Box Score SPARKILL, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2014) - On Monday evening in Sparkill, N.Y., the Molloy College men's basketball team dropped a tight 64-63 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas College, after leading by 12 points at halftime. The loss moved the Lions to 15-11 overall and 12-6 in the East Coast Conference, which dropped them to third place in the standings. This defeat decreases the chances of Molloy receiving a first-round bye for the ECC playoffs. Following the win, the Spartans are now 13-12 on the year and 9-10 in the league.
With 12:30 remaining in the second half and the Spartans trailing by six points, St. Thomas Aquinas put together a 22-5 run to come back from the deficit, tie the game and take the lead that it wouldn't relinquish for the rest of the contest. The Lions continued to battle and following two good free throws by senior forward
John Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.), cut their deficit to just one point (62-61, 1:55 left). The two clubs traded free throws, and then Molloy attempted a final game-winning shot with two seconds left on the clock. However, it wouldn't fall in the Lions' favor and they lost, 64-63.
The first and second periods were two completely different performances for both teams. In the first, Molloy shot 52.0% and netted 34 points, while in the second stanza, the Lions shot 30.3% and scored 29. The opposite pattern was used by the Spartans. STAC scored 22 points in the opening half on 29.6% shooting, while an improvement to 52.0% shooting in the second period awarded the Spartans 42 points.
For Molloy, Petrucelli scored a game-high 23 points, to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and five steals. Junior guard
Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) had 18 points and eight rebounds, while freshman forward
Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) contributed 16 points off the bench. Marquardt and McLeod nailed four three-balls each.
For STAC, Omar Kellman scored 21 points, with 14 of them coming in the second half. Marcus Henderson had 16 points, while Aaron Cust netted 11.
ELITE STATUS: With his 23 points tonight, Petrucelli now has 1,942 for his career ... He needs 58 more to get to the exclusive 2,000-point club ... No player has ever reached the 2,000-point plateau while doing so all in a Molloy uniform.
ANOTHER RECORD: Also, with his 23 points tonight, Petrucelli set another program record ... He now is the owner of the new single-season scoring record with 623 ... Kenneth Francis previously held that record (600 points; 1993-94 season) ... Earlier this campaign, Petrucelli set the new single-game scoring record (39 points versus Bridgeport on Dec. 11, 2013).
UP NEXT: Head Coach
Charles Marquardt and the Lions return to the hardwood on Wednesday, Feb. 26 when they play at LIU Post in Brookville, N.Y. The opening tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. LiveStats and a broadcast will be available via www.MolloyLions.com.
LAST TIME THEY MET: On January 22, the Lions defeated LIU Post, 88-85 ... Petrucelli had 36 points and eight rebounds, while Marquardt recorded 22 points ... For the Pioneers, Vaughn Allen netted 19 points and had 17 rebounds, while Jared Hall scored 16 points.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS: LIU Post trails Molloy by one game in the standings with an 11-7 record (16-10 overall).
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: @MolloyLions | Facebook: Molloy College Athletics | YouTube: Molloy Lions
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