HOBOKEN, N.J. – Leyla Castro matched her season-high with 25 points as the No. 3 seeded Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Tournament championship on Saturday, defeating No. 4 DeSales, 54-47, at Canavan Arena.
Dorothy Loffredo finished with 11 points,
Audrey Kehoe finished with eight rebounds despite playing much of the game in foul trouble, and
Lucy Alberici pitched in six points, four rebounds, and three assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first 1:45, Castro scored five points on back-to-back possessions, putting the Ducks up 5-2. Loffredo and Schubiger added jumpers but DeSales (16-11) tied the game with a jumper and three-pointer, then took its first lead of the day on a layup with 3:36 left in the quarter. An Alberici three and Castro free throw kept Stevens (19-8) close, but the Bulldogs carried a 17-13 lead to the second.
With the lead still four early in the second, the Ducks reeled off an 8+-minute, multi-quarter run for the ages. Loffredo (layup) and Schubiger (jumper) tied the game at 22, then Castro put the Ducks back in front with a three-pointer, forcing a DeSales timeout, but that only briefly slowed the Ducks, as Castro came right back with another three and highlight-reel scoop shot from a difficult angle, putting the Ducks up 30-22 at the break having held DeSales scoreless the final 6:24 of the half.
The DeSales scoring drought extended to 8:29 and the Ducks lead grew to 13 opening the third following a Loffredo layup and Alberici three-pointer, the run eventually reaching 17 straight points. DeSales broke the scoring drought and worked the margin back to eight, but a
Fiona O'Boyle layup and Castro three-pointer pushed the gap back to 13; DeSales added four late free throws, pulling back within 10, 43-33, heading to the fourth.
Loffredo knocked down a jumper, pushing the lead to 12, but DeSales worked it back to a three-point game, 45-42, just past the midway point of the period. That was as close as the Ducks let them get, with Bogutsky knocking down a key three, Schubiger putting in a layup, and Castro adding the final four for the Ducks.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- After entering the season with just three wins in 16 games against DeSales all-time, Stevens has now won all three meetings with the Bulldogs this season.
- The Ducks held DeSales to a 25 percent mark from the floor and 22.2 percent clip from three-point territory, the fourth and fifth-lowest percentages, respectively, by a Stevens opponent this season.
- Castro finished the tournament averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
UP NEXT
Conference champions for the fifth time in program history, Stevens will be in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the seventh time. Stay tuned to stevensducks.com for more information on the Ducks first round opponent, location, game time, and more, which will be revealed during the D-III selection show on Monday, March 3, at 2:30 p.m.
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