HOBOKEN, N.J. – Stevens Institute of Technology (5-5) held off Saint Joseph's College (3-8), 96-89, in the opening game of the Stevens Men's Basketball Holiday Tournament on Friday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game was tight from start to finish, featuring 14 lead changes and seven ties. Saint Joseph's built its largest cushion early when freshman Davis Mann (Falmouth, Maine) tipped in a missed layup to make it 19–12 with 14:15 left in the first half, but Stevens answered immediately with a 12–0 burst over the next four minutes to take a 24–19 lead.
From there, the teams traded baskets the rest of the half, with neither side gaining real separation, and the Monks carried a slim 49–48 edge into the locker room.
The decisive swing came midway through the second half. With the score knotted at 56–56 and 16:39 to play, the Ducks buried three triples as part of a 14–3 run, pushing the margin to a game-high 11 points (70–59) with 10:22 remaining.
Stevens maintained control and held an 86–76 cushion with 4:33 remaining before the Monks made one final push, trimming the deficit to 90–88 on a 12–4 run, which was capped by a pair of John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) free throws with 1:48 left. Saint Joseph's would not get closer, however, as the Ducks answered with two free throws on the ensuing possession and Kyle Maddison sealed the victory with a three-pointer with 20 seconds to play.
STATS OF THE GAME:
The Monks won key hustle categories—points off turnovers (27–18), points in the paint (46–40), second-chance points (16–8), and fast-break points (17–9)—but Stevens' strong shooting neutralized the advantages. The Ducks shot 58.2% (32-55) overall and 52.4% (11-21) from beyond the arc. Free throws also factored in, as Stevens went 21-of-27 (77.8%) at the line compared to SJC's 14-of-21 (66.7%) effort.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
LEADERS – STEVENS:
- Kyle Maddison: 26 points (5-of-8 3FG)
- Harmehar Chhabra: 22 points, 6 assists
- Tommy Scholl: 16 points, 7 rebounds
- Matt Leming: 12 points (4-of-6 3FG)
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Today's contest was the first-ever meeting between the Monks' and Ducks' men's basketball programs.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's returns to action tomorrow to cap Stevens Holiday Tournament play with a 2:00 PM game versus Ithaca College.
