Amherst, N.Y. - The 2025-26 campaign came to a close this afternoon for the third-seeded women's basketball team in the semifinal round of the East Coast Conference Championship, falling to second-seeded Mercy, 61-55. Molloy's season ends with a record of 13-17 while Mercy (22-6) advances to take on host and top-seeded Daemen for the title tomorrow afternoon. 

How it Happened

• Six points from senior Colleen McCullagh, three from senior Sophia Yearwood, and two from freshman Sharmeela Ugbogbo propelled the Lions to an 11-5 lead after seven minutes of play. 
• Molloy's lead would increase to as many as nine points, 15-7, but the Mavericks closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to come within a possession, 17-15.
• The second quarter was a struggle for both sides offensively, but the Lions managed just two field goals. A pair of foul shots from Yearwood kept it a one-possession game before Mercy's Grace Lesko's layup set the score at 28-24 at the halftime break.
• The teams were deadlocked throughout the third quarter with neither team leading by more than a possession with the exception of a brief five-point lead for the Mavericks, 36-31. 
• A jumper from Yearwood and a pair of fol shots from senior Rosa Rizzitelli worked the score within two headed into the final minute, but Mercy carried a four-point lead, 39-35, headed into the final quarter.
• Three minutes into the fourth frame, the Mavericks had extended the lead to as much as eight, 45-37. 
• Five-straight points from Rizzitelli paired with foul shots from sophomore Jamie Davneiro clawed the Lions back within one, 45-44. 
• Just under a minute later, a jump shot from Davneiro evened the score at 48 with 2:25 on the clock. 
• The next six-straight points would fall in favor of the Mavericks, creating a hole that Molloy was unable to crawl back from.

Top Performances

• Rizzitelli led the Lions with 16 points, going 6-of-6 from the foul line, and added eight rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. 
• Yearwood followed with 15 points and added three boards, two assists, and a steal.
• McCullagh's 14 points and 11 rebounds were good for a double-double to round out the top scorers, adding two blocks.
• Ugbogbo also matched the game-leading 11 rebounds.
• Davneiro's three assists paced the squad while sophomore Emma Poland added two blocks and five rebounds.