CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (January 17, 2024) - Graduate student Stephen Braunstein scored a game-high 19 points despite the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team losing to DeSales 63-60 in MAC Freedom play Wednesday night.

The Ducks now fall to 12-4 and 3-2 in MAC Freedom play. Both conference losses have now come on the road. Stevens is 4-3 on the road overall this season. The Ducks are also 1-4 all-time at DeSales. The Bulldogs improve to 14-2 and 5-0 in MAC Freedom play. Stevens remains in third place in the conference while DeSales has the top spot. The top four teams qualify for the MAC Freedom tournament.

The game opened with a basket from junior Jack Spellman, but the Bulldogs dominated the next few minutes, going on a 14-2 run. Still down ten with 13:47 to go, senior Mike Goodall made a triple for the Ducks, but it was quickly answered with a triple by DeSales. Midway through the half with Stevens down 12, the Ducks used a 7-0 run to get the Bulldog lead down to five. Spellman converted an and-one while Goodall and first-year Kyle Maddison each made jumpers on the run. DeSales got their lead up to 16 with 1:23 left in the half, but Maddison and Braunstein scored the last two baskets of the frame to make the score 38-26 in favor of DeSales at the half.

Early in the second half, the Bulldog lead reached as many as 18, but Stevens wouldn't let that scoreline affect them. Trailing by the same amount with 15:29 to go, the Ducks used an 8-0 run to get back within ten. Braunstein scored five of the eight, with Maddison adding the other three. DeSales restored their lead back to 13, but the resilient Ducks came back with a 7-0 run, which included a three from first-year Harmehar Chhabra, and baskets from graduate student Tommy McGuire and Maddison. The Ducks trailed by just five points with 3:28 reading on the clock. Braunstein would make a basket over a minute later to make it a one possession game, and Maddison hit a clutch three with 1:20 to go to tie the game at 60. Despite the comeback effort, DeSales made a three with one second left to secure them the victory.

Top Performers

• Braunstein also added two steals.
• Spellman recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards.
• Maddison had 12 points and an assist off the bench.
• Goodall scored nine points and tallied three steals.
• Graduate student Conor Coffey scored four points and had two assists.
• Stevens shot 42.1 percent (24-57) from the field and 38.9 percent (7-18) from three. The Ducks also went 5-5 (100.0%) from the line.

The Opponent

• Will Bowen scored 15 points, including making the game-winning three.
• Mason Barnes had 11 points and nine assists.
• Caleb Gibbs scored six points and had 10 rebounds.
• DeSales shot 48.9 percent (23-47) from the field and 47.4 percent (9-19) from three. They also went 8-12 from the free throw line (66.7%).

Around the MAC Freedom

• Misericordia 72, Arcadia 84
• King's 86, Delaware Valley 70
• FDU-Florham 64, Lebanon Valley 76

Up Next: The Ducks continue conference play at home on Saturday as they host FDU-Florham. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Ducks are 19-5 all-time against the Devils, including winning the last nine games. In last year's home contest, Conor Coffey scored 24 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 64-57 Ducks win. Links for live stats and video are posted to stevensducks.com