Rockville Centre, N.Y. – The Molloy men's basketball led from first whistle to final buzzer Friday evening, defeating the Redhawks of Roberts Wesleyan, 90-75, on Bob Houlihan Court. The Lions improve to 1-9 overall and 1-2 in East Coast Conference play, while the Redhawks move to 1-7 overall and 0-1 in league play.
As a result, Head Coach
Joe Conefry picked up his first collegiate victory this evening.
How it Happened
- Molloy opened the contest fast, sprinting to a 10-0 run in the first 3:12. The run saw the Lions shoot 66 percent from the floor and three-point range while forcing two Redhawk turnovers.
- The cardinal and white were able to sustain its lead through a few mini runs by the visitors, but an eight-point run in 48 seconds time by the Redhawks cut the deficit to four, 22-18, with under eight minutes to go in the first half.
- Over the next five minutes of action, junior Manu Alford connected on back-to-back three-point field goals to regain the Lions' double-digit lead, 33-23.
- The home team took a 43-30 lead into halftime.
- The Lions kicked off the second half opening its largest lead of the night, 52-34, after sophomore Dylan Kopp finished a layup in transition with 15:52 remaining.
- Roberts Wesleyan would bear down and apply pressure to the Lions to get right back into the ballgame over the next four minutes of action. The visitors shot 83 percent from the field and forced three Molloy turnovers en route to a 16-5 run to come within seven, 57-50, with under 12 minutes to play.
- The cardinal and white responded and doubled its lead, 67-53, over the next 2:24 with four Lions draining field goals in a 10-3 run.
- Molloy ended the contest extending its lead to as much as 16 and would go on to close the victory, 90-75.
Top Performances
- Kopp led all scorers with a game-high 19 points.
- Junior Bryce Merchant netted 18 points on 62 percent shooting.
- Alford and freshman Chase Timberlake tallied 12 points each.
- Junior Jared Weakly collected eight points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with three steals and two blocks.
Up Next
The Lions head back on the road Tuesday, December 16 with a matchup at Goldey-Beacom. The contest is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m.
