ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Jan. 15, 2016) – A gutsy and hard-fought effort just was not enough for the Molloy College men's basketball team on Thursday night against the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Now the Lions must quickly turn their attention to a dangerous last test in a three-game week when the maroon and white invite Dowling College into Quealy Gymnasium on Saturday (Jan. 16) for a 2:30 p.m. contest.
The Lowdown on the Lions
Looking at the major statistics for Molloy indicates a team that could have won Thursday's contest at Bridgeport, but the Lions ended up falling short by a 76-72 decision against the three-time defending East Coast Conference champions. The Lions held a 67-66 lead with two-and-a-half minutes remaining, but Bridgeport ran off seven straight points over the next 60 seconds while the maroon and white could not hit a three-pointer when it was most certainly needed. To give credit where credit is due, the Lions did shoot well in the game, hitting 48% (27-56) of their field goals and 50% of their three-point shot attempts. Molloy also forced 16 turnovers and committed just 11 giveaways on the night.
Jenkins Rises Above
Part of the reason for Molloy's quality effort on Thursday night was the career-high 23 points from freshman guard Curtis Jenkins (Farmingdale, N.Y.). Jenkins seemed unafraid of the spotlight and was more than ready to take on Bridgeport's good shooters, trading field goals with senior guards Ernest Rouse (Freeport, N.Y.) and Devon Elliott (Brooklyn, N.Y.) for much of the evening. It was a quality effort for the Farmingdale native in showcasing his potential to be a star and leader for the maroon and white on the hardwood, and certainly it put the rest of the conference on notice.
Don't Forget About Numero Ses!
Thursday night marked the third time this season that junior guard Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) hit six three-pointers in a contest. Marquardt was 6-for-11 (54.5%), putting up his best percentage since going 4-for-5 from deep range against Saint Thomas Aquinas on Dec. 12. Normally the success of a team may be dependent on how their sharpshooters perform through contests, but the odd anomaly is that Molloy is 0-3 in games where the Rockaway Beach native makes six three-pointers. This clearly does not mean that Marquardt will stop shooting, but it will be interesting to see if the maroon and white can get a victory this season with the junior guard performing well from downtown.
Dowling Declassified
John Mateyko has had a wacky week to be sure, as have the Golden Lions on the hardwood. On Tuesday, Dowling went to Bridgeport and lost a 121-91 offensive showcase to the Purple Knights; when the Golden Lions returned home on Thursday, the squad put up 105 points against Queens College…and yielded just 60 points to the Knights. Dowling shot an impressive 60% (37-62) from the field, forcing 26 Knights turnovers and scoring 33 points off of those mistakes. It was the first time that Dowling put up 100-plus points in a contest since Nov. 25, 2014; but the kicker is that game was a 109-104 loss to Bloomfield. Even more bizarre, the prior time before then that Dowling scored over 100 points was in a 103-101 overtime loss to Franklin Piece on Nov. 20, 2009.
Maxwell's Thousands
Senior forward Evan Maxwell (East Islip, N.Y.) recorded his 1000th career point for the Golden Lions back on Jan. 9 in a 92-82 loss to UDC in Oakdale. It has been a milestone that the hard-working forward has worked hard at in what can easily be defined as an odyssey of a career. Maxwell joined Dowling back in 2012-13, when a 13-16 Golden Lions squad made a surprising run to the East Coast Conference title game after knocking off both LIU Post and NYIT on the road. Two years ago, Dowling went 22-7 and won the East Coast Conference regular-season championship before being upset in the semifinals by Saint Thomas Aquinas. Last season was another 13-16 campaign in which Dowling got in to the ECC Tournament as a No. 5 seed, knocked off NYIT and then lost to Bridgeport in the semis once again. Maxwell already set a personal milestone, but the senior forward wants to end his collegiate career with a banner instead of more disappointment.
The "Hick" From Smithtown
The diminutive stature of junior guard Ryan Hickey (Smithtown, N.Y.) does not preclude him from being a major contributor for the Golden Lions. Hickey started all 28 games last season as a sophomore for Dowling and his playmaking abilities have yielded to success so far in this season as well. The Smithtown native is averaging 10.8 points per game along with 3.7 rebounds per contest. Even more impressive, though, is Hickey's assist/turnover ratio which stands at 2.7 (38 assists to 14 turnovers). Teammate Tristan Brown (Elmont, N.Y.) is one of just two players with a higher ATR than Hickey, but that showcases a sense of ball security that John Mateyko trusts with his five-foot-eleven point guard.
Conference Playoff Picture
For both teams, this game is important in continuing to shape the East Coast Conference playoff picture. The Golden Lions are currently 3-4 in ECC play, tied with the team they just pummeled into oblivion on Thursday night in Queens College for the No. 6 seed. Molloy, meanwhile, is at 2-5 and in a tie with Mercy College. The Lions are a full game back of the Golden Lions, making the matchup equally important for next week as the maroon and white will visit Western New York to round out the first half of the conference slate.
