Box Score COLCHESTER, Vt. (Nov. 15, 2013) - On Friday night, the Molloy College men's basketball squad squared off against Saint Michael's College in the DoubleTree Doc Jacobs Classic at the Ross Sports Center in Colchester, Vt. Although the Lions kept it close until the closing minutes, the Purple Knights were victorious, 79-70, to improve to 3-0 on the season. Meanwhile, after the loss, Molloy fell to 1-2 overall.
Over the opening 10 minutes of the game, the score remained close. Then, Molloy knocked off an 11-1 run to grab a 24-15 lead. The burst was started with a three-pointer from sophomore
Brandon Williams (Baldwin, N.Y.) and capped off by a breakaway dunk from senior
John Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.). The Lions' highwater mark in the scoring margin hit 14 points with 1:03 left before halftime. St. Michael's scored four points to close out the period and head to the locker room, trailing 43-33.
The Purple Knights came out of the intermission to notch six straight points to bring their deficit down to four points (43-39) with three minutes gone by. Molloy's advantage would shrink down to one, but the Lions didn't lose it until the 9:47 mark when a free throw from Mike Holton Jr. tied the game for the Purple Knights. Molloy, however, would regain the lead immediately after and hold onto it for the next six minutes.
At 3:47, Holton Jr. nailed a three-pointer to put St. Michael's up, 67-66. Ten straight points following that basket from downtown helped the hosts create a stronghold on the lead. The Lions weren't able to knock down the deficit past nine as they lost, 79-70.
For Molloy, Petrucelli led the team with 23 points, while junior
Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) contributed 13 points. Senior
Tyler Hammett (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and freshman
Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) added nine points each. Morris, who did a nice job coming off the bench, went 3-for-7 from behind the three-point line. Petrucelli grabbed eight rebounds, while junior
Miles Prendergast (Bayport, N.Y.) and sophomore
Chucks Obunse (Saint Albans, N.Y.) had six boards each.
For St. Michael's, Holton Jr. paced the game with 24 points, while Corey Crawford II had 13 and Matt Bonds added 12. Dom Ditlefsen had eight rebounds, while Crawford II dished out four assists.
UP NEXT: Head Coach
Charlie Marquardt and the Lions return to the hardwood tomorrow, November 16 for their second game of the DoubleTree Doc Jacobs Classic when they square off against Franklin Pierce University beginning at 4 p.m.
TUNE IN: LiveStats and a video broadcast will be available right here on www.MolloyLions.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter @MolloyLions | Facebook: Molloy College Athletics | YouTube: Molloy Lions
