HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 19, 2022)  – Graduate student Alec DiPietrantonio scored his 1,000th career point to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus 68-46 Wednesday night in a MAC Freedom matchup at Canavan Arena.

DiPietrantonio finished with 20 points on 10 of 12 shooting, while also pulling down 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season to lead three Ducks in double figures as Stevens moved to 6-6 on the year and to 5-3 in league play.

Miles Crystian had 13 points and four rebounds for FDU-Florham, who dropped to 3-13 on the year and to 0-8 in the MAC Freedom. Stevens has won each of the last six meetings between the programs. 

Entering the game needing just nine points to become the 23rd player in program history to reach the career milestone, DiPietrantonio wasted little time in reaching the mark, hitting five of his first six shots to score 10 of the Ducks' first 20 points. Receiving a pass just inside the elbow, the Ocean City, New Jersey native went to work in the post, before hitting a short floater from the center of the paint to record points 1,000 and 1,001. The Ducks quickly called timeout to recognize DiPietrantonio's achievement.

After securing DiPietrantonio's place in program history, the Ducks continued to work on the inside, scoring 30 of their 39 first-half points in the paint. While the Ducks were able to find success inside, they limited the close-range points for the Devils, allowing FDU to amass just eight points in the paint in the first half and six in the second. The strong inside play continued in the second half, resulting in a decisive 50-14 advantage for the Ducks in points in the paint.

Turning in one of their best offensive performances in any half this season, the Ducks built a 20-point halftime lead, while frustrating their counterparts, forcing the guests into making just 6 of 29 attempts from the floor, including a 1 for 17 from behind the arc. While FDU's overall shooting percentage did increase slightly in the second half, the Ducks continued to frustrate the Devils from behind the arc, holding them under 25 percent in the second half, resulting in FDU's third-worst 3-point shooting performance of the season.

Junior Conor Coffey, one of three Ducks to reach double figures, opened second-half scoring with a short jumper, sparking a stretch that saw Stevens score on seven of its first eight possessions to open a 33-point lead less than five minutes into the second half. Coffey finished with 13 points.

Pivotal Point

• Junior Matt Crowley fed DiPietrantonio for back-to-back baskets that sparked a 10-0 run that enabled Stevens to take control of the contest.
• First, Crowley connected with DiPietrantonio on a no-look pass for a dunk on the Ducks' first possession after the fifth-year center's milestone basket. 
• The pair hooked up again on the Ducks' next trip down the court, with Crowley driving along the left baseline and finding a cutting DiPietrantonio for an easy layup that forced an FDU timeout.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens finished with a 46-33 advantage on the boards, including a 12-10 edge on the offensive glass.
• The Ducks shot over 45% for the fifth time this season.
• Each side committed 10 turnovers.
• Crowley finished with a game-high four assists.
• First-year Jack Liedtka scored his first collegiate points.
• First-year Jack Spellman was the third Duck to reach double figures, scoring 11 points and matching graduate student Matt LaCorte with a team-high two steals.
• The Ducks made four of their five free throws.
• DiPietrantonio completed his double-double in the first half, totaling 14 points and 10 boards. He also finished plus-30.

Unsung Hero

• Graduate student David Dixon matched a career high with eight rebounds. He also added four points on 2 of 5 shooting and blocked two shots.

From the Court - Head Coach Bobby Hurley

• "I am really happy for Alec! This is a great accomplishment as he has worked really hard over his whole career. He is the heart and soul of this team and we are so happy to celebrate this achievement with him."
• "Tonight, we had a great team effort. ALl 14 of our guys contributed and defensively we were pretty solid."

Up Next

• Men's basketball returns to Pennsylvania to continue MAC Freedom play on Jan. 22 against Lycoming in Williamsport.
• The Ducks defeated the Warriors 77-65 on Dec. 4 in Canavan Arena in what is believed to be the first meeting between the programs.
• Links for live stats and video are available on StevensDucks.com.

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