HOBOKEN, N.J. – Harmehar Chhabra had 11 of his 16 points in the first half and Tommy Scholl had 10 of his 14 in the second half as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team won a back-and-forth MAC Freedom classic Wednesday night over Lebanon Valley from Canavan Arena, 71-70.

Kyle Maddison joined Chhabra with a team-high 16 points for Stevens (11-7, 5-2 MACF) who won their fifth straight game and improved to 5-0 against Lebanon Valley since the start of the 2023-24 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After conceding a game-opening three, the Ducks got baskets from four different players, grabbing a 9-3 lead. Matt Leming, who did not have one of the first four baskets, knocked down a three from well beyond NBA range, opening a 15-7 Stevens lead, the first of five three-pointers for the Ducks in the opening 20. Lebanon Valley trimmed the margin back to two, 17-15, but a Chhabra layup, two Peter Gray three-pointers + one from Maddison kept the Ducks several possessions in front, 28-19.

Two baskets apiece from Chhabra and Evan Gutowski helped the Ducks build a double-digit lead, 40-29, heading to the locker room. Stevens finished the first half shooting 48.5 percent (16-for-33) from the floor, including a combined 9-for-12 from Chhabra and Maddison.

The Ducks maintained a multi-possession lead through the first few minutes of the second half but the first of two Dutchmen 7-0 runs put the visitors up for the first time since the opening moments of the game. Maddison had five straight for the Ducks between baskets from Brendan Coughlan and Scholl, but the second 7-0 Dutchmen run put the Ducks five points in the hole, 59-54, at the 8:41 mark.

Chhabra stopped the run with a layup and Leming tied the game with his second NBA range three of the game. Following two Dutchmen free throws, layups from Coughlan, Scholl, and Maddison put the Ducks back in front, 65-61, but Lebanon Valley did not go quietly, knotting things again at 68 with 57 seconds remaining.

Scholl made 3-of-4 from the foul line over his final two trips of the game before Lebanon Valley was unable to even attempt a game-tying three on their final possession, only putting the final points on the board via a last second layup.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Scholl extended his double-digit scoring streak, having dropped 11 or more in all 18 games this season
• Leming finished with multiple three-pointers for a career-best fifth straight game
• Maddison scored (at least) 16 for the ninth time this season, adding a season-high five steals
• Coughlan finished with nine points and seven rebounds; he's averaging 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds over his last five games

UP NEXT
Three weeks after battling to the final buzzer at Canavan, the Ducks will face Arcadia on Saturday, January 31, at 3:00 PM in Glenside, Pa.
 
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