Box Score ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Dec. 20, 2014) - On Saturday afternoon, the Molloy College men's basketball team and the crowd in attendance witnessed one of the greatest single game performances in recent memory as sophomore guard
Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) poured in 32 points on 13-24 shooting. He sunk six three-pointers in 11 attempts. Seventeen of Morris' 32 points came within the final minute-and-a-half of today's contest. The Amherst native also contributed seven rebounds. However, even with all of those tremendous numbers, the Lions came up just short as Molloy fell to St. Thomas Aquinas College, 84-80 at Quealy Gymnasium.
With the win, the Spartans are now 5-5 overall (3-1 East Coast Conference), while the Lions slipped to 7-4 (2-2 ECC).
The Lions' deficit that lasted throughout the entire game started right away as in the 11 minutes following the opening tipoff, the Spartans had mounted a 23-6 lead. The Lions continued to battle and chip away and at halftime, St. Thomas Aquinas' advantage stood at 38-25.
In a crazy turn of events, and nearly completing the comeback, the Lions trailed the Spartans by 10 points with 23 seconds left. A trio of Morris three-pointers continued to push the envelope in rapid fashion as Molloy was only down three with three seconds remaining in regulation. Following a Molloy foul, James Mitchell missed his first free throw to keep it a one-possession game. However, he sunk the second free throw, which sealed the 84-80 win for St. Thomas Aquinas.
Morris had a game-high and career-high 32 points, while senior guard
Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) netted 20 and grabbed seven rebounds. Sophomore forward
Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) scored 12 points.
MORRISMANIA: Morris finished with 32 points today, which was seven shy of tying the program's single-game record of 39 set by
John Petrucelli on December 11, 2013 against the University of Bridgeport...Morris' six three-pointers this afternoon fell one short of tying the program's single-game record of 7 -- set four times, most recently by Jimmy Nolan on November 23, 2011 and January 11, 2012.
NEXT UP: Head Coach
Charles Marquardt and the Lions will look towards 2015 for their next chance at a win...Molloy takes on Philadelphia University on Sunday, January 4 in the City of Brotherly Love. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m.
