Box Score SPARKILL, N.Y. (Nov. 14, 2015) – Despite a 12-2 lead early in the first half, the Molloy College men's basketball team could not overcome a blistering shooting pace from Saint Anselm in a 102-79 loss to open the Lions' season at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Classic. Junior guard
Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) led Molloy (0-1) with 22 points, while the Hawks (1-0) were paced by a 22 point-night from senior forward Harrison Taggart (Wallingford, Vt.) in the victory. The game was also the first time that the two programs faced off on the hardwood in the history of either side.
The first half started with a trading of buckets by Hawks forward Mike McCahey (Clarkstown, N.Y.) and Morris in the opening minute. Including Morris' bucket, the Lions recorded a 12-0 run in the next three minutes with Morris scoring seven points around a three from
Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Park, N.Y.) and a dunk by
Curtis Jenkins (Farmingdale, N.Y.). Saint Anselm answered with a three pointer by Taggart and another lay-in by McCahey. Taggart then scored five straight points and junior forward Grant Mackay (North Berwick, Scotland) tied the game with a lay-up at the 12:58 mark but Molloy responded with five straight points of their own. Morris sunk a free throw and hit a lay-up that was preceded by a bucket from freshman forward
Derrick Okunpolor (Lynbrook, N.Y.) as the Lions took a 19-14 lead. But the Hawks, buoyed by McCahey's excellent shooting, utilized a 9-0 run to take a 23-19 lead which would be an advantage they held the rest of the half. Molloy got as close as one point on a three from
Kevin Bowles (Wantagh, N.Y.) at the 9:09 mark of the first half, but the Hawks continued to pour in the offense as a three from Chris Braley (Newport, Maine) gave St. A's a four-point edge at 26-22.
Braley continued to showcase an impressive shooting stroke with a three-ball that pushed an already increasing Hawks lead to seven at the 6:54 mark of the first half to force a Molloy timeout. The Lions rallied back for a brief spurt as Marquardt knocked down a jumper to cut the deficit to seven at 37-30 with under four minute to play in the opening half. But the Hawks would not be denied as Taylor Fortin (Tolland, Conn.) rained in a three-ball to give Saint Anselm a ten-point lead. The lead would increase on lay-ups by senior guard Victor Joshua (New Haven, Conn.) with time winding down in the first half, but a jumper by senior
Maurice Gatson (New York, N.Y.) ended the first half on a positive for the Lions, who trailed by 12 at the break.
Saint Anselm's hot shooting---69% from the field and 78% from beyond the three-point line---extended into the second half as Braley swished home a three-pointer to open the second half of play to give the Hawks a fifteen-point lead at 51-36. Molloy would attempt to answer as Jenkins knocked down an outside shot but Braley answered with a reverse lay-up and a baby hook in the paint, and free throws gave the Hawks their biggest lead of the contest through that point at 61-42 with 15:30 to play. Gatson followed with a jumper from the foul line and Morris converted a three-point play to bring the Lions within 14 points. But every time the Lions got close, their counterparts had the answer. When Marquardt hit two free throws to bring the maroon and white within 13 at the 12:55 mark, Joshua collected a three-ball and Braley hit a reverse lay-up to put the Hawks back up by 18 at 68-50. Freshman guard Cody Ball (Londonderry, N.H.) then hit a wide-open three-pointer as Saint Anselm cracked the 70-point plateau and took a 21-point lead, only to have it cut to 18 on a Marquardt triple at the 10:24 marker.
The pattern of the past continued to dictate the outcome of the contest as Marquardt free throws and a Gatson floater in the lane were answered by six consecutive points from the hands of Taggart. Gatson was true on a three-point play but Mackay responded with a putback that the Molloy senior managed to answer on his own with a jumper to put the score at 85-66 with five minutes to go. But Taggart continued his hot shooting with another three to put the Hawks up by 20 at 88-68. The Lions tried to stay in the game as Jenkins scored off of a Williams steal to cut St. A's lead to 91-74, but there was just too much of the native of Vermont for the Lions to handle.
Taggart hit all seven field goals, including four three-pointers for the Hawks in the win, and Braley pitched in with 19 points and 11 rebounds as well. Joshua added 16 and McCahey had 15 points in the first half of play alone. Saint Anselm ended up shooting 61% (36-59) from the field and 12-of-17 (71%) from deep range, outrebounding the maroon and white by a staggering 50-23 margin. Morris led the Lions on a 50% shooting (9-18) performance from the field, while Marquardt added 18 including a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. Jenkins scored 16 in his Molloy debut and Gatson added 13 off the bench. The maroon and white committed just six turnovers and forced Saint Anselm into 19 giveaways.
Molloy will face Saint Michael's on Sunday (Nov. 15) in the Saint Thomas Aquinas Classic in Sparkill at 2 p.m.
