Flushing, N.Y. – The Molloy men's basketball team began its three-game road trip with a 83-74 victory over the Knights of Queens College Wednesday evening inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium. Following the result, the Lions improve to 6-14 overall and 6-4 in East Coast Conference play, while the Knights move to 7-15 overall and 3-8 in league play
 
How it Happened

• The contest was tight knit for the majority of the first half, staying within one possession for much of the opening stanza.
• In a 33-second span, Molloy put together a 5-0 run that saw junior Jared Weakly sink a layup and convert a free throw, and junior Manu Alford finish a layup to give the Lions a five-point lead, 32-27, with 2:52 to play in the first half.
•  Sophomore Dylan Kopp drained a layup to beat the buzzer to close the first half with the cardinal and white ahead, 42-38, at halftime.
• After the two squads traded baskets in the first three minutes of the second half, Molloy got red hot from the field and put together a 14-0 run over a 3:33 span to take its largest lead of the evening, 60-44.
• The run was led by Kopp who collected six points and one of four different Lions to find the score sheet. Throughout the rally, the Lions shot 71 percent from the field, two-of-three from three-point range and force two turnovers.
• The home team was able to find a rhythm and recover to respond with a rally of its own, clinging to a 22-10 run over the next seven minutes.
• Queens caught fire from the field, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-7 from the foul line while forcing four turnovers to come back within four, 70-66, with 6:20 to go.
• The Knights returned the contest back to all-square, 74-74, with 2:21 remaining on the scoreboard.
• The cardinal and white concluded the final 2:21 on a 9-0 run, while shooting 80 percent and holding the home team to just two field goal attempts to go on and clinch the victory, 83-74.

Top Performances

• Kopp led all scorers netting a game-high 23 points on the back of a career-high 10 field goals.
• Stokel tallied a double-double totaling 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
• Alford added 14 points and tied a game-high six assists.
• Weakly stuffed the stat sheet, collecting a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double while dishing out six assists, blocking five shots and swiping four steals, both a game-high.

Up Next
Molloy will have a week to prepare for its next contest in the nation's capital, as they travel to Washington D.C. to take on The University of the District of Columbia. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m.