STONY BROOK, N.Y. (Dec. 16, 2016) – The Molloy women's basketball team put out an impressive performance against Division I Stony Brook University, despite falling 62-53. The Lions did not trail by more than 12 points at any point in the contest, and came within one point at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

12 of the game's first 16 points came from three-point land, with the score favoring Stony Brook 11-5. Graduate student Kamala Thompson (Selden, N.Y.) brought the Lions to within three with a three-pointer with three minutes remaining in the opening frame. Kina Smith (Bronx, N.Y.) sunk a layup with 2:34 on the clock to increase the lead to five points. The two teams remained silent for the following two minutes, until Aaliyah Worley (Philadelphia, Pa.) nailed a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to end the first quarter 16-8 Seawolves.

The Lions opened the second frame with an 8-3 run with scores from seniors Aliyah McDonald (Hempstead, N.Y.), Shantana Kanhoye (South Richmond Hill, N.Y.), and graduate student Symone Kelly (Wyandanch, N.Y.). Christa Scognamiglio (Orangeburg, N.Y.) maintained the Seawolves' lead at five points with a layup, but a three-pointer from sophomore Ihnacinse Grady (Amityville, N.Y.) quickly cut the score to 21-19 with just under four minutes left in the half. Six made free throws plus a layup from Smith sent Stony Brook into the locker room with a 29-21 lead.

Kelly opened the third quarter with two consecutive jumpers from in the paint, but a three-pointer from Anamaria Skaro (Split, Croatia) all but nullified the effort. Davion Wingate (Atlanta, Ga.) gave the Seawolves' their largest lead of the game, 12 points with 3:10 remaining in the frame. From there, however, the Lions roared into action. Molloy scored 11 unanswered points, coming within one point in the final 30 seconds of the quarter. The run saw buckets from Thompson and Kelly as well as a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe for the maroon and white. Worley landed a three-pointer, however, with 11 seconds on the clock to set the teams at 44-40 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.

Worley's three-pointer was quickly erased as Thompson landed one of her own to open the final frame, bringing the Lions back within one point. The Seawolves would respond with a 9-2 run of their own, with Molloy's lone basket coming from Grady. A foul shot from Kelly and jumper from McDonald brought the maroon and white back within five points, but Wingate put up a three-pointer to put Stony Brook up 56-48 with four minutes left in the game. A layup from Kelly with 3:42 on the game clock took Molloy to within six. Neither team would be able to score until the final minute of play, where the Seawolves went 6-of-8 from the foul line to seal the 62-53 win.

Molloy was led by an 18-point performance from Kelly, who went 6-of-13 from the field. The graduate student also pulled down six rebounds in the effort. Thompson nabbed two steals, put up 14 points, and came down with a team-high seven boards. Rounding out the scoring for the Lions, Grady added 10 points and five assists.  The Lions made the most of their opportunities, scoring 20 points off turnovers. The Seawolves, however, were able to capitalize on a 41-32 advantage on the glass and converted 17 second chance points as compared to Molloy's eight. The Lions fall to 8-4 on the season, while Stony Brook improves to 4-5 with the win.

The Lions return to the court after the Christmas break, as they face Caldwell University on Dec. 29 at 12:00 p.m.