CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (February 27, 2022)  – Senior Jess Broad had a game-high 22 points, but the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team fell to DeSales University 68-44 Sunday in the MAC Freedom Championship game at Billera Hall Gymnasium.

Senior Meghan Douglas had eight points and junior Danielle Cornetta had six points and six rebounds for the Ducks, who dropped to 19-7 on the year. The setback snapped the Ducks' two-game winning streak, which were the program's first postseason victories as members of the MAC Freedom. The Ducks must now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced Monday afternoon.

Averi Jordan had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds and Megan Bealer had a team-high 18 points for DeSales, who won for the 20th time in a row to improve to 21-3 on the year. DeSales has won four straight MAC Freedom titles. Jordan was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Stevens controlled play early, winning the opening tip and scoring the first points of the contest on Broad's layup on the Ducks' second possession. Douglas would follow with a layup of her own and Cornetta made a long jumper as Stevens opened a 6-0 lead. Bealer went 1 for 2 at the line at the 6:22 mark to net the Bulldog's first points of the contest. 

The Ducks' defensive play held DeSales' offense in check in the opening period, holding the Bulldogs to 3 for 11 shooting (27.3%), which included an 0 for 4 performance from behind the arc. As the Ducks were thwarting the DeSales offense, the Ducks made 7 of their 17 attempts (41.2%) in opening as much as a 10-point lead. The Ducks forced five DeSales turnovers in the opening period and turned them into seven points. 

The third quarter ultimately proved to be the pivotal one. DeSales outscored Stevens 21-7 in the decisive period, using a 7-0 run late in the stanza to open up a 15-point advantage. It was the Ducks that were unable to get on track offensively, shooting just 19% from the floor (3 for 16), an outlier of nearly 30 percent when compared to the team's shooting over the other three quarters. Exclusive of the third quarter, each team scored 47 points.

Broad finished the contest 10 for 18 from the floor to finish with her highest offensive output since netting 26 against the Bulldogs on Jan. 22, 2020. The 22-point outing marked Broad's fifth contest with 20 or more points and the Marlboro, New Jersey native finished one shy of a season high. Over the three contests in the MAC Freedom Tournament, Broad averaged 18 points and six rebounds, while shooting 57% from the floor. 

Stevens would score on five of its first six fourth-quarter possessions to cut the DeSales lead in half, but the Bulldogs would go on a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.

If the contest closes out the Ducks' 2022 campaign, the Ducks improved by eight wins over their last full season (2019-20).

Pivotal Point

• DeSales used an 8-0 run over the final 3:45 of the second quarter to take its first lead of the game right before the intermission.
• The Bulldogs had the ball for the final possession of the first half after a Stevens turnover. 
• Amelia Saunders knocked down a long jumper just before the buzzer to put DeSales in front 26-25. The Bulldogs would hold their lead for the remainder of the game. It was Saunders' only basket of the game.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens outshot DeSales 39.3%-37.3%. The Bulldogs' 37.3 shooting percentage marked the team's fourth-lowest this season. The Ducks have turned in two of the top-five shooting performances against the Bulldogs. Two of the other three teams that found shooting success against DeSales are currently ranked in the top-25 by D3Hoops.
• DeSales held a 43-30 edge on the boards, including a 12-3 edge on the offensive end. 
• Senior Allie Moss matched Jordan with a game-high six assists. 
• The Bulldogs held an advantage in points in the paint (34-26), second-chance points (8-5) and fast-break points (12-2). 
• The Ducks allowed just two baskets from behind the arc, the lowest output for the Bulldogs this season. 
• Douglas went 2 for 2 from the line.

Unsung Hero

• Senior Amber Porrett came off the bench to pull down a team-high seven rebounds, while also blocking a shot. The Dumont, New Jersey native ranks second on the team with 5.4 boards per game. 

Up Next

• Women's basketball will learn if they earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., when the NCAA reveals the full 64-team bracket.

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