HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 5, 2022)  – Senior Jess Broad posted her sixth double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team erased an early double-digit deficit to defeat King's College 65-58 Saturday in a MAC Freedom matchup at Canavan Arena.

Senior Allie Moss had 12 points and classmate Vanessa Elliott added 10 as the Ducks moved to 15-3 on the year and to 9-2 in the conference. Stevens has won seven of its last eight games and now sits two games ahead of King's in the standings. 

Emily Murano and Samantha Rajza each had 15 points to lead the Monarchs, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end, in falling to 13-7 on the year and to 8-4 in the MAC Freedom. The Ducks have won three of the four meetings between the programs. 

The teams engaged in a defensive battle from the opening tip, with the game's first basket not coming until four minutes into play. King's would go on to score the first 11 points of the contest with Stevens finally getting onto the board with a pair of free throws from senior Amber Porrett. The Ducks would hold the Monarchs to a single point over the final 3:37 of the opening quarter, trimming their deficit to five on Elliott's short jumper.

Broad, who entered the contest 19 points shy of 1,000, opened second-quarter scoring with a short jumper and then rejected Morano's layup to return the ball to Stevens. Senior Meghan Douglas hit a jumper to pull the Ducks within one before first-year Lucy Alberici scored five straight points to give Stevens its first lead.

King's surged ahead with a 9-0 run, but the Ducks took advantage of a turnover and a pair of missed jump shots to close the quarter with six straight points. After a sluggish start, the Ducks shot nearly 50% from the floor in the second quarter and finished the game at 35%.

As strong as the Ducks played in the second quarter, the Ducks were even better in the third. Stevens outscored King's 22-13 in the frame and forced seven Monarch turnovers. The Ducks were also impressive on the glass, turning six offensive rebounds into 10 second-chance points. Conversely, King's only had six total rebounds in the frame as Stevens opened as much as a seven-point lead in the quarter.

King's would eventually pull within two points late in the fourth, but the Ducks went 13 for 17 from the line to secure the victory.

Broad finished 7 for 16 from the field and went 2 for 4 from the line to finish three points shy of becoming the 14th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Rajza, who began the day 17 points shy of 1,000 for her career, scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half to also finish points shy of the milestone. The Ducks held the Monarchs' second-leading scorer to just two points inthe first half.

Pivotal Point

• With just over two minutes left in regulation and the teams tied at 52, Elliott found Broad on the right block for a short jumper that put Stevens back in front.
• The Ducks forced a Morano miss on the other end and closed out their victory from the free throw line.

Inside the Numbers

• Stevens finished with a 50-34 edge in rebounds, including a 17-7 margin on the offensive glass. It's the fourth time this season the Ducks have pulled down 50 or more rebounds.
• The Ducks recorded 14 assists on 22 baskets. Junior Danielle Cornetta led the way with four assists. Cornetta also matched a season high with seven rebounds.
• Douglas blocked two shots. She has totaled four blocks over her last two games to bring her season total to a career-best 18.
• Moss went 5 for 6 from the line and remains at 90% for the season. The Raleigh, North Carolina native entered the game fifth in the country in free throw percentage.
• Stevens scored 32 of its 65 points in the paint and had a 21-14 edge in points off the bench.

Unsung Hero

• First-year Lucy Alberici provided a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Especially effective in the first half, the Hazlet, New Jersey native had five points and four boards over the first 20 minutes and led the team with a +11 ranking. 

From the Sidelines - Head Coach Megan Haughey

• "I thought Vanessa Elliott played a solid game on both ends of the floor. We fought it out with grit on the defensive end and found our chemistry on the offensive end when we needed it. We knew they were a good team that was coming into battle."

Up Next

• Women's basketball heads to Gettysburg on Monday, Feb. 7 for a non-conference matchup with the Bullets.
• It 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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