Tied at 66-all with just over two minutes remaining in the game, Stevens took the lead as sophomore guard Anthony Passalacqua (Staten Island, N.Y.) knocked down a pair of free throws. Junior guard Ian Johnson (Jamaica, N.Y.) responded with a three-pointer – his only made field goal of the game – as the Panthers (2-1, 1-0 Skyline) grabbed a 69-68 lead with 1:29 remaining.
Following a missed three-pointer by junior guard Waleed Farid (Woodside, N.Y.), Johnson made two free throws to extend the margin to three points with 58 seconds left. Farid answered with two free throws of his own to bring the Ducks to within 71-70 with 43 ticks left on the clock. After both teams traded turnovers, junior guard Kenny Eusey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) stepped to the line and sank a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining. Stevens was not able to get a quality shot off before time expired.
Farid finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for the Ducks. Passalacqua had 12 points as well. Meanwhile, Old Westbury was led by Eusey, who had 18 points, five rebounds and five steals. Junior guard Anthony Stowe (PG County, Md.) totaled 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Senior center Dan Kane (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) had 13 points and four rebounds for the Panthers.
Stevens opened the game on fire as the Ducks grabbed a 13-2 lead in the first five minutes. Passalacqua provided the spark with eight early points, including a pair of three-pointers at the end of the run. The Ducks led by as many as 13 points (26-13) in the first half when senior forward Michael Collins (Bronx, N.Y.) made two free throws with 8:12 remaining.
Trailing 28-16 with seven minutes to go in the period, Old Westbury went on a 12-0 run in the span of 4:35 to tie the game. Eusey got things going for the Panthers with a pair of three-pointers. The remainder of the first half was tightly-contested, and Stevens went into the locker room with a 34-32 lead.
The Ducks shot 10-for-22 (45.5 percent) from three-point range in the game. They also held a 29-27 rebounding advantage.
Stevens will be back in action on Monday when it hits the road to take on New York University at 7 p.m.