Sparkill, N.Y. – The Molloy men's basketball team fell to the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas, 104-74, Wednesday evening inside Aquinas Hall. Following the contest, the Lions sit at 3-14 overall and 3-4 in East Coast Conference play, while the Spartans improve to 9-10 overall and 6-2 in league play.
 
How it Happened

• Not much would separate the two teams in the opening eight minutes of action as both teams found their groove offensively with the Lions trailing, 22-20.
• Much of the opposite took place through the following three minutes, as the contest turned into a defensive battle with neither team recording a bucket.
• After the Spartans broke the scoreless streak with a free throw, sophomore Dylan Kopp and freshman Chase Timberlake would account for five of the contest's next seven points to knot the score at 25 with 8:41 to play in the opening stanza.
• The home team put together a 10-0 run through the next 2:22 of action to take a 35-25 lead.
• Molloy answered with four consecutive points after junior Jared Weakly hit a jumper and junior Chris Stokel netted a pair of free throws to come within six, 35-29, with under six minutes remaining in the first half.
• St. Thomas Aquinas ended the half on a 15-5 run, sending the game into halftime with the Lions trailing, 50-34.
• The Spartans opened the second half with six straight points and would go on to shoot 60 percent from the floor while not allowing the Lions to get within more than 17 en route to the victory.

Top Performances

• Timberlake totaled a career-high 26 points on 61 percent shooting while tying a game-high nine rebounds.
• Junior Manu Alford collected 15 points while shooting 7-of-10 from the floor.
• Stokel tallied 13 points and a team-high six assists.
• Weakly added a career-high six blocks while bringing down nine rebounds and netting eight points.

Up Next
Molloy returns to Rockville Centre Saturday, January 24 as they welcome the Mercy Mavericks to Bob Houlihan Court. The contest is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.