By Patrick McCormack
Amanda Bartlett and Jessica DeNicola each scored 20 points, and DeNicola added 10 rebounds to lead Molloy to a 70-55 win over Mercy Mavericks in the East Coast Conference opener at Quealy Gymnasium on the campus of Molloy College. Junior guard Ashley Addison added 12 points for the Lions.
Head coach Tim O’Hagan knows how important it is to win the first game of conference play. “It’s very important to get a win to open up league play, especially against a much improved team in Mercy,” O’Hagan said. “On any given night, any team in our league can beat you. So the games that are in your building you have to take care of.”
Molloy trailed 26-22 with 2:31 left in the opening half, but the Lions finished the half on a 7-0 run to end the half up three as 29-26. Bartlett and junior Laura Rivera were in foul trouble in the opening half, but freshman guard Meghan Orlando came off the bench to run the offense.
Coach O’Hagan thought Orlando’s play was huge. “I thought we got tremendous minutes from our freshman point guard Megan Orlando,” O’Hagan said. “We really didn't miss a beat with her on the floor. She continues to grow every day. Again, we have to credit Mercy for being a scrappy defensive team. We had called a timeout and we said that we were not going to take any more jump shots for the rest of the half. We put an emphasis on getting to the basket and getting on the foul line. I think really the difference was we knocked down some shots finally and we were able to open the game up.”
Orlando, who scored her first college basket, knew she had a job to do. “When Laura got her third foul and coach put me in at the end of the first half, I knew I had to keep the game going and not have any let down,” Orlando said. “It feels great to get our first league win, and even better that I was a part of it. I hope we keep this pace going.”
The Mavericks went on an 8-3 run early on in the second half to tie the game at 38. But, with the game tied at 42, Molloy went on a 10-2 run of its own, which was sparked by threes from Bartlett and Addison, to go up 52-44. The Lions closed the game out on an 18-7 run.
Bartlett sees the progress that the Lions are making as the season goes on. “Everyone is getting more confident and we are learning to play with each other which is helping offensively,” Bartlett said. “Most of our subs were in when we went on a run at the end of the half which shows how important each and every person is on our team. We need to keep up our defensive intensity and continue to work on our offensive flow and we will be unstoppable.”
With the win the Lions improve to 5-4, 1-0 in ECC play. Molloy will go on the road to take on Queens College on Sunday, December 11. The Mavericks fell to 0-7.
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