change and fans remain prohibited from attending Stevens' home athletic events.

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