ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Feb. 15, 2016) – It was a week that rejuvenated momentum and kept hope alive for the Molloy College women's basketball team. A double-overtime victory on Wednesday, coupled with a fourth-quarter comeback and upset of the top team in the conference on Saturday, has the maroon and white riding high with five games remaining in the regular season. Postseason dreams, however, will have to wait for the Lions as the Queens College Knights make their way to Quealy Gymnasium on Tuesday (Feb. 16) for a 5 p.m. showdown.
The Lowdown on the Lions
47 of the 66 points that were scored by Joe Pellicane's team on Saturday in a 66-59 win over NYIT came from three players off of the bench. Senior forward Kimani Jackson (Dix Hills, N.Y.) had a team-high 21 points, while junior guard Maggie Salomone (Narragansett, R.I.) and Aliyah McDonald (Hempstead, N.Y.) added 16 and 10, respectively. McDonald also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds in the win, while junior forward Brianna Perlmutter (Brooklyn, N.Y.) grabbed eight boards in the victory as well. The win bumped Molloy into sole possession of fifth place in the ECC standings with a 7-8 record, and also snapped NYIT's 16-game winning streak dating back to Nov. 30 as well as ended the Bears' unbeaten run through ECC opponents at 15.
Examining the Fourth Quarter
Going into the fourth quarter of play, NYIT led Molloy by a count of 48-41 with ten minutes remaining. At the end of it all, the maroon and white were victorious thanks to a 25-11 period in which the Lions dominated a majority of the statistics. Molloy shot 8-for-12 (66.7%) from the field and hit all four of its three-point attempts, while NYIT's offense suddenly grew as cold as the weather outside Old Westbury (5-20 from the field and 1-8 from three-point range). The turning point in the contest came with 4:48 to play and the score tied at 54 when Molloy went on a 7-0 run that included a Jackson lay-up, a three-ball from Salomone and a lay-up by McDonald that officially put the game on ice.
Salomone's Special Week
Give credit where credit is absolutely due. Salomone turned in an All-World beating type of week that could equate to the Lions making the playoffs this year. The junior guard had 16 points in both wins in the prior week, against both LIU Post and NYIT; but what made her run so unique was when most of the points were scored. Against the Pioneers, 13 of her points came in the final overtime period of a 95-87 win. Versus the Bears on Saturday, 13 of her points came in the fourth quarter. Call her "Maggie Clutch" if you want, but the Rhode Island native's play in pressure situations has certainly given Molloy cause to be confident.
Fortune Favors The Cold?
Does Molloy have the stamina to continue this run? If the game were decided on three-point shooting defense, then the obvious answer would be a resounding 'Yes.' Consider the last four opponents that have faced the Lions and how each team has performed against the maroon and white from beyond the arc:
Jan. 30 – Saint Thomas Aquinas (2nd-best in the ECC at three-point percentage): 2-15 (13.3%)
Feb. 6 – UDC (5th-best): 3-12 (25%)
Feb. 10 – LIU Post (worst in ECC): 4-23 (17.4%)
Feb. 13 – NYIT (6th-best): 4-23 (17.4%)
Knights on the Charge
A 42-point second half led Queens College to a 67-50 over LIU Post on Saturday (Feb. 13) at Fitzgerald Gymnasium in Flushing. The Knights (10-5 ECC) forced 18 Pioneers turnovers in the second half alone, as Bet Naumovski's club turned up the pressure and avoided the upset as Queens shot 45% (14-31) from the field in the second half of the win. Madison Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) scored 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds while Merrick Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) added 13 points of her own.
Consistent Inconsistencies
Queens College has not displayed the tenacity and aplomb that usually comes with a defending conference champion. In a period from Dec. 16-Jan. 9, the Knights lost five straight games. Then a six-game winning streak came along from Jan. 12-Jan. 30, which has been followed by a 2-2 split in the team's most recent four games. Adding to the inconsistent performances has been this statistical nugget: in 11 of 21 games, the Knights have hit two or fewer shots from three-point range including three 0-fers from deep territory.
Shoot and Steal, Shoot and Block
Madison Rowland was mentioned earlier and for good reason; the reigning ECC Player of the Year has a team-high 18.3 points per game average for Queens College. At the same time, Rowland's deceptive defense has also positively influenced the Knights. Her steals-per-game average of 4.4 is also tops on the team as is her 3.9 assists-per-game average. Meanwhile, MacKenzie Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) holds an average of 13.6 points per game and a team-best 2.4 blocks per game. The kicker is that while both players average well in rebounds (9.0 & 9.8 RPG), they also are in constant foul trouble with an average near four fouls per game.
Prior Meeting
Madison and MacKenzie Rowland both registered double-doubles---Madison with 16 points and 16 rebounds and MacKenzie with 18 and 10---in a 62-50 win for Queens College over Molloy back on Jan. 12. The Knights committed 25 turnovers but were able to limit the Lions to just nine points off of those miscues; the reverse could not be said as Molloy gave the ball away 18 times to the tune of 22 points for Queens.
Conference Playoff Picture
1) NYIT – 15-1 ECC
2) UDC – 13-3 ECC
3) Roberts Wesleyan – 11-4 ECC
4) Queens College – 10-5 ECC
5) Molloy – 7-8 ECC
6) Saint Thomas Aquinas – 7-9 ECC
7) Daemen – 6-9 ECC
8) Bridgeport – 5-9 ECC
9) LIU Post – 5-11 ECC
10) Mercy – 3-12 ECC
11) Dowling – 2-11 ECC
