ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Jan. 29, 2016) – As the schedule winds down with the games-to-go counter now reading single digits, the Molloy College women's basketball team needs to take care of business if the play-off aspirations can be turner into reality. The 12th game of the Lions' East Coast Conference season comes Saturday (Jan. 30) when the maroon and white welcome in the maroon and gold Spartans of Saint Thomas Aquinas College at 12 p.m. in Quealy Gymnasium.
The Lowdown on the Lions
The Lions (6-11, 3-7 ECC) led 37-26 at the end of the first half but could not stop a second-half charge by Mercy College in a 57-54 defeat on Wednesday (Jan. 27). Senior guard Alexia O'Connor (Centerport, N.Y.) had a team-high 13 rebounds while juniors Brianna Perlmutter (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Shantana Kanhoye (South Richmond Hill, N.Y.) combined for 30 rebounds and nearly pulled down more boards than the entire Mavericks team. Freshmen guards Ihnacinse Grady (Amityville, N.Y.) and Bridget Sharnick (Shelton, Conn.) totaled 15 points and five assists between them in the effort.
Downtown "Frost"-burg
Grady played a full 40-minute game for the first time since Jan. 6 with her performance on the court versus Mercy while O'Connor played a full game as well (first time playing 40 or more minutes since Nov. 14, 2015). What truly hurt the Lions, however, was the team's inability to connect from three-point range plus trouble stopping the Mavs from knocking down three-balls. Molloy shot 4-of-24 (16.7%) from deep while Mercy hit 44.4% (8-18) from beyond the three-point line with junior guard Paxton Reddington (Holmdel, N.J.) hitting the game-winning three as the clock ticked under 35 seconds to play. Grady's final attempt at the buzzer was short, but it was a difficult night for the maroon and white in terms of shooting the ball from far away.
Finding Aggression on Defense
In a stretch of games from Jan. 6 through Jan. 12, the Molloy defense collected a total of 35 steals and showed a willingness and tenacity to take the ball away from opponents. Over the last five games, however, the Lions have totaled only 26 steals to compile an average of just over five steals per contest. The maroon and white have gone 2-3 in that span; one could argue that in at least two of those losses, cutting short the opponent's turns on offense could have tipped the scales back in favor of the Lions.
Last Time Versus STAC…
Molloy led 31-28 at the half versus Saint Thomas Aquinas on Dec. 12, but a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter by the Spartans sealed the fate of the Lions in a 62-53 loss at Aquinas Hall in Sparkill, N.Y. Seniors Ally Leftridge (Melville, N.Y.) and Kimani Jackson (Dix Hills, N.Y.) each scored 15 points but the maroon and white were out-rebounded by a margin of 13 (39-26) in the defeat.
Spartans Holding Steady
Saint Thomas Aquinas is 13-5 overall with a 6-4 record in ECC play, good enough to hold sole possession of fifth place in the current standings. The Spartans were defeated in their most recent contest, a 67-58 loss to the Knights of Queens College at Fitzgerald Gymnasium back on Jan. 27. Red-shirt sophomore guard Alex Bertolino (Garnerville, N.Y.) had a team-high 14 points while junior guard Samantha Burden (Westbury, N.Y.) added 12. STAC held a 23-13 lead at one point in the second quarter before the Knights charged back into the contest and eventually took control in the final period of play for the win.
No Slump For Sophomore Erickson
In the 2014-15 season, Spartans guard Jenna Erickson (Melrose, N.Y.) put up brilliant numbers and was named Rookie of the Year for the East Coast Conference. With the accolade received, an immediate question arose as to whether or not Erickson could continue to play at such a high level. The sophomore slump, as it is known colloquially, has not shown itself in Sparkill, as a matter of fact. Erickson is leading the team with a 13.5 points per game average while holding shooting splits of 38.7% from the field and 39.8% from three-point range. Her assist-to-turnover ratio (54 A/60 TO) still does leave some cause for concern but starting the season with four straight games of 20 or more points is a sign that she is ready to make waves in the East Coast Conference title picture once again.
Long Island Connection
Saint Thomas Aquinas will have a devoted section of fans in the stands at Quealy Gymnasium to cheer for several Long Island products. Burden---whose sisters were featured in a recent Newsday article by Kenny DeJohn---comes from Westbury by way of Carle Place High School. Meanwhile, senior forward Alyson Brennan (Hicksville, N.Y.) was a graduate of Holy Trinity High School as part of the Catholic High School Athletic Association. Both players are having good seasons, with Burden averaging 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and Brennan totaling 6.6 points and a team-high 5.4 boards per contest.
