Three competitive East Coast Conference games comprised the Thursday schedule, with one team pulling into a first-place tie:
BRIDGEPORT 77 MOLLOY 66
Devon Elliott totaled half of his 18 points during a critical 12-4 run in the second half, helping Bridgeport pull away from Molloy at Hubbell Gym for its sixth straight win, tying idle St. Thomas Aquinas for first place atop the ECC table. The junior guard added six assists (no turnovers) in 33 minutes for the Purple Knights, who also received big games from fellow junior guard Jesse Jones (16 points off the bench, including 4-of-6 long-range shooting), Eddie Asamoah (15 points, 6-9 FG, eight rebounds) and Ernest Rouse (10 of his 12 points in the second half, 3-6 from 3). A 16-4 first-half charge – culminating in a Jones trey – put the hosts ahead to stay at 30-19. The Lions – who saw a trio of players record a dozen points – came as close as 39-38 following a free throw from Brandon Williams (all 12 points after intermission, plus four assists) nearly five minutes into the final frame. It was 56-53 after two more Williams tosses with 5:50 to play when Bridgeport unleashed the decisive 12-4 flurry, opening up a 68-57 advantage after a Rouse three at the three-minute mark. The margin bounced between seven and 11 after that as Molloy fell to 0-20 lifetime against the P-Knights in Connecticut. Matt McLeod and Richard Zoller (6-9 FG) also tallied 12 in defeat for the Lions, who received 10 second-half points and six boards from Jaylen Morris. Both teams shot about 43% from the field, but the Purple Knights were more formidable from deep (10-23 to 2-13) and at the foul line (27-30 to 14-19) while Molloy was stronger in the paint (38-12) and on second chances (14-4). Both sides boasted solid assist-turnover lines (UB 14/9, MC 10/7). The Lions are tied with Dowling for the third seed, but idle LIU Post and New York Institute of Technology also have nine league losses in the four-way Long Island logjam with playoff positioning to be determined this weekend.
DOWLING 76 QUEENS 68
The Golden Lions grabbed a share of the third seed after crowning Queens in Oakdale, using a 48-20 scoring domination in the paint to fuel its victory. A 14-2 surge snapped a 17-17 tie and gave Dowling the lead for keeps at 31-19. The advantage was 53-47 inside of the last 11 minutes when a 3-ball from Donte Adams (18 points) kicked off a game-clinching 13-2 run that extended the divide to 66-49 with 6:43 left. Evan Maxwell – who compiled 21 points (10-13 FG), 10 rebounds and four assists – topped off the run with a 3-pointer, and the Knights never came closer than the eight-point final margin the remainder of the game. Darien Davis (12 points) and Michael Guzzardi (11 points, eight rebounds in a reserve role) rounded out the Golden Lions’ double-digit scorers as the hosts enjoyed an 18-8 edge in fouls that led to more than twice as many free-throw attempts (10-15 to 3-6). They also out-assisted their guests, 20-6. Jerry Mordi notched a double-double in defeat for Queens with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Diego Maldonado chipped in with 17 and six, respectively.
MERCY 79 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 77
In the nation’s capital, all five starters scored in double figures and Mercy snapped an eight-game losing streak in its season finale, defeating District of Columbia for the first time ever. Najee Senior’s steal and two free throws with half a second remaining proved the defining moment for the Mavericks, who set the tone with early leads of 9-0 and 17-5. The Firebirds used a 23-10 tear to nose in front for the first time at 28-27 before the Mavs closed out the half with a 10-4 flourish to regain control at 37-32. A lay-up by Jason Quijada (17 points on 7-of-11 shooting) with 15:37 to go in the second half gave the visitors a 50-41 upper hand, but UDC mounted a 19-8 run to reclaim a 60-58 lead after two tiebreaking foul shots by Eric Senegal (nine points off the bench) with 11:25 on the clock. Quijada followed with a tying jumper and go-ahead 3-ball to touch off an 11-3 counter-run as Mercy went back on top 69-63, but the Firebirds nearly matched the streak by scoring 12 of the next 16 to edge back in front 75-73 at the 3:31 mark. Michael Terry – who exploded for 27 points in his final home contest – capped the upswing with back-to-back trifectas as he was 6-of-10 from downtown Washington on the evening. Gerald McClease (17 points) knotted the score at the line on the visitors’ next possession, and both clubs went scoreless for more than two minutes before Quijada nailed a go-ahead jumper with 56 ticks left. Quasim Jones (13 points, seven assists) tied it up for the final time on an uncontested lay-up 20 seconds later, and the Mavericks played for the final shot. Senior took it and missed the mark, but he wrestled away the ball and was fouled in the act a half-second before the horn, setting up the winning freebies as he finished with 10 points. Lazaro Martinez tossed in 16 for the winners, who also received a perfect shooting night from Babucarr Bah (4-4 FG, 2-2 FT), as he registered a season-best 10 points and six boards in his first start. Mercy was the superior shooting team (55%-44%) though UDC fared better from beyond the arc (11-23 to 5-13) in falling for a fourth straight time. The Mavericks doubled their win total with eight this winter... the fist time that has happened since 2007.