Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The men's basketball team extended its win streak to three contests, opening the 2025 calendar year with a 93-79 victory over Saint Anselm College. The Lions now sit at 4-8 on the season while the Hawks fell to 7-6.

How it Happened

• The Hawks scored the first four points of the contest and maintained a four-point lead through much of the first four minutes of play.
• A three-pointer from freshman Dylan Kopp, four points from sophomore Bryce Merchant, and a layup from sophomore Rob Matos gave Molloy its first lead of the afternoon with 14:29 left in the half.
• Saint A's would tie the score at 15, but back-to-back three-pointers from junior Payton Shumpert and a fastbreak jumper from Merchant lifted the Lions ahead, 23-15 with just over 10 minutes to go in the half.
• The visitors would come within five, 35-30, in the final five minutes, but Molloy closed the opening half on a 13-7 run that saw 11 points from Matos.
• Matos streak continued into the second half, netting the first two layups for the Lions to increase the team's lead to 13, 52-39.
• Saint Anselm would come within six, 67-61, with just over 11 minutes left to go in the contest, but an 11-4 run that included seven points from Merchant, put the Lions ahead, 78-65.
• The Hawks would cut the deficit to eight, scoring the next five points, but three-pointers from Shumpert and Merchant regained the double digit lead that Molloy would maintain through the final five minutes for the win.

Top Performances

• Matos led all scorers with 29 points, sinking a career-high 12 field goals, three of which were from long distance.
• Merchant set a career-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting, going 5-of-8 from three-point range. The sophomore added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
• Shumpert also went 5-of-8 from three-point ranger and totaled 17 points, adding six rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal.
• Kopp matched a team-leading two steals while adding nine points.
• Graduate student Matt Lane pulled down a game-leading 13 rebounds while scoring seven points.
• Redshirt junior Seydina Mohamed Dieng had nine boards.

Up Next
Molloy will compete in its final non-league game of the season on Tuesday (Jan. 7) at Dominican in Orangeburg, N.Y. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.