Box Score HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 16, 2015) - The Molloy College men's basketball team hung tough for 20 minutes in its Division I/II crossover game with Hofstra University on Monday, but the Pride ended the game with a 59-point second half to claim a 96-64 victory at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in Hempstead.
Molloy (0-3) got things going early as sophomore
Curtis Jenkins (Farmingdale, N.Y.) hit the game's first bucket on an assist from senior point guard
Brandon Williams (Baldwin, N.Y.). Hofstra (2-0) responded with an 13-4 run, however, as senior Ameen Tanksley (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored five points in a span of 90 seconds to put the Pride up by nine. The maroon and white responded with six straight points, four of which came from junior guard
Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) to get the Lions within a point at 13-12 with 13:34 to play in the first half. The Pride would go on their own 6-0 spurt but the Lions kept it close thanks to senior forward
Chucks Obunse (St. Albans, N.Y.) and his two buckets to keep the Lions within five. Morris traded three-point field goals with Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year Juan'ya Green (Philadelphia, Pa.) and the Lions cut the deficit to 24-21 with 5:42 to go on the first field goal of the game by
Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.). The home side closed out the first half on a 13-8 run with Green hitting a three-ball to close out the opening 20 minutes and give the Pride an unsteady 37-29 lead in front of a divided crowd made of Hofstra fans and a hearty contingent of Molloy supporters.
Hofstra blitzed Molloy in the second half to start on a 13-2 run with sophomore forward Rokas Gustys (Kaunas, Lithuania) providing most of the offensive attack through the first four minutes of play. A Williams three-ball brought Molloy to within a deficit of 50-34, but the hosts continued to snuff out attacks, create turnovers and deliver on fast-break opportunities including a lay-up from Brian Bernardi (Staten Island, N.Y.) to put the Pride ahead by 21 at 59-38 with 11:30 to go. At that point, the game became more of a learning experience for the Lions, who watched as freshman forward
Mike Torre (Massapequa, N.Y.) scored ten points off the bench while senior
Kevin Bowles (Wantagh, N.Y.) buried three trifectas in a span of two minutes and four seconds. Ultimately, though, Hofstra's offense proved to be too much as the Pride collected its second consecutive game of 90 points or more in overwhelming Molloy in the victory.
Morris had a team-high 15 points for the Lions while Bowles and Marquardt added 11. Williams had seven points and eight rebounds while Torre connected on four field goals in six attempts over the course of his nine minutes of playing time. The Lions were undone by a 35% (26-74) field goal percentage including a cold night from beyond the arc (8-30, 27%). Molloy was outrebounded by a 48-38 margin while the Lions committed 18 turnovers and forced 13 Hofstra giveaways. Green and Tanksley led the way for the Pride with 17 points apiece, while Gustys had 12 points and 16 rebounds. Molloy did hold the Pride in check from long range, keeping the hosts to just 35% (7-20) efficiency from three-point territory. But Hofstra dominated inside the paint, scoring 50 points inside and added 27 points off of the Molloy giveaways.
The Molloy College men's basketball team will play its first home game of the 2015-16 season on Thursday (Nov. 19) when the Lions host Caldwell University at Quealy Gymnasium, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
