Rockville Centre, N.Y. – The Molloy women's basketball fell to the Spartans of Saint Thomas Aquinas, 59-51, Wednesday evening inside Quealy Gymnasium. Molloy moves to 8-11 overall and 3-6 in East Coast Conference play, while the Spartans improve to 12-8 overall and 7-2 in league play.
 
How it Happened

• The Lions opened the contest on a 7-2 run, highlighted by graduate student Isabel Sanchez who netted five points in the opening 2:52.
• Back-to-back three's from STAC guard Sarah Ericson pushed the road team ahead, 8-7, with under six minutes left in the quarter.
• The next six points came from the home team as the Lions reestablished its multi-possession lead, 13-8, with 3:30 left in the stanza.
• The road team responded with back-to-back three-point field goals to regain its lead, 14-13, over the next 1:15 of action.
• The squads traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter, with Sanchez capping it with a jumper to give the Lions a 21-19 heading into the second.
• The two teams continued back and forth play, but the Spartans would go ahead, 28-27, three minutes into the second stanza.
• The Lions were able to stay within one over the next two minutes, but a pair of free throws from sophomore Brianna James put Molloy in front, 32-31, midway through the second quarter.
• Over three minutes would go by without a basket, until St. Thomas Aquinas pulled even at 32 following a free throw with two minutes left in the first half.
• The game went into halftime tied at 36.
• The Spartans began the second half with a three-point field goal from Erin Leary to take a three-point lead, 39-36.
• The contest would then turn into a defensive show, as over the next seven minutes of play neither team could find the bottom of the net keeping the road team ahead, 39-36.
• A pair of free throws from senior Trinity Hudson snapped the offensive drought to bring the Lions within one, 39-38, with 1:48 remaining in the third quarter.
• St. Thomas Aquinas concluded the stanza on a 5-0 rally to take a 44-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
• Sophomore Colleen McCullagh shrunk the deficit to four, 44-40, 2:04 into the final stanza following a layup.
• Over the next two minutes, the road team opened its largest lead of the game, 51-42, with six minutes left to go.
• The cardinal and white began to mount its comeback, putting together a 7-2 run that was capped by a three from Sanchez to come within four, 53-49, with under three minutes to play.
• Over the final 2:22 of action, the Spartans would hold the Lions without a field goal and shoot four of four from the foul line to come out with the victory, 59-51.

Top Performances

• Sanchez led the Lions with 12 points and three assists.
• Junior Danielle Hippner collected 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
• Hudson and sophomore Casey Campo added six points apiece.

Up Next
Molloy will head to Dobbs Ferry Saturday (Feb. 3) to take on Mercy. Tip-off against the Mavericks is set for 12:00 p.m.