Molloy University Athletics

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Dec. 11, 2015) – After soundly defeating Mercy College on Wednesday for their first East Coast Conference win, the Molloy College women's basketball team look to gain ground in the conference. The Lions will travel to Sparkill, N.Y. to face ECC rivals Saint Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday (Dec. 12) at Aquinas Hall.

The Lowdown on the Lions
Through the first six games of the season, the maroon and white have won two games and lost four. Most recently, the Lions bested Mercy 69-40 to end a four-game losing streak on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Senior guard Alexia O'Connor (Centerport, N.Y.) showcased her best performance of the early season with an 18-point night thanks to a near-perfect (4-of-5) outing from beyond the three-point arc against the Mavericks. Sophomore guard Aliyah McDonald (Hempstead, N.Y.) also grabbed some attention off the bench by scoring 12 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists as Molloy led Mercy after three quarters by a 59-29 score in Dobbs Ferry.

Leftridge Continues To Lead
Senior forward and leading scorer Ally Leftridge (Melville, N.Y.) has scored 10 or more points in five of the team's six contests, including a 16-point night versus the Mavericks. In the Lions' two victories, Leftridge has shot 15-of-23 (65%) from the field and made eight tries from beyond the three-point arc in 11 attempts. Another staggering number has been the job the senior has done from the free throw line, as she has knocked down 78% (7-9) of her attempts from the stripe. One area to improve upon for the Melville native is her rebounding as she is averaging about 3.7 boards per contest for the maroon and white thus far.

"Perl-"y Gates of the Paint
A pleasant surprise has come off the bench for Head Coach Joe Pellicane and his squad in the form of junior Brianna Perlmutter (Brooklyn, N.Y.) The junior transfer has proven to be a steady performer for the Lions this season, earning 21 minutes of playing time in the team's win over Mercy College on Wednesday, also pulling down a season-high six rebounds. Perlmutter also was a force on defense in swatting three shots for Molloy and has proven to be a proper foil to the play of senior forwards Leftridge and Kimani Jackson (Dix Hills, N.Y.).

Previewing Saint Thomas Aquinas
The Spartan basketball team has gotten off to a hot start, with six wins and two losses on the season. Saint Thomas Aquinas started the season with a five game winning streak, but has recently lost two games against East Coast Conference opponents. The Spartans were defeated by defending ECC champions Queens (N.Y.) at home on Wednesday (Dec. 9) by a 63-59 score. Sophomore forward Adiya Henderson (Troy, N.Y.) had a team-high 13 points in 15 minutes with five rebounds for Kim Lusk's club in the loss to the Knights.

Height Game
Henderson and junior Lauren Melville (Ulster Park, N.Y.) represent the Spartans' over six-foot roster, coming in at six-foot-one and six-foot-two on the depth chart, respectively. That may bode well for Saint Thomas Aquinas, as Molloy has had difficulty facing previous opponents of substantial height. With Perlmutter and sophomore Sabrina Rodriguez (Norwalk, Conn.) topping the height charts at five-foot-eleven, the Lions may need to take the game to the outside in order to knock the Spartans off on Saturday. 

Bonus Favors The Bold
If it comes down to free throws in Westchester County, Molloy may be leaving Aquinas Hall with a loss. As a team, Saint Thomas Aquinas is the third-best program in the East Coast Conference at shooting free throws, hitting a 75.3% clip from the stripe. Meanwhile, the Lions are shooting at a 63.5% marker from the line which is fourth-worst in the ECC thus far. The Spartans also boast the fourth- and fifth-best foul shooters in the ECC thus far, with reigning Rookie of the Year Jenna Erickson (Melrose, N.Y.) hitting 84.2% of her free throws and junior Samantha Burden (Westbury, N.Y.) coming in at 82.6% from the stripe.

Matchup History
Molloy has won 13 of the last 22 match-ups against Saint Thomas Aquinas dating back to the 2006-07 season. Last year, the squads split the season series with both teams curiously winning contests on the road. STAC defeated Molloy 65-59 on Dec. 3, 2014 at Quealy Gymnasium but the maroon and white got revenge in the most recent meeting at Aquinas Hall on Feb. 7, 2015 with a 72-54 clubbing of the Spartans.