MEN’S BASKETBALL ENDS YEAR WITH 98-63 LOSS TO NO. 2 C.W. POST IN ECC QUARTERFINALS

Box Score vs. C.W. Post - March 4, 2009

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 4, 2009) – Sophomore forward Brian Hutchinson (Elmont, N.Y.) posted a double-double on Wednesday with 16 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the No. 8 seed Molloy College men’s basketball team fell by a 98-63 decision to top-seeded and second-ranked C.W. Post in an East Coast Conference quarterfinal at the Pratt Recreation Center in Brookville, N.Y. With the defeat, the Lions finished the 2009 season with an overall record of 8-20 and a league mark of 7-11.

Trailing 4-0 with just over 19 minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Molloy notched a 9-0 streak in a three-plus minute stretch to go up 9-4 with 15:46 left. Junior forward Girard Fitts (Uniondale, N.Y.) started the run with a lay-up and capped it off with a jumper. Hutchinson raked a pair of deuces in the effort. But, C.W. Post (25-0) answered with a 14-2 burst over a four-minute period to get back the lead at 18-11 with 11:12 to go.

Senior guard Jonathan Schmidt (Centereach, N.Y.), who successfully converted a three-point chance in the spurt, and sophomore guard Gilbert Montalvo (Astoria, N.Y.) combined to register three treys. Senior guard Nicholas Carter (Huntington Station, N.Y.) also put up a lay-up off of a feed from Schmidt. Carter notched four points and four rebounds in the half, while Schmidt was tied for the game-high with 14 points.

Later on, the Pioneers were ahead 28-20 with less than six minutes left before the break. They then notched a 10-3 run during a span of 3:18 to grab a 38-23 advantage with 2:31 remaining. Montalvo had the opening four points off of a pair of jumpers. Junior forward Lyndon Daniel (St. George’s, Grenada) followed with a lay-up and a dunk for the next four. Carter wrapped things up by netting both of his attempts from the charity stripe. Eventually, C.W. Post went into the locker room up by the same margin with the score at 46-31.

Early into the second half, the Pioneers recorded another large run to put the game away for good. Ahead 48-33 with just under 19 minutes to go, C.W. Post put together a 12-0 streak during a time of 3:01 to clutch a 62-33 lead with 15:48 left. Montalvo registered five points off of a three-pointer and jumper. Senior guard Kenny Burkes (Suitland, Md.) amassed four points on a pair of lay-ups. Carter and junior forward James Tchana (Douala, Cameroon) collected two points apiece on a jumper and lay-up, respectively.

Then, as the game neared its conclusion, the Pioneers sported one final burst – an 11-0 spurt to grab hold of a 98-60 lead with 2:12 to go. Prior to the run, C.W. Post owned an 87-60 advantage with four and a half left. Senior guard Kellen Scantlebury (South Setauket, N.Y.) accounted for the final seven points of it off of a three-ball, dunk and a lay-up.

For the contest, the Lions shot 35.3 percent (24-for-68) from field-goal range and 52.0 percent (13-for-25) at the line. Junior forward Ian Thomas-Minor (Brooklyn, N.Y.) picked up 12 points and four rebounds. Junior guard Carl Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned nine points and three rebounds. Fitts totaled eight points, six assists and three rebounds. Freshman guard Chris Manning (Queens, N.Y.) had seven points, four rebounds and three assists.

Junior guard Michael Johnson (Jamaica, N.Y.) recorded six rebounds, five points and one assist. Freshman forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.) added six points, three rebounds, two assists and one block. Freshman forward Sean Hehir (Massapequa, N.Y.) pulled down two rebounds and dished off one assist.

As for the Pioneers, they were 37-of-73 (50.7 percent) from the floor and 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the free area. Schmidt finished with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Burkes notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He also swiped three steals and dished two assists. Montalvo raked in a game-best 21 points in 28 minutes off the bench. He also had eight assists and five rebounds. Scantlebury and Carter tallied 11 points each. Carter also collected eight rebounds, three assists and one block.

Daniel compiled 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block. Junior guard Roberto Macklin (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) registered eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Tchana added three points and two rebounds. Freshman forward Russell Holloway (Budd Lake, N.Y.) gathered two points and two rebounds. Senior guard Kevin Spann (West Babylon, N.Y.) collected two assists and two rebounds.

The 2008-09 campaign has now come to a close for the Molloy men’s basketball team. Please check back to http://athletics.molloy.edu for more information as the Lions will return in November of 2009.