CLAXTON’S BIG NIGHT SENDS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO 60-56 EDGING OF DOWLING

Box Score vs. Dowling - February 3, 2010

OAKDALE, N.Y. (Feb. 3, 2010) – Senior guard Lisa Claxton (Hempstead, N.Y.) amassed a team-best 12 points to go with three clutch steals on Wednesday evening to lift the Molloy College women’s basketball team to a 60-56 win over Dowling College in a crucial East Coast Conference match at Dowling Gymnasium in Oakdale, N.Y. As a result, the Lions went to 13-6 and 10-4 against league foes. They have also won three in a row, and six of their last seven contests. As for the Golden Lions, they fell to 13-7 and 7-7 in the ECC.

In the first half, neither team could find their niche from the field as the visitors headed into the intermission ahead by a 19-18 count. A majority of the latter stanza saw the two squads swing between a two- and five-point margin. Tied at 32-up with under 11 minutes left in regulation, Molloy registered five straight points to go up 37-32 at the 10:09 mark. Senior guard Lisa Abitante (Brooklyn, N.Y.) netted a three-ball from the wing, while senior forward E.J. Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) capped off the scoring with a put-back lay-up.

Five minutes later, Dowling was down 47-42 at the 5:00 juncture. The Golden Lions then earned five unanswered points of their own to put the game at 47-47 with 3:51 to go. Graduate guard Christie Marrone (Brooklyn, N.Y.) converted on a three-point play in the scoring. The Lions responded right back though with a 6-0 streak in a 20-second stint to grab back the edge at the 3:12 juncture. Sophomore guard Scarlett Demchak (Merrick, N.Y.) buried a trey from the corner to spark it. Claxton ended the run with a three-point play off the break.

Once again, Dowling answered with the same type of run to deadlock the game at 53-up. Marrone knocked down a trifecta from the wing to open things up. Sophomore forward Hannah Krueger (Mentone, Ind.) followed with a put-back. Senior guard Simona Bartkova (Greve, Denmark) capped it by making one of two at the line. Molloy continued to throw runs at the opposition, but an ensuing 5-0 spurt to put the match-up away for good. Dreyer scored off a lay-up. Junior center Caitlin Wheeler (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) added two big makes at the line.

Aside from Claxton, Dreyer finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Abitante amassed 10 points and five rebounds. Wheeler had nine points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a pair of assists. Graduate guard Jenna McLaughlin (Carle Place, N.Y.) chipped in with seven points and two steals for the Lions. As for the Golden Lions, Marrone led all players with 17 points. Freshman guard Connie Simmons (Syosset, N.Y.) registered 10 points. Krueger totaled six boards, five points and two steals.

Head Coach Tim O’Hagan and his squad will wrap up their three-game road trip this Saturday when Molloy heads to Old Westbury, N.Y. for an afternoon matinee at New York Institute of Technology. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.