Kam Mayes Leads Stevens to Season-Opening Win Over Rutgers-Newark

Graduate transfer Kam Mayes scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s basketball team to a 71-66 victory over Rutgers-Newark on Tuesday night.

The Ducks opened their 2026-27 season on the road, overcoming an early scoring drought to secure the win, according to a report from stevensducks.com.

The game began with a slow start for the visitors, as Stevens failed to score for the first 2:37 of play. That hesitation ended quickly when Tommy Scholl hit back-to-back three-pointers to spark an offensive surge.

Stevens transformed a 4-0 deficit into a commanding 30-9 lead in less than eight minutes. This rapid momentum was fueled by a 12-for-15 stretch from the floor, which included a 5-for-7 performance from three-point range.

During this period, Scholl, Harmehar Chhabra, and Kyle Maddison all contributed layups, while Mayes added a jumper and a free throw to the tally. The efficiency of the Ducks allowed them to maintain a lead despite a late-half rally by the Scarlet Raiders.

Rutgers-Newark managed to close the gap to 35-25 by halftime. However, Stevens entered the locker room maintaining high efficiency, shooting 50 percent or better from both the field and the three-point line.

Mayes continued his high-volume production after the break, scoring the first six points of the second half for the Ducks. The lead reached as high as 51-37 at the 11:33 mark following buckets from Maddison and a Chhabra layup.

The momentum shifted late in the game when the Scarlet Raiders erased the 14-point cushion to within a single point. Rutgers-Newark eventually took their first lead since the opening minutes, but the Ducks responded immediately.

Consecutive layups from Mayes and Scholl put Stevens back in front by three. With less than 40 seconds remaining and the score at 66-64, Mayes secured the win with an emphatic slam through contact, followed by a successful free throw.

Mayes finished the night shooting 83 percent from the floor, converting 10 of his 12 attempts. Of his 27 total points, 17 were scored during the second half.

Player	Points	Rebounds	Key Contributions
Kam Mayes	27	9	Game-high points/rebounds
Tommy Scholl	18	–	21st game with 15+ points since last season
Chhabra & Maddison	17	10	Combined scoring and rebounding

The victory extends Stevens’ dominance in this matchup, as the Ducks have now won seven consecutive games against Rutgers-Newark dating back to the 2019-20 season.

Other notable performances included sophomore Adam Enoch, who logged 30 minutes in his first collegiate start.

The Ducks will continue their four-game season-opening road trip this Friday, November 13, when they travel to California Lutheran University. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST.

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