HOBOKEN, N.J. – Kyle Maddison and
Harmehar Chhabra combined for 48 points for the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team in a 96-89 win for the Ducks over Saint Joseph's College (Maine) in the opening game of their Holiday Classic.
The Ducks scored 48 points in each half, shooting 56 percent in the first and 60 percent in the second.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half quickly turned into a track meet, with the Monks taking a 19-12 lead less than six minutes in;
Tommy Scholl had six of the Ducks' first 12. After the Monks missed a layup that would have put them up nine, Stevens (5-5) reeled off nine unanswered points on four straight possessions, taking a 21-19 lead;
Matt Leming ignited the run with a three, with Chhabra putting the Ducks in front with two back-to-back layups.
Anthony Loscalzo and
Jonathan Nsenkyire each added a three, giving Stevens a pair of five point leads (24-19 and 29-24), but the Monks seized a 36-31 lead shy of the 6:00 mark. The back and forth continued as Maddison hit a pair of baskets (one from beyond the arc), helping put the Ducks back on top 40-39, then added two free throws for a 44-42 cushion, but the Monks ended the high-scoring opening 20 minutes up 49-48.
The Ducks used a 22-10 run through the first 9+ minutes of the second half, grabbing the first double-digit lead of the day for either team, 70-59, with 10:22 left; Maddison had eight during the spurt and Scholl had seven.
The 11-point lead closed to five, 72-67, as the final 8:44 turned into a game of cat-and-mouse. Stevens went back in front by 11, 81-70, with 5:56 left, but the Monks kept things interesting until the end, closing to within a single possession on four separate occasions before Maddison put the Ducks up six, 95-89, with a three-pointer in the final 20 seconds.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Stevens took just 55 shots, tied for its second-fewest in a game this season, but shot a season-high 58.2 percent
- Both Maddison (26) and Chhabra (22) tied their career highs, with Chhabra reaching 20 points for the third time this season and Maddison doing so for the first
- In addition to his 22-point outing, Chhabra had team-highs with eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals
- The Ducks shot over 50 percent from three-point territory for just the second time this season
- Leming matched his season high with four 3-pointers, falling one point shy of his season high with 12 points
UP NEXT
The Ducks wrap the Holiday Classic tomorrow with a 4:00 PM tip against Kean, who rallied from a 17-point deficit for a 74-69 win over Ithaca in the Classic's nightcap Friday.
#AllRise
