Box Score BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Jan. 14, 2016) – Led by a career-defining performance from senior forward Kimani Jackson (Dix Hills, N.Y.), the Molloy College women's basketball team gutted out a hard-fought 73-61 victory over the University of Bridgeport on Thursday night in Connecticut. With the win, Molloy boasts a 4-11 overall record with a 3-4 mark in East Coast Conference play this season. Bridgeport falls to 5-10 overall and holds an identical 3-4 standing in conference competition for the 2015-16 campaign.
The Lions got things going in the first quarter of play, striking first on a three-ball out of the hands of senior Alex Hampton (Baldwin, N.Y.) in the game's first 23 seconds. Molloy rolled out to a 10-6 lead thanks to the three-point prowess of senior guard Alexia O'Connor (Centerport, N.Y.), as she buried a treble with 6:08 to go in the opening frame. Jackson then upped her team's lead to six points with a lay-up before Bridgeport responded thanks to a three-pointer from freshman Brianna Stoddart (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and a free throw from first-year guard Kadijah Dickson (Queens, N.Y.). But the visitors would stay in front at the end of the first quarter, with a trey from Jackson giving the Lions a seven-point edge at 21-14.
UB scored the first four points of the second quarter on buckets by Dickson and Evelyn Ovner (Vallentuna, Sweden); this cut the Lions' advantage to three points at 21-18 with 7:18 to play in the first half. But the visitors answered with a vengeance, going on a 10-0 run over a stretch of about six minutes to take a 31-18 lead. First, senior Ally Leftridge (Melville, N.Y.) knocked down a three-point jumper which gave the Lions a six-point advantage before she and junior guard Maggie Salomone (Narragansett, R.I.) made four straight free throws and O'Connor rattled home a trifecta with 2:08 remaining. Dickson and Jackson traded a pair of foul shots on both sides and the Purple Knights scored the last five points of the second period on a Stoddart three and foul shots by Nicole Johnson (Newark, N.J.). Through 20 minutes of action from Hubbell Gymnasium, the Molloy College women's basketball team held an impressive 33-25 lead over the University of Bridgeport.
Starting the second half on a good note was Jackson, who gave her team a 10-point lead once again with a lay-up just 16 seconds into the third stanza. The 35-25 Lions' advantage did not last long as Bridgeport crawled within four points with 7:22 to play in the third until freshman point guard Ihnacinse Grady (Amityville, N.Y.) hit a three-point shot seconds later to increase the margin to seven points at 38-31. The Purple Knights scored eight straight points on three free throws by Dickson, a Stoddart lay-up and a three-pointer from Sofia Ermeidou (Athens, Greece) to go up, 39-38. UB's first lead of the game lasted all of 14 seconds as Jackson converted a lay-up to put Molloy ahead 40-39 with under five minutes remaining in the third. The game remained close for the duration of the act, as Molloy nosed in front on a Jackson three-point play with 1:43 to go. As the fourth quarter began, the visitors were in front by a 50-47 margin.
The first minute of the final quarter almost went by without a score until junior guard Shantana Kanhoye (South Richmond Hill, N.Y.) fed Leftridge for a transition lay-up to give the Lions a 52-47 lead. Bridgeport rallied to get within one point twice over the next two minutes, but each time the effort was cancelled out by Molloy's successful offensive possessions. After Dickson hit a lay-up to bring UB within 52-51, Jackson followed up with a two-pointer of her own. Then when Johnson collected a jump shot, Leftridge hit another three-ball with 7:01 to play in giving Molloy a 57-53 lead. With 5:48 to play in regulation, Hampton drained a clutch three-pointer to give the visitors a 60-53 edge in what would prove to be the turning point of the game. The maroon and white would take a nine-point lead with less than three minutes to play, cruising to an important East Coast Conference victory over the Purple Knights.
The night belonged to the senior forward from Dix Hills, as Molloy's Jackson scored a career-high 28 points in the win. She went 9-of-14 from the field while also knocking down 90% (9-10) of her free throws over 37 minutes of action. Jackson also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and had a team-high two blocks, as well. Leftridge added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Hampton and O'Connor both chipped in 10 points and four rebounds for the maroon and white. Grady contributed with eight points and Kanhoye was a huge factor with an eight-rebound night off the bench.
Bridgeport's effort was spearheaded by a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double from Dickson, who pulled down eight offensive rebounds in the loss. Stoddart had 15 points while Ermeidou scored 10 points off of the bench for the Purple Knights.
Molloy shot 45% (23-51) from the field in the win, including a 43% (9-21) efficiency from three-point range. The Lions were also effective from the foul line, hitting 18-of-25 (72%) from the stripe. Bridgeport, on the other hand, shot 36% (23-64) from the field and 29% (5-17) from beyond the arc. Both squads pulled down 38 rebounds, with Molloy committing 19 turnovers to the 15 giveaways from UB.
Head Coach Joe Pellicane and the Molloy College women's basketball team return home on Saturday (Jan. 16) for the final contest of a three-game week when the Lions welcome Dowling College into Quealy Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m.; 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!
