Box Score BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Jan. 14, 2016) - Despite a career night from freshman guard Curtis Jenkins (Farmingdale, N.Y.), the Molloy College men's basketball team ran out of time in falling to the University of Bridgeport by a 76-72 score at Hubbell Gymnasium on Thursday (Jan. 14). Molloy fell to a 4-11 overall record with a 2-5 mark in East Coast Conference play this season, while Bridgeport improved to an 8-6 standing overall and a 6-1 record in ECC competition.
The maroon and white found themselves in an early 10-2 hole as Bridgeport knocked down its first four shots to open the contest. Senior guard Devon Elliott (Brooklyn, N.Y.) got Hubbell Gymnasium rocking with a three-pointer followed by a jumper to give UB a 5-0 lead until junior guard Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) put the Lions on the board with a lay-up at the 18:29 mark of the first half. But the Purple Knights answered back with lightning-quick accuracy as senior Ernest Rouse (Freeport, N.Y.) knocked down a three-pointer and senior center Eddie Asamoah (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) converted a lay-up that put UB up eight points with 17:49 to go in the opening period. The hosts' lead was immediately tested as Molloy put up a strong fight in running off its own 10-2 run through the following six minutes of play. Jenkins made his presence felt by draining a three-pointer to start the rally that was wrapped up with a lay-up by senior point guard Brandon Williams (Baldwin, N.Y.). The two-pointer tied the game at 12 with 11:46 to play but the Purple Knights showed why they are the three-time defending ECC champions over the next three minutes.
Senior guard Jesse Jones (Irvington, N.J.) gave Bridgeport the advantage back with a bucket that kick-started a 12-0 run that was punctuated by a dunk from Muhammed Ahmed (Bronx, N.Y.) and a lay-up from the senior forward gave his side a 24-12 advantage with eight-and-a-half minutes to play in the half. Determined to not be blown out in the contest, freshman Chris O'Reilly (Colts Neck, N.J.) hit a three-ball to open an 11-1 spurt which featured threes by Williams and Marquardt in bringing the Lions within two points at 25-23 with 6:38 left in the first. Jones and Marquardt traded trifectas but Jenkins scored six points---all of which came via slam dunks---over the final three minutes in keeping the visitors within one point at the half. Bridgeport would lead the contest 35-34, a far cry from the Purple Knights' 60-47 lead on Tuesday (Jan. 12) that ballooned into a 121-91 demolition of Dowling College in Connecticut.
Molloy kept the contest close through the first few minutes of the second half, as a lay-up by senior forward Kevin Bowles (Wantagh, N.Y.) made the score 41-40 for Bridgeport with 16:43 remaining in the contest. A minute later, Williams gave the Lions their first lead of the contest at 42-41; the lead quickly vanished as Ahmed hit a lay-up on the other end of the floor. Marquardt would proceed to trade trebles with sophomore guard Eric Rankin (Stratford, Conn.), but the junior sharpshooter got the better of the duel by hitting a second consecutive trey to give the Lions a 48-46 lead with 13:45 to play. Jenkins stripped Ahmed of the basketball on the ensuing UB possession, and the Farmingdale native went coast-to-coast for a lay-up to give Molloy a 50-46 lead just a few seconds later. Ahmed and Rankin made back-to-back lay-ups to tie the score at 50 with 11:36 left on the clock as Molloy used a time-out.
Out of the timeout, Jenkins nailed a three-ball to reclaim the lead for Molloy and junior guard Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) threw down a thunderous jam off of an O'Reilly assist to keep the Lions up 55-52 with just about ten minutes to play. Ahmed scored three straight points for the Purple Knights in knotting the score up at 55 and the lead bounced back and forth between the ensuing several minutes. Jenkins and Rouse traded buckets with eight minutes to play and a Bowles free throw nudged Molloy ahead by one point, 58-57. Elliott hit two free throws and then converted a lay-up to get his side ahead by three at 61-58 with under seven minutes remaining in regulation.
Rouse and Jenkins would again trade field goals with Bridgeport staying ahead by three points as the clock ticked down under five minutes to play in the second act of the dramatic contest. Jenkins hit a pair of free throws to pull the Lions within one at 63-62 with 4:12 to go, and the freshman answered Rouse's big three-ball with one of his own a minute later to keep the Lions behind by a single point. UB led 66-65 with three-and-a-half minutes to play until senior guard Maurice Gatson (New York, N.Y.) came up with a huge steal and connected on two free throws, giving Molloy a 67-66 edge. On Bridgeport's following turn with the ball, Marquardt made a huge block on a lay-up attempt by freshman guard D'Vonne Trumbo (Franklinville, N.J.). The hosts got the offensive rebound and called a time-out with 2:31 to go in regulation.
Out of the break, Ahmed hit a pair of free throws and gave UB the one-point lead yet again. The lead swelled to four points with under two minutes to go thanks to a back-breaking three-pointer by Jones, and then Ahmed hit a clutch lay-up with 1:07 remaining to give the hosts a 73-67 lead. Marquardt would answer with a three-pointer as the Lions mounted a comeback to trail 73-70 with 42 seconds to go in the contest. Free throws brought the Lions within two points at 74-72 with just four seconds left in regulation, but Rouse iced the contest with two more free throws for UB in providing the hosts with a 76-72 decision.
Jenkins led Molloy with 23 points, five rebounds and four steals in the loss. The freshman guard was 9-of-14 (64%) from the field while Marquardt hit six three-pointers en route to a 22-point night on the floor. Morris was held in check with just 12 points and four rebounds, and Williams added seven points off the bench. The maroon and white were 27-for-56 (48.2%) shooting and hit 50% (11-22) of their three-pointers. The Lions also knocked down 70% (7-10) of their free throws in the loss, but the team was outrebounded by a minus-10 (32-22) margin in the loss.
In getting win No. 301 for head coach Mike Ruane, five Bridgeport players scored double-digit point totals including Ahmed's team-high 19 points. Rouse added 16 points, while Elliott and Jones both scored 11 and Rankin chipped in with 10 off the bench. The Purple Knights shot well from the field, hitting 56% (29-52) of their field goals and 43% (9-21) of their three-point shots.
The next opponent for the Molloy College men's basketball team is the Dowling College Golden Lions, a team that will head to Quealy Gymnasium on Saturday (Jan. 16) for a 2:30 p.m. showdown in Rockville Centre. Be sure to follow Molloy College Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest up-to-date information about your favorite Lions programs! If you cannot make Saturday's game, be sure to check out our YouTube channel for a live audio and video broadcast as well!
