MADISON, NJ (February 18, 2020)- FDU Men's Basketball fell to Stevens Tech on Senior Night Tuesday, 72-70. With the loss, the Devils fall to 11-13 on the season and 6-7 in the MAC Freedom Conference, while the Ducks improve to 20-4 overall and 11-2 in conference.

FIRST HALF
Stevens started out hot, going on a 6-0 run to start the game. After being down 8-2, FDU senior Kenneth LaRocca would knock down his first triple of the game to cut the lead to three. Stevens responded with a bucket of their own, before it was LaRocca again from beyond of the arc, off a pass from fellow senior Andy Fleurantin. The Devils would take their first lead of the game, 11-10 at 12:46 in the first half on another three-pointer, this time from freshman Devon Murray thanks off a freshman Joseph Nigro pass. After Stevens took the lead at the 12:23 mark, the Devils would go on a 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the half, 18-13. The Ducks had the response, tying the game with just under 10-minutes to play, and regaining the lead one-minute later on a three-pointer.

After a Fleurantin three to tie the score 21-21, both teams would grab hold of the lead in each of the next two possessions, with Stevens holding a one-point advantage. The Ducks would build their lead to six with 4:29 left, before FDU roared back, scoring eight straight points and taking a 36-34 advantage. Stevens would outscore the Devils 5-3 down the stretch, with the score tied 39-39 at half.

SECOND HALF
Five lead changes spelled the first three minutes of play in the second half, with FDU taking a five-point advantage off a freshman Andrew Schulz jumper at the 16:56 mark on an assist from LaRocca. Stevens would respond, taking the lead just two-minutes later, 50-49. The Ducks would build their lead to as much as six, 65-59 with 7:27 remaining in the game. The Devils would continue to fight, cutting the Stevens lead to two at the 5:02, mark on another three-pointer from Schulz. With less than 15 seconds remaining and down by two, Schulz stood in to take a charge, giving FDU one more chance to tie or take the lead. Fleurantin's three attempt at the buzzer didn't fall, securing the Ducks victory.  

LEAD DEVIL
LaRocca led the way for FDU, scoring 19 points on seven made buckets from the field, including five three-pointers. He also added eight rebounds and four assists on the night.

DOUBLE FIGURES
Fleurantin(16 pts), Murray (13pts) and junior Oliver Ortman (13pts) all finished the game in double figures.

FILLING THE SHEET
Along with his 13 points on the night, Fleurantin filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, five steals and four assists.

COACHES THOUGHTS
"Disapointed by the result but what a great game. These are the games you want to be a part of and we executed really well late. Playoff push continues Saturday!" – Head Coach Jeff Slanovec

NEXT UP
The Devils play their final game of the 2019-2020 regular season on Saturday, February 22, when they travel to Wilkes University for a 3 p.m. game.