BRIDGEPORT, CONN. (Feb. 11, 2017) - The Molloy women's basketball team fell to the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights, 71-65, Saturday afternoon at Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium. The Lions drop to 18-6 overall and 10-3 in East Coast Conference Play. Senior Aliyah McDonald (Hempstead, N.Y.) scored a game-high 21 points. Graduate student Kamala Thompson (Selden, N.Y.) netted 18 points, and freshman Kathryn Gibson (Neponsit, N.Y.) tallied eight points in the losing effort.

McDonald scored the Lions' first six points of the game. With the score 6-6, Thompson made a layup and knocked down a three-pointer to give the road team an 11-6 lead.  Molloy held an 11-8 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The maroon and white extended their lead to five, 15-10, on a layup from McDonald in the early stages of the second quarter.  Bridgeport used a pair of foul shots from senior Camera Miley (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who scored 19 points, and graduate student Anastasia Williams (Central Islip, N.Y.) to cut the Molloy lead to 17-16. The Lions stretched their lead back to five, 23-18, on back-to-back buckets from Gibson and graduate student Jessica Kalbfleisch (Ridge, N.Y.). Williams made a layup to cut the Molloy lead to 25-22 at the half.

The Lions increased their lead to 28-22 early in the third quarter after sophomore McKayla Hernandez (Windermere, Fla.) hit a three. UB came back with consecutive triples from sophomore Nicole Johnson (Newark, N.J.) and junior Aurelie Leblanc-Florent (Longue, Quebec, Canada), who scored 15 points, to knot the score at 28. Molloy brought its lead back to five, 33-28, on a jumper from Kalbfleisch, and a trey by Thompson. Bridgeport came back with a 12-2 run to take a 40-35 lead. With the score 44-40, the road team used a three-pointer from Gibson and a free-throw from McDonald to tie the score at 44. Morgen Caution (Baltimore, Md.) made a jumper with 21 seconds left to give the home team a 48-46 edge at the end of the third frame.

Molloy began the fourth quarter with an 8-0 rally, led by six points from McDonald, to regain the lead, 54-48. Bridgeport then scored the next seven points to take a 55-54 advantage. The Purple Knights increased their lead to 60-57 following two foul shots from Leblanc-Florent. Miley converted a three-point play to put UB up 65-59. On the Lions' next possession, Thompson knocked down a three to cut the lead to 65-62. But that was as close as Molloy would get as it fell 71-65.

The Lions return home Wednesday (Feb.15) when they host ECC foe NYIT at Quealy Gymnasium; tip-off is slated for 5:00 p.m.