ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Jan. 7, 2017) – Led by double-doubles from graduate students Symone Kelly (Wyandanch, N.Y.) and Kamala Thompson (Selden, N.Y.), the Molloy women's basketball team picked up their fourth consecutive victory. The maroon and white defeated the University of Bridgeport by a score of 70-63 at Quealy Gymnasium. Molloy improves to 12-4 (4-2 ECC) with the win, while the loss drops Bridgeport to an even 8-8 (2-4 ECC) record.

The first quarter saw a fury of back and forth action. The Purple Knights jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, but a three-pointer from sophomore McKayla Hernandez (Windermere, Fla.) and a bucket from Thompson quickly brought the score to an even 7-7. Bridgeport's Camera Miley (Brookyln, N.Y.) and Aaliyah Mercer (Bronx, N.Y.) pushed Bridgeport to 15 points, but Thompson scored eight points for the Lions to end the opening frame with the scored locked at 15-15.

In the second quarter, Bridgeport would go up by as much as five points, their largest lead of the contest. The two graduate students brought the Lions within one point, the score 25-24 with 2:44 left in the half. Molloy ended the frame with four points from senior Aliyah McDonald (Hempstead, N.Y.) and another layup from Kelly. Nicole Johnson (Newark, N.J.) sunk a layup with nine seconds left in the half to send the score to 30-27 Lions.
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A pair of made free throws from Johnson tied the score at 36 mid-way through the third quarter, but a three-pointer from sophomore Ihnacinse Grady (Amityville, N.Y.) pushed the maroon and white ahead 39-36, a lead they would not surrender. The Lions ended the quarter on an 11-0 run to go up 53-41.

The Purple Knights responded with a run of their own, opening the final frame on a 13-4 run to come within three points. Grady and Kelly combined for five points to push Molloy ahead by eight with 3:31 left to play. In the final minutes, Bridgeport once again came within three, as two foul shots from Miley set the score at 66-63 with 46 seconds on the game clock. Freshman Kathryn Gibson (Neponsit, N.Y.) and Kelly each sunk a pair of foul shots in the game's final seconds to bring the final score to 70-63.

Kelly and Thompson each scored 21 points in the effort. Thompson shot 50% (8-of-16) from the field and picked up 12 rebounds for the double-double while Kelly went 9-of-13 from the field and pulled down a game-high 15 boards to earn her double-double. Grady finished with 11 points, while McDonald added eight points and a game-high 10 helpers.

Molloy will be back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 11) as they face the Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia on the road. The game is set for tip-off at 5:00 p.m.