Four players scored in double-digits for the Mercy College men’s basketball team, but it was not enough, as the Mavericks fell to visiting Molloy College 103-92 in East Coast Conference play on Wednesday night. It was the second consecutive game in which Mercy has yielded over 100 points.

In the first half, Molloy (3-6, 3-2 ECC) led by as many as 19, but the Mavericks were able to cut the lead to seven at the half, 51-44. Sophomore Jerrell Lawrence (Baldwin, N.Y./St. Mary’s) would score all of his eight points in the first 20 minutes.

As the second half started, senior Manny Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) hit back-to-back three pointers , as Molloy missed its first seven shots, and suddenly it was a one-point game at 51-50. But a 15-2 run for Molloy changed the scope of the game, with the lead eventually swelling to 16 points at 72-56 with 12:48 remaining.

Yet the Mavericks (0-10, 0-5 ECC) refused to quit. A 9-0 run for Mercy cut the lead back to single-digits. That stretch was highlighted by a Kortney Parker (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Mt. Vernon) dunk, which was set up by a steal from sophomore LeBrandon Smith (Jamaica, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy).

The lead would hover around the ten-points the rest of the way, with the Lions claiming the win.

Molloy’s John Petrucelli recorded the game’s only double-double, consisting of game-highs in points (34) and rebounds (12). He added seven assists. Leading Mercy was Garcia, who scored 20. Sophomore Colin Senior (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) added 17, making six of his 11 shots.

Mercy takes the court again on Saturday, January 10, at NYIT.