Men's Basketball Edged By Molloy in 2016-17 Finale, 78-71

2/25/2017 6:52:00 PM

Box Score

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Feb. 25, 2017) - The LIU Post men's basketball team closed out the 2016-17 season Saturday with a 78-71 loss to Molloy College in an East Coast Conference tilt at Quealy Gymnasium in Rockville Centre.

In a contest that featured eight tied scores and 12 lead changes, the Lions (17-10, 13-5 ECC) pulled away late for the win.

Tied 56-56 nearly midway through the second half, Molloy reeled off an 18-4 run in a six-minute span to grab a 74-60 advantage with 4:03 left. Senior guards Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) and Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) combined for 14 of the points in the burst.

The Pioneers (10-18, 9-9 ECC) answered though with a 9-0 spurt to close the gap to a two-possession game (74-69) at the 24-second mark. Senior forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.) bookended the run with baskets. Red-shirt junior guard Aary Bibens (Bennington, Vt.) added a lay-up.

Yet, that was as close as the green and gold came to completing a comeback, as Marquardt and Morris each drained two free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.

In the opening period, LIU Post trailed 19-17, until an 11-2 run put the visitors in front 28-21 with 8:45 remaining. Bibens, who scored 15 points in 18 minutes off the bench, knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the stretch.

However, Molloy fought back and eventually leveled the score at 32-all on a pair of Marquardt free throws with 4:28 to go. The Lions would take a slight 41-38 lead into halftime.

Senior guard Jared Hall (South Orange, N.J.) paced the Pioneers with a team-high 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Dotson totaled 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Freshman forward Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.) had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Freshman guard Jared Rivers (Westbury, N.Y.) chipped in seven points, four rebounds and two assists.

Head Coach Erik Smiles and his LIU Post squad have concluded the 2016-17 campaign. For more information on Pioneer men's basketball, please continue to visit LIUPostPioneers.com.