HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 29, 2022)  – Sophomore Jack Spellman scored 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team defeated Dickinson College 65-49 Thursday in Canavan Arena to open the 2022 Stevens Holiday Tournament.

First-year Matt Leming added 10 points and senior Matt Crowley dished out a season-high five assists for the Ducks, who improved to 6-5. The Ducks await the winner of Wheaton and SUNY Oneonta, which will be played later in the day.

Brandon Wiercinski came off the bench to lead Dickinson with 12 points, while Isaiah Edmond added eight for the Red Devils, who dropped their seventh straight in falling to 1-8. Thursday's matchup marked the first meeting between the teams. 

After a smothering defensive effort in the first half that held Dickinson under 30% (8 of 28) from the floor, the Ducks used a 7-0 run to break the game open after the Red Devils trimmed the Ducks' lead to 10. Senior Conor Coffey keyed the run with a steal and a perfect pass over the top of the Dickinson defense, which classmate Brett Bischoping converted for his first basket of the game. Spellman followed with a layup of his own before sophomore Jack Liedtka sank a long three to push the Ducks' back to 17. Junior Alex Ratner assisted on both baskets and finished with a career-high five helpers.

Stevens built an 11-point halftime lead on the strength of a 12-point run midday through the opening period. With the teams tied at nine, Coffey fed Ratner for a layup that forced a Dickinson timeout. First-year Brendan Coughlan hit a long three coming out of the timeout with baskets from Spellman, Leming and junior Mike Goodall pushing the Ducks' advantage to double figures. During the six-minute stretch, the Ducks forced five missed shots and nine turnovers before Martin Mann finally ended the run with just over six minutes left in the half.

First-years Brian Dolinick and John Lynch made their collegiate debuts, while sophomore Sean O'Neill made his season debut.

Pivotal Point

• Consecutive threes pulled Dickinson to within 14 at 59-45, but Crowley found Goodall for a 3-pointer that pushed the Ducks' lead back to 17. 
• Following Goodall's triple, the Ducks kept Dickinson off the board for nearly three minutes to close out the victory.

Inside the Numbers

• The Ducks shot 50% from the field in the second half and finished at 44.1% for the game. Conversely, the Ducks held Dickinson to just 31% (18 of 58) for the game. Dickinson's 31% mark from the floor is the second-lowest by a Duck opponent this season.
• The Ducks held a 40-33 edge on the boards, including a 10-9 advantage on the offensive glass. The positive margin on the offensive boards held the Ducks gain a 9-5 edge in second-chance points.
• Behind Crowley (5) and Ratner (5), the Ducks totaled 20 assists on 26 baskets. 
• Stevens turned 17 Dickinson turnovers into 23 points. 
• Spellman blocked four shots, while Bischoping rejected a career-high five.

From the Court - Head Coach Bobby Hurley

• "I thought our guys played really well today and we got great contributions from everyone. Excited to be playing in the championship game tomorrow."

Up Next

• Men's Basketball faces the winner of the Wheaton-Oneonta game tomorrow in the championship game of this year's holiday tournament.
• Friday's matchup would be the first-ever meeting with either opponent. 
• Links for live stats and video are posted to StevensDucks.com.

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