Middlebury, Vt. – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team worked a 23-point first half deficit down to seven in the second half but dropped a 76-65 non-conference affair to Middlebury College Saturday afternoon.

Kyle Maddison and Harmehar Chhabra each had 18 for Stevens (3-2); Tristan Joseph and Edward Witherington combined for 12 three-pointers and 48 points for Middlebury (3-0).

HOW IT HAPPENED
Stevens led 5-2 early off a Maddison jumper and Chhabra three-ball, but Joseph and Witherington knocked down six of their combined 12 3's during an extended 22-7 spurt that had the Panthers up 24-12 at the midway point of the half.

The lead ballooned to 38-15 at the 7:45 mark before a Jack Spellman free throw and Maddison three-pointer trimmed the lead back under 20. With Middlebury up 44-24 at the 5:10 mark, Stevens began to work its way back.

Maddison knocked down a three, then after a Middlebury jumper, layups from Spellman and Chhabra, two Chhabra free throws, and a last-second Tommy Scholl three-pointer cut the lead down to 10, 46-36 at the half; Middlebury shot 12-for-19 from beyond the arc in the opening 20.

Both teams struggled to find their footing offensively in the early stages of the second half, combining for just six points through the first five minutes. With Middlebury up 50-38 at the 14:59 mark, a Chhabra jumper and Maddison three-pointer cut the deficit down to single digits for the first time since the 12:00 mark of the first half.

Buckets from Maddison, Goodall, and Spellman kept the Ducks within reach, but Middlebury maintained at least an eight-point cushion as the clock ticked under 11:00.

After the Panthers pushed the margin back out to 13, a Matt Leming three and two Chhabra free throws pulled the Ducks back within eight yet again, but Middlebury maintained at least a three-possession advantage the rest of the way.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Spellman posted a fourth straight double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds; he also blocked three shots, giving him 20 through the season's first five games.
• Maddison matched his season high with four three-pointers; he's made at least two in all five games this year.
• Stevens held a 41-39 advantage on the glass and are +37 on the boards this season.

FROM THE COURT (Head Coach Bobby Hurley)
"Unfortunately we didn't put a full 40 minutes together today. Middlebury is talented and well coached, but we did not give them our best effort in the first 10-12 minutes. I was happy with our grit to battle back and make it a game, but still too many mistakes to overcome."

UP NEXT
The Ducks head to the Big Apple Tuesday night for a 7:30 tip with Baruch College.