The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team's comeback fell just short as they narrowly lost to Arcadia University by a score of 66-65 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom game on Saturday. Despite a 13-point deficit in the first half, Stevens mounted a strong effort, with Harmehar Chhabra leading the charge with a career-high 24 points. However, Arcadia's Jamison Lynam kept them in the lead with 19 points.
The game began with Stevens trailing 11-4, but Chhabra's free throw and Brendan Coughlan's layup narrowed the gap to 11-7. Arcadia's lead stretched to double digits, but Matt Leming's three-pointer brought it back to 18-10. The Knights' advantage reached 13 points with 4:39 left in the half, but Chhabra's three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining halved the deficit to 31-22 at halftime.
Arcadia dominated the first half's shooting, connecting at 46.4 percent (13-of-28), while Stevens struggled with 33.3 percent (7-of-21).
In the second half, Arcadia's lead hovered around four points before a 5-0 run extended their advantage to nine at 45-36. Anthony Loscalzo's three-pointer halted the run, and Chhabra's layup off Loscalzo's pass sparked a 5-0 Ducks spurt. Loscalzo's three-pointer made it a one-possession game at 50-46 with 9:28 left.
The game's final minutes were intense, with both teams trading baskets. Loscalzo's third triple of the half brought it to 59-57. After Arcadia's free throws, Kyle Maddison's three-pointer narrowed the gap to one. Chhabra's and-one layup gave Stevens the lead, 62-61, but Lynam quickly responded with a jumper.
The game's outcome hung in the balance as Chhabra tied it at 63 with a free throw. Arcadia's free throw and Lynam's layup with 58 seconds left put them up 66-63. Chhabra's layup and a turnover forced Arcadia to miss, giving Stevens one last chance. Despite Chhabra's rebound and the clock ticking down, Leming's three-pointer missed, and Tommy Scholl's rebound led to a timeout with 0.3 seconds left. Chhabra's late attempt was ruled, and Arcadia secured a one-point victory.
Chhabra's performance was impressive, with 24 points (8-of-12 shooting) and seven rebounds. Scholl and Loscalzo each scored 12 points, with Loscalzo hitting three three-pointers. Stevens' second-half shooting was impressive, at 61.5 percent, including 6-of-12 from deep. Maddison led with five assists and two steals.
The Ducks' next game is a homestand on Wednesday, hosting King's College at 5:30 p.m. inside Canavan Arena.
