Rockville Centre, N.Y. - For the second time in as many seasons, the women's basketball team will be returning to the East Coast Conference Semifinal. The third-seeded Lions defended home court this evening with a 71-50 victory over the six-seeded Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia in their First Round match up. Molloy improved to 13-16 on the season with the win and will advance to take on second-seeded Mercy on Saturday (Mar. 7) at 2:30 p.m. 

How it Happened

• It was a tightly contested opening frame for the teams with the score being tied three times. Knotted at nine, a three-pointer gave the visitors a lead headed in to the final two minutes of the quarter. Senior Rosa Rizzitelli would cut the deficit to just one, 12-11, with a pair of foul shots. 
• Carrying over the two points to end the first quarter, a 10-point run put the Lions ahead by nine to start the second frame, 21-12. 
• UDC would work the score back to a one possession game twice in the final two minutes, but a jump shot from senior Sophia Yearwood gave the home team a 28-24 advantage at the break.
• Three-pointers from Yearwood and Rizzitelli paired with a jumper from sophomore Jamie Davneiro and foul shots from freshman Sharmeela Ugbogbo, Davneiro, and Rizzitelli broke open the game to a 14-point lead in favor of the Lions, 41-27. 
• From there, the contest belonged to the home squad, shooting at over 63 percent from the field in the final quarter to cruise to the victory. 

Top Performances

• Senior Colleen McCullagh topped the Lions with 23 points, netting her 1000th career point in the process, while adding six rebounds.
• Rizzitelli followed with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double, to go with eight assists.
• Yearwood netted 13 points to go with six rebounds and three assists.
• Ugbogbo pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds to go with 10 points for her down double-double. 
• Davneiro led with two steals, adding five rebounds, four assists, and four points. 

Up Next
Molloy will advance to the semifinal round of the East Coast Conference Championship on Saturday (Mar. 7) against second-seeded Mercy at 2:30 p.m. from the campus of Daemen University in Amherst, N.Y.