Moving On! Stevens reaches E8 final on last-second field goal

Moving On! Stevens reaches E8 final on last-second field goal

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Charles O'Brien

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (February 23, 2018)  – Freshman Sam Winter took a feed from Empire 8 Co-Player of the Year Megan Brown and scored the game-winning field goal with 18 seconds left in regulation as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team advanced to the Empire 8 Championship with a 64-62, come-from-behind victory over The Sage Colleges Friday night.

Brown almost single-handedly kept Stevens in the game, scoring a career-high 31 points. The senior forward also matched a career-best with 18 rebounds. Brown also recorded the assist on Winter's game-winner.

The dramatic victory was the second consecutive game where Stevens rallied in the waning seconds to steal a win. The Ducks have won six straight to improve to 14-12 on the year. The win ensured Stevens of finishing above .500 for the sixth straight year. The win was the first for Stevens over Sage since the Gators joined the Empire 8 Conference.

Genevieve Schoff led Sage with 20 points and Gessica Patregani came off the bench to register 12 for the Gators, who dropped their second in a row to finish the year at 18-8. Junior Emily Parslow had a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, but missed a pair of free throws to send Stevens on to the final. 

Turning Point
  • Similar to the teams' contest in Hoboken, Stevens jumped in front by double-figures in the first half, only to see Sage pull ahead in the third quarter. 
  • Sage went ahead ahead by as many as eight in the third, however, a Christina Li triple pulled the Ducks within a single possession and after a Winter steal, Brown converted a layup and drew a foul. Brown made the ensuing free throw to give Stevens a one-point lead.
  • The teams battled back-and-forth in the final quarter with Brown having an answer for nearly every Sage basket, setting the stage for the dramatic victory.

Inside the Numbers
  • Sage outshot Stevens over the course of the game and scored one more field goal than the Ducks.
  • Where Stevens shined was on the free throw line, where the team shot a season-best 18-of-20 (90%), including a 9-of-10 performance from Brown. Conversely, Sage only made 9-of-16. 
  • Thanks to Brown's herculean-like effort on the glass, Stevens had a 38-37 edge on the boards. Schoff had a team-high 14 for Sage.
  • The Ducks turned 21 Sage turnovers into 28 points, while the Gators tallied 22 points off 22 Stevens miscues.
  • The Gators held a 22-14 edge in points off the bench.
  • Neither team recorded a fast-break point.
  • Brown, Winter, Sydney Darby and Alison Criswell each recorded two assists to lead the team.
  • Stevens advanced to the Empire 8 Final for the third straight year and the fourth time in the last five seasons.

From the Court (Coach Haughey)
  • "Meg Brown led us to victory and as a senior, refused to let the season end tonight. Meg brought out the edge and grittiness we needed as a team! Everyone else stepped up around her to make key stops, grab rebounds and shooting 90 percent from the foul line is what we have talked about come championship time."

From the Court (Megan Brown)
  • "This team is a family and aren't ready to give up yet. We have a lot of season ahead of us and we aren't stopping until we get our championship rings."

Up Next
  • Stevens awaits the winner of St. John Fisher and Houghton in tomorrow's championship game.
  • The Ducks dropped two games to the Cardinals, but swept Houghton.
  • Live stats and video links will be available on StevensDucks.com.