WAFULA TALLIES GAME-HIGH 18 POINTS AS MEN’S BASKETBALL BURIES MERCY, 86-61

Box Score vs. Mercy - January 31, 2009

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 31, 2009) – On Saturday, freshman forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.) scored a game-high 18 points as the Molloy College men’s basketball team beat Mercy College by a decision of 86-61 in East Coast Conference play at Mercy Gymnasium in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. He was 8-for-11 shooting from inside the arc and pulled down six rebounds as the Lions won their third contest in a row.

Molloy (6-13, 5-5 ECC) started the game with a 12-0 streak in a four-minute stretch. Freshman guard Chris Manning (Queens, N.Y.) and junior guard Carl Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each knocked down a three-ball. Sophomore forward Brian Hutchinson (Elmont, N.Y.) and junior forward Girard Fitts (Uniondale, N.Y.) also put up back-to-back lay-ups.

Soon after, the Lions remained ahead by double digits (20-10) with under eight minutes to go. Mercy (0-19, 0-10 ECC) then notched a 10-3 run over a span of 3:39 to cut the deficit to three with 4:07 left. Senior guard/forward Justin McMullen (Brooklyn, N.Y.) opened and closed out the burst with a pair of free throws and a lay-up, respectively. Freshman guard Luka Trekman (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and senior guard Michael Marin (Flushing, N.Y.) added lay-ups as well.

Molloy responded right away though with a 10-0 streak during a time of 2:03 to go back ahead by double figures at a margin of 13 points (33-20) with 1:51 remaining. Hutchinson accounted for six of the points off of four free throws and a lay-up. Palmer and Manning scored on a respective put-back and fast break. The Lions eventually headed into the locker room with a 37-26 lead.

Three minutes into the second half, Molloy remained up by the same edge at 45-32. It then put the game out of reach with an 11-0 run in a three-minute period to grab hold of a 56-32 advantage with 14:19 remaining. Fitts kicked things off with a pair of lay-ups. Palmer had the other seven points off two trifectas from the wing and a made shot from the foul line.

Shortly thereafter, the Lions put together another big streak to build up the lead even more. It was a 13-3 run, which started at the 12:42 juncture, over a time of 3:59 that put Molloy ahead by a score of 73-39 with 8:43 left. Wafula raked four points in the burst on a jay and a lay-up. Hutchinson posted a three-point play. Palmer and freshman center/forward Dariel Concha (Valley Stream, N.Y.) earned deuces as well.

The Lions shot better than 50.0 percent from the field for the third consecutive match (51.6 – 32-for-62). They also recorded a 69.2 free-throw percentage (18-for-26). Hutchinson finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Palmer registered 16 points, three boards, two steals and one assist. Fitts amassed 13 points, three assists, one block and one steal. Junior forward Ian Thomas-Minor (Brooklyn, N.Y.) notched nine points, eight rebounds, one block and one steal.

Manning totaled eight points, six boards, five assists and five steals. Concha picked up three points, one rebound and one block. Freshman forward Sean Hehir (Massapequa, N.Y.) added four steals, two points, two boards and one assist. Junior guard T.J. Gessner (Mineola, N.Y.) chipped in with three assists and two rebounds.

Mercy was 23-of-66 (34.8 percent) from the floor and 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Ed Wilson (Bronx, N.Y.) raked 18 points, six boards, five steals and two assists. McMullen collected 16 points, six rebounds and one steal. Marin notched 10 points and five boards. Sophomore guard Jimmy Gunville (Raynham, Mass.) accumulated six points, two rebounds, one steal and one assist.

Trekman and sophomore guard Manny Garcia (Bronx, N.Y.) had four points apiece. Garcia also earned four boards, three assists and one steal. Junior guard David Brown (Ardsley, N.Y.) recorded two points, two rebounds and one steal. Sophomore guard Orlando Daniel (Bridgeport, Conn.) had three assists, two boards and one assist.

Head Coach Charlie Marquardt and the Lions return to action this Wednesday when they will try to keep their winning streak alive at home against Concordia College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. If you are unable to make it to the contest, you can follow all of the progress via Live Stats at http://livestats.prestosports.com/molloy or through a video stream at http://www.eccsports.tv.