Box Score OAKDALE, N.Y. (Feb. 1, 2014) - With aspirations of climbing up the East Coast Conference standings further, the Molloy College men's basketball squad squared off against league-leading Dowling College on Saturday afternoon. With Molloy up by one point with two seconds remaining in the game, Dowling's Jerrell Harris netted a three-pointer to provide the Golden Lions with a 79-77 lead. Molloy was able to get off one final shot in the final second of the game, but it didn't go as Dowling improved its record to 17-4 overall and 11-2 in the ECC. Molloy slipped to 11-9 on the year and 8-4 in the league.
Molloy held a lead through the first 15 minutes of the opening half. The Golden Lions didn't break through to grab their first advantage until the 5:40 mark via a made free throw by Darien Davis. Following the period's third scoring-tie at the 4:24 mark, Dowling reeled off a 12-1 run over the ensuing three minutes of play. A three-ball from freshman guard
Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) and a lay-up from senior forward
John Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.) cut Molloy's deficit down to 42-36 at halftime.
The Golden Lions continued to build their lead back up in the second half, reaching a highwater-margin of 15 points. However, at the 6:48 mark, the Lions were sparked by a Morris dunk, because following a Dowling lay-up, Molloy popped off a 12-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to trim Dowling's advantage to just three points (72-69). The burst culminated with a three-pointer from freshman forward
Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.).
Molloy inched closer as at the 1:45 and 00:48 marks, the Lions trailed by just one point. With 35 seconds left in the game and Molloy down, 76-75, Petrucelli drove in a lay-up to give the guests a one-point advantage. Thirty-three seconds later, Harris hit the three-pointer, which ended up being the game-clincher for the Golden Lions.
For Molloy, Petrucelli led the team with both 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Morris scored a career-high 16 points. Junior guard
Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) and sophomore forward
Chucks Obunse (St. Albans, N.Y.) each had 10 points, while senior center
Tyler Hammett (Clifton Park, N.Y.) recorded eight points and 11 boards.
On Dowling's side, Harris netted a game-best 23 points, while Davis scored 15. Ryan Hickey and Justin Alexander had 13 and 10 points, respectively.
UP NEXT: Head Coach
Charles Marquardt and the Lions play the second game of their four-game road trip on Monday evening when they travel to Sparkill, N.Y. to take on St. Thomas Aquinas College. This contest is a make-up from January 11. It will be the Lions' fourth game in eight days. Game time is set for 8 p.m. LiveStats and a video webcast will be available through www.MolloyLions.com.
STAC QUICK HIT: The Spartans are currently 10-8 overall and 6-6 in the ECC, which places them tied for sixth in the standings with NYIT.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter @MolloyLions | Facebook: Molloy College Athletics | YouTube: Molloy Lions
