Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The women's basketball team fell to the Mavericks of Mercy University, 71-54, this afternoon from Bob Houlihan Court. The loss sets Molloy back to 6-13 on the season and 4-4 in East Coast Conference play. Mercy improved to 14-5 (8-1 ECC) in the win. 

How it Happened

• The Mavericks hit the gas from the opening jump, scoring the first nine points of the game. 
• Three points from senior Colleen McCullagh and two from senior Rosa Rizzitelli put the Lions on the board, but another eight-point run soared Mercy ahead, 21-5. The Mavericks carried a 23-9 lead into the second quarter.
• Molloy responded for a much more balanced second quarter, trailing just 16-14 in the 10 minute window, including seven points from senior Sophia Yearwood. 
• Trailing by 15, 46-31, with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter, a 9-2 run from the Lions that saw five points from McCullagh and two from both Yearwood and sophomore Jamie Davneiro would make it a single-digit game for the first time since early in the first quarter.
• Mercy would quickly regain the double digit lead, which it would carry through the remainder of the contest.

Top Performances

• McCullagh led the Lions with 18 points. 
• Rizzitelli followed with 14 points and led the team with nine rebounds and four assists while adding two steals. 
• Yearwood netted 12 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.
• Freshman Sharmeela Ugbogbo had three blocks and three steals. 

Up Next
The Lions are slated to head to Washington D.C. to take on the Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia on Wednesday (Jan. 28) at 5:30 p.m.