HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 8, 2023) – Senior
Danielle Cornetta had a game-high 16 points to lead three players in double figures as No. 19 Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball defeated Arcadia University 72-36 Wednesday night in a MAC Freedom matchup at Canavan Arena.
Junior
Elissa Nsenkyire finished with 13 points and sophomore
Lucy Alberici came off the bench with 10 for the Ducks, who won their fourth straight in improving to 19-3 on the year and to 12-1 in conference play. The Ducks are a half-game behind No. 9/8 DeSales, who topped Delaware Valley 74-37, and three games ahead of Misericordia, who downed Wilkes 63-57. DeSales has its conference bye this coming Saturday and either a Stevens victory over King's or a Misericordia loss to Delaware Valley clinches a home semifinal for the Ducks for the second straight year.
With 19 wins, the Ducks are one win away from the program's ninth 20-win season and the first since 2015-16. A victory Saturday would mark the third 20-win season under current head coach
Megan Haughey.
Delaney Bell had a team-high 12 points to lead Arcadia, who dropped to 14-9 on the year and to 7-7 in conference play. The Knights have dropped two straight and are tied with King's for the fourth and fifth postseason berths. Stevens has won all five meetings in the all-time series.
Entering the game with one of the top defenses in the country, the Ducks held Arcadia to just 29.6% shooting - a number that was significantly boosted by a 6 for 12 performance by the Knights in the final quarter. Arcadia didn't connect on a basket from behind the arc until there were eight seconds left in the contest, snapping a 0 for 13 skid.
After Arcadia scored the first basket of the game, Cornetta sank her first basket of the game on her first attempt from the floor to knot the score. First-year
Leyla Castro stripped Hanna Rhodes for an easy fast-break layup and Nsenkyire followed with a short jumper as part of a 6-0 run that put Stevens in front for good.
Arcadia would draw even at six, before graduate student
Jess Broad found Alberici for an open three that sparked a run of 10 straight points that closed out the first quarter as Stevens opened a 16-6 lead.
The Ducks opened the second quarter with a short jumper by Broad and an Nsenkyire free throw to push the run to 13 and extended Stevens' lead to 13. Dayna Balsa finally stopped the run with a layup for Arcadia's first points in just over seven minutes of game time. The Ducks held Arcadia to just three field goals in each of the first two quarters in building a 23-point halftime lead.
Statistically, the Ducks had their best quarter just after halftime, shooting exactly 50% from the floor in outscoring Arcadia 20-9 in the third period. Cornetta had five of her 16 points in the frame and eight different players had at least one point.
Inside the Numbers
- Stevens held a 47-36 edge in rebounding, including a 20-13 margin on the offensive glass. Graduate student Amber Porrett joined Cornetta with seven rebounds, while Broad snagged a game-high eight. Porrett continues to lead the MAC Freedom with 9.4 rebounds per game.
- The Ducks forced 30 Arcadia turnovers and turned them into 39 points.
- Broad had a game-high four assists as the Ducks registered 21 assists on 30 baskets.
- Castro had a team-high four steals in her return to the lineup.
- Stevens totaled 27 fast-break points.
- Cornetta and first-year Dorothy Loffredo each blocked two shots.
- Senior Kaitlyn Rothwell had a team-high six points off the bench, finishing 3 for 5 from the floor.
- First-year Isabella Duval made both of her field-goal attempts, including a 3-pointer.
Up Next
- Women's Basketball hits the road on Feb. 11 for a conference contest at King's.
- The Ducks topped the Monarchs 64-41 on Jan. 7 and have won the last five matchups in the all-time series.
- Links for live stats and video are posted to StevensDucks.com.
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