Rockville Centre, N.Y. - On Tuesday night,
sophomore guard Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) poured in a
career-high 25 points, and grabbed 14 boards, to lift the
fourth-seeded Molloy College men's basketball team past
fifth-seeded Queens College, 72-62, in an East Coast Conference
quarterfinal match-up at Quealy Gymnasium in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
As a result, the Lions, who improved to 18-9 overall, earned their
first victory in post-season play since the 1999-2000 season.
Molloy's last win after the regular season occurred on Mar. 2, 2000
in an 87-73 win versus Adelphi University. Until tonight, the Lions
had gone without a triumph in the New York Collegiate Athletic
Conference or ECC Tournament in 10 straight games.
Leading 15-13 with over 11 minutes to go in the first half, Molloy
rolled off a 16-0 run in a span of 4:43 to grab a commanding 31-13
advantage at the 6:40 mark. Junior forward John Petrucelli
(Hicksville, N.Y.) accounted for 10 of the points in the burst.
Sophomore guard Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) had four points, all
of which came at the free-throw line.
Queens answered though, using a 13-2 spurt in a three-minute stint
to cut the deficit to seven (33-26) with 3:12 remaining. Freshman
guard Dejuhan Gray (Massapequa, N.Y.)started the streak with a
lay-up, and capped it with two freebies. Sophomore forward Patrick
Modzelewski (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added six of the other nine points
in-between.
The Knights would eventually head into the break trailing by a
40-32 count. More than midway through the latter half, the visitors
found themselves down again by double digits (57-46). Then, an 8-2
run over a stretch of 3:48 by QC closed the gap to 59-54 with 2:03
left. Junior guard Patrick Parker (Queens, N.Y.) and sophomore
guard Abe Akanmu (Staten Island, N.Y.) sparked it with back-to-back
lay-ups. Senior forward Daniel Watson (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) capped
it with a three-point play.
That was as close as the Knights got though, as a quick five-point
response by the Lions, anchored by a three-ball from the corner by
senior guard Jimmy Nolan (Plantation, Fla.) extended the hosts'
lead to 64-54 at the 1:28 juncture, and ultimately sealed the
victory for Molloy.
For the contest, Molloy shot 38.9 percent (21-of-54) from the
floor, 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from deep, and 67.6 percent
(25-of-37) from the stripe. Like McLeod, Petrucelli notched a
double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds) as well. He also dished off
four assists, and swiped four steals. Nolan and freshman guard
Brandon Williams (Baldwin, N.Y.) totaled nine points and two
rebounds apiece. Sophomore forward Miles Prendergast (Bayport,
N.Y.) collected seven points off the bench.
The Lions now advance to the semifinals of the ECC Tournament on
Thursday (Mar. 7). For the second time in eight days, Molloy will
travel to Bridgeport, Conn. to face now top-seeded University of
Bridgeport. The opening tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
Provided by the Molloy Sports Information Department.