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HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Host Stevens led by as many as 16 points in the first half Friday and Nazareth couldn't catch up in the second half as the Ducks prevailed, 61-52, in Empire 8 Conference women's basketball action. Sophomore Mary Holland scored a career-high 21 points for Nazareth.

The victory was the Ducks' second of the season over the Golden Flyers and boosted their overall record to 15-3, including 7-2 in conference games. Nazareth is 10-7 overall and 4-4 in the Empire 8.

Friday's game matched the conference's highest scoring team, Stevens (71.2 ppg.) and the team with the stingiest defense, Nazareth (50.7). Stevens bolted to a 12-2 lead in the first four minutes and expanded that advantage to 35-19 with less than two minutes to play in the half. A basket by Nazareth's Brittany Wilson closed the gap to 35-21 by halftime.

Stevens' Brittany Fuller scored 16 of her 19 points in the first half to pace the Ducks as she made all seven of her first goal attempts.

Nazareth battled back in the second half by scoring the first three baskets -- field goals by Mary Holland, Lizzie Barlow and Kelly Dunne -- to trim the lead to 35-27. A 10-4 scoring run by Stevens sent the lead back to 14, before some hot shooting by Holland brought the Golden Flyers close again.

Holland hit four straight three-pointers to slice Stevens' lead to four, 52-48, with 3:40 to play. Paige Armstrong scored for Stevens, then Katie Kollar sank two free throws for Nazareth to make the score 54-50. Stevens then rattled off the next seven points to seal the victory.

Holland made five three-pointers overall to finish with a game- and career-high 21 points. She made 8 of 12 shots from the field overall, including 5 of 9 from three-point range. Wilson added 12 points with seven rebounds and Barlow had a team-high eight rebounds.

Fuller's 19 points paced four Stevens players in double figures. Dani Dudek scored 13, Armstrong 11 and Victoria Webber 10.

Nazareth plays again Sunday at Hartwick at 12 p.m.