Molloy University Athletics

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Nov. 29, 2015) - The Molloy College men's basketball team may be winless so far this season, but the Lions have held leads in every contest they have played thus far. It's all about closing down on opponents, which the maroon and white will attempt to do Sunday (Nov. 29) when the Assumption College Greyhounds come to Quealy Gymnasium.

The Lowdown on the Lions
In the Lions' most recent contest, a 66-64 buzzer-beating defeat to Caldwell last Thursday (Nov. 19), the Molloy defense held the opposition to a 22% mark shooting from the field but could not control the fouls as the Cougars went 25-for-32 (78%) from the free-throw line. Junior guard Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) had a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season while senior forward Kevin Bowles (Wantagh, N.Y.) scored 13 points and sophomore guard Curtis Jenkins (Farmingdale, N.Y.) added 11. Molloy shot well enough to win from the field (27-56, 48%) but the Lions could not come up with the final nail in the coffin to stop Caldwell's game-winning rally.

The Free Throw Line Is Anything But Free
The first game of the year showcased the Lions' ability at the charity stripe, as Molloy made 15-of-18 attempts (83%) when it came to the freebies. But since that 102-79 loss to Saint Anselm, the Lions have had a bevy of issues at the foul line. Molloy is 50% (19-38) from the free throw line in the last three games and currently has a 61% mark (34-56) when it comes to shooting free throws this year.

Marquardt Is Scoring But Not From Deep Range
Junior guard/forward Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) has been known for taking (and making) long-range three-pointers from an absurd distance. This year, however, he has been asked to be a slashing combo guard and the results are still in the works. Through four games, Marquardt has a 14.5 points per game average in spite of a less-than-stellar shooting rate from beyond three-point range. Aside from the Lions' loss to Saint Michael's in which he hit six three-point tries in 17 attempts, Marquardt has not hit more than two shots from outside territory in any game so far this season.

Safe "Assumption"s
The Greyhounds find themselves 3-2 on the season, taking their second 'L' of the 2015-16 campaign on Tuesday night (Nov. 24) in a 103-86 defeat at the hands of Bentley. Assumption's defense was particularly suspect in allowing the most points to an opponent since Nov. 23, 2013 (a 105-86 loss to Saint Anselm, coincidentally at home as well). The Greyhounds shot 57% (37-65) from the field but allowed the Falcons to hit 67% of their attempts from the field including a 55% (16-29) clip from three-point range.

Aiken Bey Crazy
Senior guard Julian Aiken (Randolph, N.J.) and sophomore backcourt mate Kamali Bey (Springfield, Mass.) are two of the returning players that are working under a new system in Michael Harding's maiden voyage with the Greyhounds in 2015-16. Aiken has hit double-digit point totals in three of Assumption's first five games while Bey is averaging 21.5 points in the Greyhounds' conference losses against Stonehill and Bentley. Bey had 22 points on a 9-14 shooting performance from the field versus the Falcons while Aiken had 10 points and two assists.

Sharpshooter From Down Under
Don't sleep on the junior Declan Soukup (Melbourne, Australia). The team's leading scorer at 15.8 points per game was a Division I transfer from nearby Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. and has a killer instinct to launch and drain three-pointers. Soukup has made a three-pointer in all five games so far this season.