Box Score vs. Bridgeport - March 2, 2011
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Mar. 2, 2011) – On Wednesday night, No. 3 seed University of Bridgeport opened the game on a 15-0 streak in a seven-minute span, and never looked back as they topped the No. 6 seed Molloy College women's basketball team by a 66-52 result in an East Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Hubbell Gymnasium in Bridgeport, Conn. With the loss, the Lions closed the 2010-11 season with an overall mark of 8-21. As for the Purple Knights, they advanced to the semifinal round, and improved to 16-13 on the campaign.
Senior center Kelly Keil (Sparta, N.J.) began the game with a lay-up, and ended the run with a jay. Junior guard Edna Marant (Philadelphia, Pa.) added a lay-up and jumper as well, while sophomore guard Elsebeth Birman (Silver Spring, Md.) netted a deuce and free throw. Molloy got on the board, and answered with a 7-0 run in a period of 1:23 to cut the deficit to eight points. Freshman forward Jessica DeNicola (Massapequa, N.Y.) and graduate forward Delmara Reece (Yonkers, N.Y.) opened and capped it with a lay-up, respectively.
But, UB had the last laugh of the stanza as it fired back a 9-0 spurt over a three-minute stretch to take a 24-7 lead at the 5:46 juncture. Keil and junior guard/forward Julia Colley (Harlow, England) combined to score all of the points in the streak. The Purple Knights eventually headed into the intermission ahead by the same margin at a score of 34-17. Keil led Bridgeport in the half with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting from inside the arc. Sophomore guard Ashley Addison (East Hanover, N.J.) amassed six points in a full 20 minutes on the hardwood.
Down 44-27 with 12-plus minutes remaining in the second half, Molloy tried to spur a late comeback as it rattled off five straight points in a 42-second stint to make it a 12-point game with 12:15 remaining. Addison drained a shot from beyond the arc and Reece netted a lay-up on the fast break to account for the scoring. Bridgeport then put the game away with a 12-0 response in a four-plus minute stretch. Keil, who led up all players with 25 points and 12 rebounds, earned six points. Marant racked four points. Colley added two points off a jumper.
Sophomore guard Christina Marra (Dix Hills, N.Y.) paced the Lions with 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Addison posted 15 points and three assists. Reece compiled nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. For the Purple Knights, Marant registered 13 points and six assists. Birman had nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Colley accumulated eight points and six rebounds. Senior forward Ivana Savic (Belgrade, Serbia) totaled eight steals, seven assists, seven rebounds and four points.
In addition to its overall record of 8-21, Molloy wraps up the 2010-11 campaign with an East Coast Conference ledger of 8-13. For more information on Lions' women's basketball, please continue to check MolloyLions.com.
