Stevens and Ithaca Win; Utica Falls at Home

1/7/2014 9:41:00 PM

Stevens 81, USMMA 69 (Box Score)
Junior forward Patrick Sabatino (Westfield, N.J.) scored a career-high 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team to an 81-69 road win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy Tuesday night.
 
Sabatino tallied his 27 points in just 23 minutes and on just 15 shots. He hit two three-pointers, pulled down eight rebounds, notched  five blocked shots, dished out three assists and pocketed two steals in a marvelous all-around performance for the three-year veteran.
  
USMMA came all the way back to tie the game at 36 just 2:50 into the second, but four quick points from junior forward Kenny Gan (Hillsborough, N.J.) gave the lead back to Stevens.
 
Up two with 15:02 left, Stevens ran off eight-straight points on the back of a pair of three-pointers from Klimchak to push the lead back to 10 (49-39), and that edge swelled to 14 following another three-point play, this one from senior guard Andrew Meszaros (Phoenixville, Pa.), with 7:00 remaining.
 
Merchant Marine battled back within six points with 3:00 on the clock, but a big-time triple from Sabatino with 2:13 to play made it a 67-58 game, and the Mariners would not get closer than six the rest of the way. The Ducks went 12-for-12 from the foul line in the final 1:20 of game time. FULL STORY


Ithaca 94, Houghton 54 (Box Score)
The Ithaca Bombers used a strong inside game and torrid outside shooting to break open a close game and cruise to a 94-54 win over Houghton in men's basketball action Tuesday.

Early on, it looked like this would be a competitive affair, as the teams traded buckets through the first 10 minutes. The Highlanders led 19-17, but then the momentum shifted as the Bombers scored 11-straight points to go up 28-19.  Houghton gained some life following five straight points, but Ithaca regained control and took a 50-34 lead into the break.

The lead continued to grow throughout the second half as the Bombers continued to rain down threes on the visitors. Ithaca finished 14-of-23 from long range and shot 54 percent overall from the field. Houghton converted on just 29 percent of their shots from the field. Both teams took good care of the ball, with Ithaca committing seven turnovers and Houghton just eight.  FULL STORY 


SUNYIT 95, Utica 77 (Box Score)
The Utica College men's basketball team lost to visiting SUNYIT 95-77 in non-conference action at the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center on Tuesday afternoon.  UC's Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) led the Pioneers with his sixth double-double of the season as he netted 16 points and hauled in 11 rebounds. 

SUNYIT opened the contest on a 20-7 run in the first 5:29 of the game. Ryan James and Alexander Drake led the opening charge for the Wildcats.  The SUNYIT defense was active in the stretch, forcing six turnovers in the first five minutes of the game.

The Pioneers responded with a 24-14 run of their own in the next 8:04 of the contest to pull within three points of lead, 34-31, with 14:21. 

UC closed within one point of the lead after sophomore Robert Tutein (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) drilled one of his two three pointers of the night with 5:19 to go in first half of play.  That is when SUNYIT turned it on, with a 15-2 run in the final 5:19 of the first half, to earn a commanding 52-38 advantage at the half.  FULL STORY