VALHALLA, N.Y. (Dec. 17, 2016) – Seniors
Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) and
Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) led the Molloy men's basketball team to their third consecutive win, posting 20 and 18 points, respectively, in the team's 86-65 win over Mercy College.
The Mavericks got out to the early lead, as a jumper from William Robinson (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) put Mercy up 5-4. That lead, however, would be short-lived as a three-pointer from Morris would put the Lions up by two. Robinson put up a layup to tie the contest at seven, but a three-pointer from Marquardt sent the advantage back to Molloy. The maroon and white exploded the rest of the way, never letting the Mavericks get closer than three points.
The first half saw Morris and Marquardt combine for 31 of the team's 45 points. Marquardt went 5-of-8 from the field and added three buckets from beyond the arc, while Morris went 6-of-8 from the field and made three of his three free throw attempts. Fellow-senior
Mike Guzzardi (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) contributed nine points in the first half as well.
In the second half, freshman
Nick Corbett (Staten Island, N.Y.) erupted for 12 points, going 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point land. Sophomore
Curtis Jenkins (Farmingdale, N.Y.) averaged over a point a minute in the second half, totaling 17 of the team's 20 points off the bench after shooting 80% from the field.
Molloy scored nearly 50% of their points in the paint and made the Mavericks pay for any mistake, scoring 19 points off turnovers on the day. The maroon and white sit at an even 6-6 record with the win and improve to 3-1 in East Coast Conference play as they head into the Christmas holiday. The Mavericks fall to 2-10 (0-4 ECC) with the loss.
Marquardt's game-high 20 points was his eighth 20-point performance in his last 10 contests. Joining Marquardt and Morris with double-digit scoring totals were Jenkins (17), Corbett (17), and Guzzardi (11). Guzzardi pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, while Marquardt and Corbett each added six assists on the day.
The Lions return to action on Friday, Dec. 30 as they face the Greyhounds of Assumption College at 1:00 p.m. at Laska Gymnasium.
