Rockville Centre, N.Y. – For the first time this season, there was free basketball in Rockville Centre as the Molloy basketball team battled with the Dolphins of the College of Staten Island Saturday afternoon on Bob Houlihan Court. Needing five extra minutes, the Lions came away with a 100-97 victory to improve to 5-14 overall and 5-4 in East Coast Conference play. Following the loss, the Dolphins move to 16-6 overall and 7-3 in league play.
 
How it Happened

• Not much separated the two squads in the opening nine minutes, as the contest saw four tie scores and seven lead changes with Molloy holding a 22-21 advantage.
• The Lions were able to generate some breathing room, putting together a 10-3 run to open an eight-point lead, 32-24, with 5:39 to play in the first half. Throughout the run, freshman Chase Timberlake netted six points while helping hold the visitors to 1-of-8 shooting from the floor.
• Both teams shot well in the final five minutes of the first stanza, but the road team was able to cut the deficit to three, 41-38, heading into halftime.
• The cardinal and white began the second half red hot, shooting 63 percent from the floor and 60 percent from three-point range to rally to a 13-5 run to take a 54-43 lead. The run saw juniors Jared Weakly and Chris Stokel net five points apiece in the first five minutes of the second stanza.
• Through the next five minutes of game time, the home team would keep the visitors at arm's length, but the Dolphins would not let up. Staten Island put together a furious 9-2 run to come within two, 63-61, following a three-point play from Aaron Goldstein with 9:58 left in the second half.
• The contest returned to a back-and-forth battle. Neither team would give the other any room to breathe as the contest saw the lead change three times en route to bringing it back to all-square at 73 with 4:19 to go.
• After the Lions took a 78-76 lead following a layup from Stokel with 3:11 on the clock, the Dolphins answered with five-straight points to take a three-point lead, 81-78, with two minutes remaining in regulation.
• The next possession saw the Lions execute and open up Weakly for a layup, where he was fouled to send him to the line for a chance to tie the game. The junior converted the free throw to knot the contest at 81 with 1:53 remaining.
• The next 1:20 of game time hung in the balance of free throw shooting for the Lions, with the road team pushing ahead twice. Following both deficits, Molloy was able to convert two free throws each from sophomore Dylan Kopp and junior Manu Alford to keep the game tied at 85 with 38 seconds on the board.
• Following the Dolphins' final timeout of regulation, the visitors were able to sink a layup to take a two-point lead with 23 seconds left.
• Molloy responded, coming out of a timeout with a half court set that saw Stokel find space for a layup to tie the score at 87, where it would stand to force overtime.
• The home team began the extra period with a basket from junior Manu Alford , but that was quickly answered by a three-point basket from Goldstein to give the visitors a one-point lead, 90-89.
• After the teams traded hoops and to keep the Dolphins ahead, 92-91, the vast majority of the contest would come down to free throw shooting.
• Molloy would go to the line 10 times in the final 2:34 of action, sink nine foul shots, including two in the final 12 seconds from Stokel, and hold the Dolphins to two field goals to close out the 100-97 victory.

Top Performances

• Stokel netted 21 points while securing seven rebounds.
• Timberlake tied his running mate with 21 points alongside six assists and two steals.
• Weakly tallied 20 points, a team-high eight rebounds, and four blocks.
• Kopp collected 19 points and tied a game-high seven assists.
• Alford rounded out the top scorers with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. 

Up Next
Molloy begins a three-game road trip starting Wednesday, February 4 with a match up against Queens College. Tip-off from Flushing, N.Y. is set for 5:00 p.m.