OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Feb. 2, 2011) – Cierra Baker (Windsor, Conn.) and Rebecca Lynch (Hillsdale, N.J.) each tallied 15 points as NYIT women’s basketball faced a tough 77-60 loss to Molloy College Wednesday night in East Coast Conference action.

 

Baker added a team-best 11 rebounds and grabbed five steals for the Bears, who dropped to 6-13 overall and 4-9 in the ECC.

 

The Lions out-shot the Bears 45.5% to 28.9% from the field, while going 21-23 (91.3%) from the charity stripe. Christina Marra’s game-high 17 points paced Molloy. Courtney Dolnick added 13 points, while Caitlin Wheeler tallied 11 points. Scarlett Demchak rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Lions with 10 and Delmara Reece pulled down a game-high 15 boards.

 

NYIT jumped to an eight-point lead at the 15:31 mark, 12-4, on a free throw from Lynch. However, Molloy responded with a 14-2 rally that gave the Lions the lead, 18-14, with 11:18 to go. Molloy never looked back as it pushed to a 17-point advantage, 39-22, with two minutes remaining in the first half. The Bears scored the final baskets of the half, all of which were from Lynch, to trail 39-28 going into the break.

 

The Bears fought hard to knot the score by producing a 15-7 run to open the second half. Initiated by a fast break layup from Baker at 19:45, NYIT brought the game within one point, 44-43, with 14:55 to go. However, the Bears could not gain the upper hand. Molloy brought the game to a close with a 16-5 run that started at 5:45 on a free throw from Ikema Ross and culminated at 77-60 off free throws by Wheeler with 33 seconds remaining.