The men's basketball team trailed by eight points in the opening minutes of the second half in the East Coast Conference Quarterfinal against New York Tech. Over the next 11 minutes of action, the maroon and white chipped away at the Bears' lead. After senior Nick Corbett hit back-to-back three-pointers, Quealy Gymnasium erupted in cheers as the guard became the program's all-time scoring leader, sinking his 2,012^th career point.

Corbett's celebration, however, was for his team taking the lead, 56-51. "I didn't know that I had passed the record," explained the guard. "My family told me later it looked like I was celebrating with them but I was happy those three-pointers gave us the lead."

As a high school senior, the Staten Island native had heard from a handful of college coaches but the conversations eventually fizzled. Head Coach Charles Marquardt, searching for a guard to both distribute and score, saw the potential in the 1,000-point scorer and two-time champion.

"After visiting the campus and seeing how close it was and learning about the team, I knew that this is where I wanted to come and be an immediate facilitator for players like Charlie (Marquardt) and Jaylen (Morris)," explained Corbett.

With Corbett's arrival, the Lions doubled its win totals from the previous season, going from 9-19 and missing out on the East Coast Conference Tournament to a record of 18-11 in 2016-17. His performance on the season, averaging 9.3 points, 3.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game earned the freshman the league's Rookie of the Year Award. The Lions returned to the ECC Tournament, falling to Saint Thomas Aquinas in a heart-breaking overtime loss and just missing out on an NCAA Tournament bid.

"That was a tough loss," recalled Corbett. "We felt like we had gotten snubbed from the tournament, but that built a fire inside of all of the returners to come back and to get better."

With the departure of three of the team's top five scorers, the guard knew that his mind set and style of play would need to change in the coming years in order for the team to be successful.

"I knew I was going to have to shoot more. I had averaged maybe six shots per game as a freshman because I had Charlie and Jaylen and Mike (Guzzardi) to pass the ball to. I knew I would need to be that guy, so I spent the summer working on finding ways to score."

Corbett put together a standout sophomore season, putting up 14 games of over 20 points, averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting .376 from three-point range, to earn his first All-Conference First Team selection. The Lions overall win total dipped back to nine during a season of rebuilding, but a 7-11 league record earned them a spot in the playoffs, advancing to the semifinals.
 
As time passed, the guard continued to develop his shooting game and was a lethal threat from long distance, ranking 39^th in Division II with a .419 three-point field goal percentage in 2018-19. His 18.1 points per game helped add another All-ECC First Team selection to his resume while also being named to the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association's Second Team. His ability to perform under pressure, sinking five game-winning baskets, including a three-pointer at nationally-ranked Daemen.

The third-seeded maroon and white had a thrilling run through the East Coast Conference Tournament. Corbett posted 20 points in a 61-60 victory over #6 UDC and 25 points in a 73-72 victory over #2 STAC to send Molloy to the Championship Game for the second time in three seasons, where the Lions faced #4 Bridgeport, the same team they fell to in overtime in Corbett's freshman year.

Molloy trailed, 47-34, at the half despite 12 points from Corbett.

"The first 30 minutes really didn't go our way, but the seniors came together and coach rallied us in the locker room and we came out in the second half and started hitting our shots," recalled Corbett.

The Lions improved in the second 20 minutes of action, going from 29.7 percent in the first half to 45.1 percent shooting in the second half, forcing an overtime period before winning the program's first-ever title in its 27 year history, 90-86.

"Once we got into overtime, we knew that it was ours," explained Corbett. "It was a surreal feeling to be the first people to ever win the championship. It's crazy to think that with all of the history and players that the program has had that we were able to be that group."

Corbett once again knew he would need to take a step up entering his senior season and would be asked to serve in a leadership role.

"I like to lead by example and show it through my play on the court and my desire to win," Corbett stated. "I hope that the younger guys are able to take that desire with them moving forward and see what is possible if you work hard and have a will to win."

Entering the 2019-20 season, the senior had 1,344 career points. While it would take some career-high performances, the 2,000-point mark was attainable and the program's all-time record of 2,011 points held by program-great John Petrucelli, was a goal on the guard's mind.

"I felt like I could hit 2,000 points and set the record headed into the season. As the games went by and it got closer and closer, it just became more solidified that this was something I was able to accomplish."

Corbett ended the season with his third-straight All-ECC First Team selection and added Second Team All-Region by both the Division II Conference Commissioners Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, totaling 2,032 career points, 379 rebounds, 385 assists, and 153 steals. His late heroics continued from the previous season, critical shooting both from long distance and at the foul line won a handful of games for the Lions.

The maroon and white won its quarterfinal matchup against New York Tech 68-61, with 25 points from Corbett before the season ended in a semifinal loss to top-seeded University of Bridgeport, 119-88. While Corbett would have preferred a different type of ending to his collegiate career, his legacy will continue throughout Molloy basketball program, just as Petrucelli's had through Corbett's four years.

"Having my name at the top of the record book is obviously an amazing feeling. Coach has always talked about John and his legacy, and to be in that company is special," explained Corbett. "I had the opportunity to play with three of the top five scorers in the program's history and to be able to top their accomplishments with how great they were is a great feeling."

Corbett will graduate with a degree in finance at the end of the academic year and hopes to follow Petrucelli and his former teammates, Charlie Marquardt, Jaylen Morris, and Curtis Jenkins, overseas to continue his basketball career. The senior credits the efforts of Coach Marquardt for developing the program both on and off the court.

"Coach Marquardt is like a father figure for all of us," Corbett concluded. "Every day he pushed me to be the best and it was reassuring to know that he would be there for us, teaching us to be better players but also about life outside of basketball."