Carlisle, Pa. – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team rallied from a 12-point fourth quarter deficit for a brief lead in the final minute, but eventually dropped its 2024-25 season opener, 58-55, to Dickinson College Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams combined for three turnovers and four missed shots before Dickinson broke through more than two minutes in. Dickinson led 10-2 before Leyla Castro knocked down a three from the top of the arc. An Olivia Schubiger layup and Zoe Kashner jumper closed out the first quarter scoring for Stevens.

Down 15 early in the second, a pair of Schubiger free throws and a Lucy Alberici jumper trimmed the deficit to 11. After the teams traded layups, the Ducks used a Castro three and three free throws to cut the deficit to five, but the Red Devils pushed their lead back to 11, 33-22, at the half.

The Ducks dug in defensively to start the third quarter, holding Dickinson without a point for the first 6:32, slicing the deficit to three. Castro opened the half with a layup, Dorothy Loffredo notched a pair of free throws, and Schubiger and Castro each scored on layups, forcing a Dickinson timeout. After Dickinson pushed the margin back to eight, Castro briefly cut the margin back to five, but a last-second Red Devils' three made it 43-35 through three.

After a layup and jumper pushed the Dickinson lead out to a dozen, layups from Schubiger and Decker, plus a Castro three pulled Stevens back within five with 6:41 left. After four minutes of multi-possession leads for the Red Devils, an Alberici layup made it 52-50 with 2:05 to play, then after Dickinson answered, a Kashner tip-in and another Alberici lay-up knotted things at 54.

Fouled and injured on the tying layup, Alberici exited for Loffredo, who missed the go-ahead free throw, but Decker drew a foul chasing down the rebound and made 1-of-2 from the line, putting Stevens ahead for the first time all game. The lead was short-lived, however, as Dickinson went back in front on a three-pointer with 20 seconds left.

The Ducks missed a pair of layups and a three-pointer in the closing seconds, as Dickinson held on for the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Castro finished with a game-high 22 points and made all four of Stevens' three-point field goals.
• Decker just missed a double-double with seven points and 10 rebounds, adding three assists.
• Alberici finished with nine points, four assists, and three rebounds.

FROM THE COURT
"We were able to make adjustments throughout the latter half the game to pull us back within reach. While we came up short, we saw a lot of positives that we're able to carry forward the rest of the season." -- Head Coach Megan Haughey

UP NEXT
The Ducks host Kean Tuesday at 7 pm in their home opener at Canavan Arena.