HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 30, 2023) - Sophomore Leyla Castro scored 17 points, as well as recording two assists and two rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team lost to No. 3/3 Christopher Newport 77-61 on the last day of the Stevens Women's Basketball Holiday Classic Saturday afternoon inside Canavan Arena.

The Ducks (5-6) finish the Holiday Classic 0-2 and have now lost five-straight games after starting the season 5-1. The loss also marks the Ducks' fourth-straight home defeat of the season, falling to 2-4 in Hoboken. Stevens is now 0-2 all-time against Christopher Newport. With the win, the Captains improved to 6-4 on the year.

The two teams battled early as they managed to combine for 11 points in the first five minutes of the game. The Captains scored the first five, while the Ducks countered with a 6-0 run. Castro and sophomore Olivia Schubiger, along with first-year Kay Decker, each scored a basket on the run. With 3:03 remaining in the opening quarter, junior Lucy Alberici drilled a triple to put the Ducks up by one. Castro made two free throws to close the quarter as Stevens led 12-11 after one. The Ducks kicked off the second quarter by scoring six-straight points, as Castro made two baskets while Decker added another to put the home side up seven. Christopher Newport responded with five of their own to trim the deficit, but senior Anika Damera halted the mini spurt by draining a jumper. At the 3:27 mark of the second and the Ducks up three, Alberici converted an and-one play to put Stevens up 25-19. Foul trouble plagued the Ducks in the half, as Castro, Alberici, sophomore Dorothy Loffredo, and first-year Paige Gorczyca each picked up two fouls in the half. This allowed the Captains to regain the lead, as they held a 29-28 advantage at the break.

Castro made two free-throws to kick off the scoring in the second half. The Captains followed that with a 7-2 run to take a 36-32 lead, forcing a timeout from the Ducks. After going down 38-33, Stevens scored six straight to take a 39-38 lead. Christopher Newport would end up closing the quarter with momentum, as their lead was 49-43 heading into the final frame. Down 54-45 early in the fourth, Castro hit a tough stepback jumper and then made a three on the next possession to get within four. With 5:28 left, the Captains hit a three to go back up eight, which forced a timeout by Stevens. The visitors would then score on their next possession to go back up double-digits. The run would end up being a 13-0 run, as the Captains led 72-54 with 1:55 remaining. The deficit would be too much to overcome, as Christopher Newport walked away with the win, finishing 1-1 on the weekend and sending the Ducks to 0-2.

Top Performers

• Castro also tallied two steals.
• Decker tallied a double-double, scoring 15 points and adding 13 rebounds.
• Alberici scored 11 points and four rebounds.
• First-year Paige Gorczyca tallied six points and seven rebounds.
• Stevens shot 34.5 percent (20-58) from the field and 11.1 percent (2-18) from three. The Ducks also shot 73.1 percent (19-26) from the line.

The Opponent

• Camille Malagar scored 16 points and stole the ball eight times.
• Hannah Kaloi tallied 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
• Katy Rader and Nicole Temko each scored 14 points.
• Gabbi San Diego recorded six assists.
• Christopher Newport shot 38.3 percent (23-60) from the field and 33.3 percent (9-27) from three. They also went 22-24 from the free throw line (91.7%).

Around the MAC Freedom

• Misericordia 62, Hunter 55 F/FRI
• Misericordia 41, Hiram 65
• King's 38, Marymount 74
• Albright 81, Arcadia 73

Up Next: Women's basketball opens up conference play on Wednesday as they host Lebanon Valley. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. It will be the first ever meeting between the two teams. Links for live stats and video are posted to stevensducks.com

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