WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BREAKS SINGLE-SEASON MARK FOR WINS IN FINALE AGAINST STAC, 75-69

Box Score vs. STAC - February 28, 2009

SPARKILL, N.Y. (Feb. 28, 2009) – The Molloy College women’s basketball team set a new record for victories in a year on Saturday with 20 after upending St. Thomas Aquinas College by a score of 75-69 in its final regular season game at Aquinas Hall in Sparkill, N.Y. The previous mark of 19 was originally established in the 1988-89 campaign, and was tied by the East Coast Conference Championship squad of 2007-08.

Knotted at 6-6 with just over 17 minutes left in the first half, St. Thomas Aquinas drew up a 10-1 run in a time of 1:44 to get a 16-7 lead with 15:24 remaining. Junior guards Colleen Vogel (Emerson, N.J.) and Kaitlin Page (Pearl River, N.Y.) each knocked down a three in the burst. Freshman forward Briana Sloper (Williston Park, N.Y.) netted a pair of free throws to spark it.

Later on, Molloy trailed by eight (20-12) with more than 12 minutes to go. The Lions then posted a 13-0 streak in a four-plus minute stretch to take a 25-20 advantage with 7:57 left before the intermission. Freshman forward Molly Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) opened the spurt with a jumper from the elbow. Junior guard E.J. Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) capped it with a lay-up. Senior guard Betsy Bordes (Elmont, N.Y.) added a three-pointer from the wing for MC (20-6, 14-4 ECC).

Down 31-27 with over six minutes remaining, the Spartans notched a 14-2 spurt over a period of 3:26 to go ahead 41-33 with 2:51 to go. Junior forward Whitney Dugan (Newton, N.J.) raked five straight points off of a pair of jays and a made shot from the foul line. Vogel registered four points – all at the line. Freshman forward Natalie Catavero (New Rochelle, N.Y.) knocked down a trifecta as well.

The Lions answered though with a half-closing 9-2 run to head into the break behind by a single point at 43-42. Junior forward Kymira Woodberry (Boston, Mass.) drained back-to-back buckets to begin the burst. E.J. Dreyer continued with a lay-up. Senior guard Jenna McLaughlin (Carle Place, N.Y.) wrapped it up with a trey from the wing. Woodberry and junior guard Tatiana Lopez (Lakeview, N.Y.) combined to total 22 points in the stanza.

Just a few minutes into the latter half, the two squads were tied at 50-up. Molloy then recorded an 8-2 streak over a six-minute span to take a 58-52 lead with 10:34 left. Lopez got things started with a lay-up. Woodberry tallied the final four points on a jumper and a lay-up. From that point, STAC (7-20, 4-14 ECC) was able to pull within one at two different t, but the Spartans were unable to complete the comeback.

Leading 65-64 with less than three minutes remaining, the Lions raked 10 of the last 15 points to earn the victory. The tandem of junior guards Clarissa Jones (Boston, Mass.) and Lisa Abitante (Brooklyn, N.Y.) were the anchor in the home stretch as they were a combined 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. Lopez put up a key lay-up at the 2:09 mark to give Molloy a 68-64 advantage at that time.

Overall, the Lions shot 42.6 percent (26-for-61) from the floor, 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from downtown and 58.6 percent (17-for-29) from the free-throw line. Woodberry registered a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Lopez totaled a team-leading 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting. E.J. Dreyer amassed 12 points, nine rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Bordes and senior forward Katelyn Dunn (Bethpage, N.Y.) collected six points and two rebounds apiece. Jones accumulated five points, four rebounds and three assists. Abitante picked up five points, two rebounds and two steals. McLaughlin finished with three points and three assists. Sophomore forward Shauna Wilson (West Hempstead, N.Y.) pulled down four rebounds.

As for the Spartans, they were 21-of-62 (33.9 percent) from the floor and 18-of-20 (90.0 percent) from the stripe. Vogel scored a game-high 21 points. She was a flawless 10-for-10 from the line. Catavero recorded 12 points – all of which came from beyond the arc. Sloper had 11 points and six rebounds. Vareles earned eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Freshman guard Sylvia Davis (St. Alban’s, N.Y.), Page and Dugan notched five points each.

Page also dished off six assists and swiped a pair of steals, while Dugan brought down six rebounds. Sophomore guards Theresa Dowling (Congers, N.Y.) and Anne Moylan (Park Ridge, N.J.) raked two points apiece. Moylan also had one rebound and one assist.

Head Coach Tim O’Hagan and his squad have now clinched the No. 3 seed in the East Coast Conference Tournament. Molloy will host sixth-seeded Adelphi University in quarterfinal action on Wednesday evening at Quealy Gymnasium in Rockville Centre, N.Y. The opening tip is slated for 7 p.m. If you are unable to attend the game, 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.