Hackensack, N.J. – The Molloy women's bowling team battled for the East Coast Championship this weekend hosted by the Lions at Bowler City Lanes in Hackensack, New Jersey. After three days of grueling matches on the lanes, the third-seeded Lions finished as the runner up to the title, falling to top-seeded Bryant, 2-0, in the ECC Final Megamatch.

Day One

• The Lions earned the third-seed in the tournament, matching up in the same bracket with sixth-seeded Daemen and seventh-seeded St. Anselm.
• Following St. Anselm falling to Daemen in the first match, Molloy was set to face the Hawks in their first match of the day in best-of-seven baker format Friday afternoon.
• The Keglers and Hawks were tied through the first four games, 2-2, but following a 211 game in game five by Molloy, the cardinal and white clinched the match victory in six, 4-2, to eliminate St. Anselm.
• The remainder of the day was set for Molloy and Daemen to battle it out in best-of-seven baker matches, with the winner needing two victories to advance to Saturday.
• In the first match, the two squads were tied 1-1 after two games, but Molloy would rattle off three straight victories highlighted by a 225 game in the closing match to clinch a 4-1 triumph.
• The second match was a carbon copy of the first one, after being tied after two games, Molloy went on a streak of three straight victories, 4-1, to clinch a spot on day two.

Day Two

• The format shifted on Saturday to Mega Matches, where the the teams competing battle it out in a best two-of-three. The first match consists of a traditional total pin fall match, followed by baker total pin fall, and if necessary a best-of-seven baker in the third match.
• The cardinal and white were tasked to take on the second-seeded Kutztown Golden Bears in Saturdays first match.
• In the traditional match, both teams came out firing, but it was the Lions who rallied with four of the squads five bowlers rolling 200 games. The team was led by junior Kaitlyn Warren who rolled a match-high 245 en route to the match one triumph, 1,011-982.
• The baker match was much of the opposite, as the Golden Bears jumped out to a 73-pin lead after the first two games, rolling 230 and 210. The deficit would be too much for the Lions to overcome, as Kutztown would clinch the match two win, 1,075-979, to force a best-of-seven baker match.
• The deciding match would start with a 193-193 tie in the first game, before the Lions rallied off two straight wins to take a commanding 2.5-.5 lead. After Kutztown took the fourth game to shrink the match to 2.5-1.5, Molloy ended the match rolling a 195 and 238 game to clinch the match and move into the winners bracket, 4.5 -1.5.
• The Lions matched up with top-seeded Bryant in the winners bracket match. The cardinal and white would see Warren roll a team-high 222, but it would not be enough as the Bulldogs took the traditional match, 984-893.
• In the baker match, Bryant jumped out to a 61-pin after the first two games, but the Keglers would answer with a fury in the next two games, flipping the match in their favor to take a 10-pin lead into the fifth game.
• The fifth game would see the two teams go shot for shot, but in the end, Bryant would pull away in the final frames and clinch a 17-pin victory, 178-161, to earn the match victory by seven pins and advance to the finals.

Day Three

• Molloy headed into Sunday to match back up with second-seeded Kutztown in an elimnation mega match to determine who would face Bryant in the final.
• The traditional match would be tight all the way through, but the cardinal and white would pull out a 19-pin triumph, 954-935, to come within one match win of a finals appearance. Throughout the match, freshman Ava Mazella and senior Emily Kulkarni shined rolling a 208 and 202 game, respectively.
• Similar to the traditional match, the baker pin fall would be a game of inches. The Lions and Golden Bears would be separted by just nine pins through four games, setting the stage for the fifth game. In the fifth game, the Golden Bears pulled away late to collect a 190-156 victory, to earn the match win by 25 pins to set up a winner take all best-of-seven baker for the right to advance to the finals.
• In the best-of-seven baker match, the two programs were deadlocked at two after four games, but the Lions put together games of 229 and 244 in games five and six to secure the 4-2 triupmh and advance to the ECC Final to take on top-seeded Bryant.
• In the opening traditional match, the Lions hung in with the Bulldogs, but the top-seed would establish a lead that Molloy would not be able to overcome as they would fall, 999-979.
• Bryant carried that momentum into the baker match, taking a 124-pin lead after three games as they would go on and clinch the title, 1,023-833.