BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (January 20, 2011) – Molloy College will enter the Pratt Recreation Center on Saturday as the C.W. Post Campus will be celebrating Post Pride Day. The Pioneer women are looking to go 2-0 against Molloy this year, while the men will look to keep a hold on first place in the ECC standings.
The C.W. Post women's basketball team enters play on Saturday after a tough loss Wednesday night to NYIT, 49-62. NYIT used a 21-4 run to end the first half with a 36-18 lead, and with no intentions of looking back. The loss drops the Pioneers' overall record to below .500 at 7-8, and are now 5-5 in the ECC after two straight losses.
Junior Felicia Joyner (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) was the lone C.W. Post player to reach double-digit figures in the point column, as she led the team with 17 points and chipped in four steals on the defensive side. Senior forward Alyssa Lombardi (New Fairfield, Conn.) continued her season-long strong performance on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds to raise her average to 8.3 a game. Lombardi has helped the Pioneers accomplish a +2.2 rebounding margin against opponents on the year.
Senior Janea Aiken (St. Albans, N.Y.) has been the main scorer for the Pioneers, averaging 16.1 points a game. However, she was only able to manage nine points Wednesday night along with seven rebounds. Aiken has been held under 10 points in the past two games.
Molloy is also coming off a loss last time out, losing to Bridgeport 51-40 Wednesday Night. The loss drops the Lions' to 4-13 overall, but only one game back of the Pioneers in the ECC standings at a 4-6 conference mark.
Two-time ECC Rookie of the Week, Jessica DeNicola, has been the main threat for the Lions throughout the year, as she is the team's leading scorer with 10.3 points a game. Sophomore Ashley Addison joins DeNicola in the double-digit scoring output per game, as she is close behind with a 10.1 avearge.
Delmara Reece and Caitlin Wheeler have given the Lions strong post play, cleaning up rebounds and denying opponents from scoring. Reece is one of only two players in the ECC to be averaging double-digit rebounds, as she is averaging 10.1 boards a game. Wheeler is the overwhelming leader in the conference with 58 blocks on the year, averaging 3.41 blocks a game.
Even with Reece's strong rebounding performance on the season, Molloy as a team is losing the battle on the glass with opponents thus far. The team currently has a -5.1 rebounding margin against teams this year.
The last time these two teams met was Dec. 11. The Pioneers controlled play essentially from the start of the game with a 71-50 victory. Nicole Marciniak (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the way for the Pioneers with 15 points and eight rebounds. Aiken contributed 13 points and four assists and Lombardi controlled the glass with 12 rebounds. Senior Shatima Greer (Central Islip, N.Y.) came off the bench to add 11 points and eight rebounds.
The contest was a struggle for Molloy, as the team was held to 29 percent shooting and no individuals reaching double-digit points, having four players stuck on nine points at the end of the game. Reece did battle Lombardi on the boards, pulling down 11 rebounds of her own. Wheeler also let her presence known in the post, sending back six Pioneer shots.
The C.W. Post men's basketball team is currently one of the hottest teams in the region, riding a seven-game win streak after a dominating win against NYIT on Wednesday, 98-72. With the win, the Pioneers were able to keep pace at top of the ECC standings with Queen and Bridgeport with an 8-2 conference mark. Also, the team pushed its overall record to 11-6.
On Wednesday night, C.W. Post put forth a strong effort, led by leading scorer
Stefan Bonneau (Middletown, N.Y.). Bonneau up is first ranked scoring average to 18.6 points a game after pouring in 27 against NYIT. The junior guard has also pushed his free throw percentage to 92.1 percent, also first in the conference. Current ECC Player of the Week,
Aaron Hall (Syracuse, N.Y.), chipped in a double-double effort with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard
Gilbert Montalvo (Astoria, N.Y.) set up his teammates well during the night, dishing out 11 assists. The assist output pushed Montalvo's league leading assists per game to 5.65 a game.
Along with Montalvo being a category leader in the conference, Bonneau and Hall making up two of three top scoring leaders. Bonneau continues to be the top scorer with his average, as Hall joins near the top with his 15.5 average. As a team, the Pioneers are the leading offense in the conference with 81.5 points per game. The scoring output per game is behind the team shooting 46.1 percent from the field, along with a 40.4 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 8.65, threes a game.
All five of Molloy's wins this year have come via conference play, going 5-5 in the ECC and 5-9 overall. Last game was a loss to a strong team in Bridgeport on Wednesday night, 69-43.
Four-time ECC Rookie of the Week, John Petrucelli, is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year as he is leading the Lions with 14.0 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, and conference leading 2.86 steals per game. Senior Brian Hutchinson has been limited to only eight games on the year, but has done well with 13.8 points per game and 6.9 rebounds a game.
The Lions have also enjoyed strong play from junior center Dariel Concha. Concha enters play on Saturday shooting 51.6 percent from the field and pulling down 6.4 rebounds a game.
Back on the December 11 matchup between these two teams, Molloy was able to claim the last margin in what was a very close, back and forth contest. The Lions led by 38-34 at the break, and then went on two separate 7-0 runs during periods of the second half. The Pioneers kept chipping away, getting within two points a few times. However, the Lions converted on eight of ten from the charity stripe to seal the victory. The team also used four players in double figures to help push past, including 17 by Jimmy Nolan.
Tobin Carberry (Hamden, Conn.) put down a season-high with 26 points to pace the Pioneers. The team did shoot a solid percentage from the field, shooting 48.1 percent and knocking down 12, threes. Poor free throw shooting seemed to haunt the Pioneers in the end however, as the team only went 8-18 from the charity stripe.
Both Pioneer teams will look to protect home court on the C.W. Post Campus during Post Pride Day. The women are set to tip off at 1:30, with the men to follow at approximately 3:30.