HOT SHOOTING IN FIRST HALF LIFTS ADELPHI OVER MEN'S BASKETBALL, 81-62, IN ECC RIVALRY MATCH

Box Score vs. Adelphi - January 14, 2009 

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (Jan. 14, 2009) - The Adelphi University men's basketball team shot an excellent 57.1 percent from the floor in the first half on Wednesday night to defeat Molloy by an 81-62 count at the Center for Recreation and Sport in Garden City, N.Y. With the result, the Lions fell to 3-10 and 2-3 against East Coast Conference nemeses. As for the Panthers, they improved to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in league action. 

Adelphi opened up the contest on a quick 12-2 run that lasted through a period of 3:01. Senior forward Sky Khaleel (Queens, N.Y.) began and capped it off with a lay-up. Junior guard Casey Cosgrove (Andover, Mass.) knocked down back-to-back threes from the left wing. Sophomore guard Richard Byrd (Central Islip, N.Y.) added a jay as well. Cosgrove tallied 11 points in the first period. Byrd had 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Khaleel recorded six points. 

Later on, the Panthers led 21-12 with less than 12 minutes remaining. They then drew up a 9-0 spurt in a span of 1:16 to take a 30-12 lead with 10:24 to go. Byrd started it with a deuce. Junior center Steffon Farley (Lanham, Md.) and Cosgrove followed and carried it with respective lay-ups. Senior guard Arjan Perovic (New York, N.Y.) wrapped up the burst with a three-ball. 

The Lions answered right back with a 7-0 streak during a time of 1:23 to cut the deficit to 11 at 30-19. Hutchinson sparked the run with a lay-up and closed it out with a jumper. Junior forward Girard Fitts (Uniondale, N.Y.) added a three-pointer in the middle. Adelphi stormed right back to an 18-point advantage in the ensuing seconds. Khaleel and Byrd netted a jay each. Perovic contributed a trifecta from the top of the key. 

As the half came to a close, Molloy went into the break trailing 46-31 as Fitts knocked down a three with eight seconds left. Over the stanza, Fitts notched a team-high 12 points. Sophomore forward Brian Hutchinson (Elmont, N.Y.) accumulated nine points. Junior guard Carl Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) registered four points. 

The Lions kicked off the latter stanza with an 8-2 burst in a span of 2:01 to get within 48-39 at the 17:16 juncture. Freshman forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.) commenced the spurt with a jumper. Fitts continued with a pair of free throws. Hutchinson sustained it with a put-back lay-up. Junior guard Michael Johnson (Jamaica, N.Y.) closed the run out by driving to the basket and scoring on a lay-up. 

Adelphi responded with a 7-0 streak over a time of 1:43 to put their advantage back at 16 points (55-39) with 14:58 left. Byrd set it off with a three-point play and capped it with a jumper. Khaleel contributed a lay-up as well. One minute later, Molloy recorded its last run (8-0) after being down 57-41 with 13:30 remaining. The burst sent the deficit back to single digits. Palmer notched the final seven points of it on a three-pointer and a pair of jays.

From there, the Lions were unable to make the comeback true as the Panthers twice held a lead as large as 19 points. 

Overall, Molloy shot 34.4 percent (21-for-61) from the field and 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from the charity stripe. Palmer compiled a team-best 18 points (6-15 FG). Hutchinson amassed 16 points and nine rebounds. Fitts totaled 14 points and two assists in 27 minutes of action. Manning had six points, four boards, three steals and two assists. Johnson and Wafula registered four points apiece. 

Adelphi was 33-of-69 (47.8 percent) from inside the arc and 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) from the foul line. Byrd finished with a game-high 25 points (10-16 FG, 5-5 FT). He also raked nine rebounds and two steals. Khaleel collected 14 points, eight boards, four blocks, three assists and one steal. Cosgrove gathered 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Farley accumulated eight points, five boards and three blocks. 

Senior guard Alvin Vivican III (Brentwood, N.Y.) picked up seven points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Perovic and sophomore guard David Akinyooye (Elmont, N.Y.) earned six points apiece. Akinyooye also added five boards, two blocks and one steal. 

Head Coach Charlie Marquardt and the Lions return to the court this Saturday when they will try to snap a six-game losing streak at Quealy Gymnasium versus ECC foe Dowling College. The opening tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.