ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Wrapping up their downstate trip of the weekend, the D'Youville University men's basketball team was narrowly defeated by Molloy University Sunday afternoon by a score of 80-79.
 
The Saints (2-13, 0-6 ECC) were led by Justin Moore (Oxford, Ala./Oxford) and Elisha Warren (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven) who both recorded double-doubles on the day. Moore scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Warren had 15 points and 14 boards.
 
The teams battle on another tough for the fist five minutes of play with neither gaining much of an advantage. The Lions used a 13-0 run after the stalemate to go up 20-8 after seven minutes of play. A three-pointer from Kevin Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop-Timon) halted the run for the Saints. DYU would battle back to cut the deficit to two-possessions, but Molloy was able to take a 43-30 lead into the break.
 
Molloy came out of the half strong, pushing their lead to as many as 18 points but that would not deter the Saints. Trailing by 12 points with just over 12 minutes to play, D'Youville would battle back to make it a 70-67 game with 6:33 left in regulation. The Saints were not done there. With 2:19 left in regulation, D'Youville got their second lead of the game thanks to back-to-back three-pointer from Dawson Matsell (Hamilton, Ontario/Orangeville Prep) and Jaylin Simmons (Queens, N.Y./Benjamin Cardozo) to give them the 77-76 lead. The Lions got the lead back with eight seconds remaining thanks in part to a pair of free throws. The Saints had one last look with a second remaining, but Moore's three-pointer did not fall.
 
D'Youville went 24-for-69 (34.8 percent) from the field while Molloy went 26-for-60 (43.3 percent) from the floor. The Lions had the big advantage on the glass, grabbing 51 rebounds to the Saints' 34.
 
D'Youville will wrap up their three-game road trip this Thursday as they travel down the road to face #3/#4 Daemen University at 7 p.m.