Box Score

HOBOKEN, N.J. – Junior forward Jordan McDaniel and senior swingman Christian Garcia combined for 43 points to pace Rutgers University-Newark to a 69-52 win over Stevens in the Canavan Arena.
 
The Scarlet Raiders bounced back from a 30-26 halftime deficit by out-scoring the Ducks (3-3), 43-22, in the final 20 minutes when Garcia netted 14 of his 20 points and McDaniel, 12 of his game-high 23.  Stevens connected on just five of 31 field goal attempts while missing all nine of its 3-point tries in the second half.
 
McDaniel, who added a team-high six rebounds, did not miss a shot from the field before misfiring on a 3-point jumper with 1:36 left.  To that point the junior had knocked down all eight of his field goals tries.  For the game, he made nine of 10 shots – including one of two from long range – and four of five free throws.
 
Garcia made 10 of 15 field goal tries to help the Raiders shoot 54% (27-50) from the floor while adding four assists.  Sophomore guard Darrian Collins dished off a game-high seven assists while tacking on eight points and four rebounds.
 
Senior forward Allen Kuiper added five key rebounds and six points to help Rutgers-Newark pull away despite a three for 12 day from beyond the arch.  Junior forward David Azoroh registered six points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.
 
Senior forward Kenny Gan notched a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for the Ducks.  Senior forward Patrick Sabatino joined the 1,000-point club in the final minute of play and joined sophomore forward Otis Osman with 13 points for Stevens.  Sabatino had five rebounds and two steals for the Ducks while Osman chipped in seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
 
In an opening half which featured five ties and five lead changes, Stevens shut out the Raiders over the final three minutes of the period to seize a 30-26 lead at the intermission.  After a Collins jumper put Rutgers-Newark ahead, 26-24, Gan bulled inside a layup for before following a pair of Duck misses with rebound baskets.
 
The second half belonged to the Raiders.  Garcia opened the period with back-to-back layups before a free throw by sophomore guard Patrick Barron gave Stevens its last lead of the game at 31-30 a minute into the half.  Kuiper and McDaniel scored inside the put Rutgers-Newark ahead for good before the Raiders quickly pushed the lead to 44-33 on a McDaniel jumper with just 5:23 gone.
 
Stevens trimmed its deficit to 46-44 on a free throw by Sabatino with 9:14 left, but Collins and senior guard Doze Ikwuegbu drained back-to-back 3-pointers ahead of a jump shot by Azoroh to push the lead back to double digits with just over six minutes remaining.  The Ducks got no closer than eight points before the visitors pulled away to final margin of 17.
 
Rutgers-Newark visits Montclair State (3-2, NJAC 1-1) Wednesday night for the second game in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader in the Panzer Athletic Center.  The Raider and Red Hawk women tip off at 6 p.m. with the men to follow at 8.