Stevens, which is 16-1 since starting the season at 3-3, now stands at 19-4 on the year. The Ducks are 12-2 in Skyline play and have assured that they can not finish lower than third place in the conference even if they lose their final two games.
Sophomore guard Virgil Gray II (Elmwood Park, N.J.) tallied 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in the win over the Golden Eagles. Gray shot 8-for-16 from the floor. Meanwhile, freshman guard George Greco (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) scored a career-high 11 points and made three three-pointers in the game for Stevens, which made a total of 12 three-pointers as a team. Senior guard Floyd Morris (East Windsor, N.J.) added six points, six assists and three rebounds. He made three of four field-goal attempts for the Ducks.
St. Joseph’s (13-8, 8-5 Skyline) was led by junior forward Brandon Freeman (Freeport, N.Y.), who had 16 points and four rebounds. Junior guard Phil Lipari (Massapequa, N.Y.) posted 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. He made three three-pointers as the Golden Eagles suffered their second straight loss. Senior guard/forward Jorge Martinez (Brentwood, N.Y.) chipped in with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Leading 22-18 with eight minutes to go in the first half, Stevens went on a 9-2 run to open a 31-20 advantage with 5:50 left in the period. The Ducks carried a 41-28 cushion into the locker room at halftime.
St. Joseph’s worked its way back into the game and closed to within four points at 56-52 on a jumper by Freeman with 10:43 left on the clock. Leading 61-57 with less than nine minutes to go, Stevens rattled off a 10-0 run in the span of 96 seconds to regain momentum. Morris began the spurt with a jumper. Passalacqua, who was one three-pointer shy of tying the school’s single-game record, followed with a pair of three’s. Gray capped the run with a jumper as the Ducks opened a 71-57 lead with 6:55 remaining.
For the game, Stevens shot 50.0 percent (31-for-62) from the field. The Ducks knocked down 58.6 percent (17-for-29) of their shots in the second half. St. Joseph’s was 27-for-70 (38.6 percent) from the floor on the evening.
With one week off before its next contest, Stevens should be well-rested heading into its final regular-season home game of the year on February 14. The Ducks will face the United States Merchant Marine Academy at 7 p.m. That game will be carried live at www.duckcast.com.