PALMER CHECKS IN WITH 17 POINTS AS MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS CLOSE 74-69 CONTEST AGAINST NYIT

Box Score vs. NYIT - January 10, 2009

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Jan. 10, 2009) - Junior guard Carl Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded a team-high 17 points on Saturday, but it wasn't enough as the Molloy College men's basketball squad dropped to East Coast Conference foe New York Institute of Technology by a 74-69 count at Recreation Hall in Old Westbury, N.Y. He also took away four steals and grabbed three rebounds.

Trailing 2-0 with just under 19 minutes remaining in the first half, Molloy (3-9, 2-2 ECC) sported a 7-0 run over a time of 1:02 to take a 7-2 lead with 17:42 to go. Junior guard Michael Johnson (Jamaica, N.Y.) began it with a lay-up. Palmer capped the streak with a lay-up and a trifecta. Johnson had eight points (3-3 FG, 2-2 FT) in the period, while Palmer totaled seven points (3-7 FG, 1-1 3FG). 

Shortly thereafter, the Bears (8-5, 3-1 ECC) were down 15-9 with 15:17 left. They then recorded a 10-4 burst in a span of 1:39 to knot the contest up at 19-all with 13:28 remaining. Sophomore guard Daniel Berg (Osteras, Norway) and senior guard Bryant Lassiter (Bay Shore, N.Y.) each knocked down a three in the spurt. Lassiter also put a lay-up in the basket at 14:04. 

Five minutes later, the Lions were behind 24-22. They then posted an 11-3 run during a period of 3:43 to grab a 10-point advantage (35-25) with 4:20 to go. Freshman guard Chris Manning (Brooklyn, N.Y.) started it with a three-ball. Sophomore forward Brian Hutchinson (Elmont, N.Y.) followed with a jumper. Freshman center/forward Dariel Concha (Valley Stream, N.Y.) continued with a jay. Junior forward Girard Fitts (Uniondale, N.Y.) ended it with a dunk. 

Molloy contained its lead for the ensuing minute until the 26-second mark. NYIT sported a 10-0 streak over a span of 2:59 to take back the lead at 38-37 after being behind nine with 3:40 left. Lassiter and junior forward Benny Flores (Stockton, Calif.) recorded a three-pointer apiece. Junior guard Anthony Clarke (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) and senior forward Mickell Vickers (Babylon, N.Y.) each netted free throws. 

The Lions went into the break up by a 39-38 margin following a lay-up by Palmer at 14 seconds.  

They kicked off the latter stanza by tallying the first five points on a Palmer jumper and Manning lay-up. The Bears responded with a dunk by junior forward Arthur Braswell (Compton, Calif.) and another Flores long-range bomb. He had three trifectas in the game, which accounted for the nine points that Flores registered overall. That tied everything up at 43-43 with under 18 minutes remaining. 

Over the ensuing six minutes, both squads consistently traded points. After that, the match took shape for the final stretch. Down 53-51 with just over 12 minutes to go, NYIT registered an 8-1 burst in a span of 1:53 to sport a 59-54 lead with 10:11 left. Four different players had points during the spurt. Berg had a trifecta, Braswell slammed another ball home and sophomore guard/forward Carl Kindborg (Sweden) posted a lay-up, which served as the highlights. 

Molloy responded with a quick 6-1 run to tie the game (60-60) with 6:18 remaining. Palmer started and wrapped it up with a lay-up. It wouldn't be until the 32-second mark that there was another turning point. This time, the shot put the contest away for good as Kindborg drained a three-pointer from the right wing, which put NYIT ahead by a 72-69 score. Lassiter added two free throws as well with 15 seconds to go for insurance. 

The Lions shot 50.0 percent (31-for-62) from the field and 62.5 percent (5-for-6) from the foul line. Fitts totaled 12 points and three rebounds. Johnson posted 10 points, three boards, three steals and two assists. Manning compiled nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Concha accumulated eight points, six boards and one block. Freshman forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.) earned seven points and five rebounds. 

As for the Bears, they were 22-of-52 (42.3 percent) from the floor, 12-of-30 (40.0 percent) from beyond the arc and 18-of-25 (72.0 percent) from the stripe. Lassiter registered a game-high 34 points (8-17 FG, 5-12 3FG, 13-15 FT). Flores and Vickers tallied nine points each. Flores also grabbed four boards, while Vickers took away two steals. Kindborg raked in seven points and two assists in 24 minutes of action. 

Berg collected six points and two rebounds. Braswell amassed nine boards, four points, three blocks and two steals. Senior guard Bryan Smothers (Camden, N.J.) tallied three points. He also crashed the glass for two rebounds. Clarke finished with three boards, three assists, two points and one steal. 

Head Coach Charlie Marquardt and his squad return to action this Wednesday when they take on East Coast Conference arch-rival Adelphi University at the Center for Recreation and Sport in Garden City, N.Y. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.