Flushing, N.Y. – The Molloy men's basketball team wrapped up their weekend at the Conference Challenge, falling to the Pace Setters, 71-64, Saturday afternoon inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium on the campus of Queens College. The Lions slip to 1-2 on the season, while the Setters improve to 1-2.
How it Happened
- The contest was tied at eight through the opening five minutes before the Lions put together a mini 6-0 run to take a 14-8 lead.
- After the Setters brought the game back to all-square at 16 with 8:30 to go in the first half, Molloy jumped out to their largest lead of the opening stanza, 25-18, at the 5:32 mark on the back of a 9-2 rally.
- Through the run, senior Rashad Kee netted five points following a jumper and a three-point field goal.
- The Setters ended the first half with a 9-2 run of their own, sending the contest into halftime tied at 27.
- The game remained close to begin the second half, but a steal and a breakaway layup from senior Bryce Merchant gave the cardinal and white a 34-33 advantage.
- A brief 7-0 run by Pace swung the momentum in their favor, 40-34, with 12:40 to play. The Setters forced three turnovers throughout the rally while shooting 3-of-3 from the foul line and sinking a pair of layups.
- The Lions answered with a 16-2 run over the next 3:51 to take their largest lead of the contest, 50-42, with under nine minutes remaining.
- Five different Lions scored during the run, led by Merchant with five points and senior Chris Stokel with four, as Molloy shot 75 percent from the floor.
- The game of runs continued down the stretch, as the Setters went on a commanding 17-1 run to reclaim control of the game, 59-51, with 2:52 remaining on the scoreboard.
- The cardinal and white shrunk the deficit to three, 62-59, with 55 seconds to go, but the Setters would shoot 7-for-8 from the foul line in the final minute to secure the 71-64 victory.
Top Performances
- Merchant led the Lions tying a game-high 16 points shooting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.
- Senior Jared Weakly collected 14 points and nine rebounds.
- Kee added 14 points and a team-high four steals in 27 minutes off the bench.
Up Next
Molloy will wrap up their road trip Tuesday, November 17 as they travel to take on East Stroudsburg. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
