UB Men Prevail In ECC Basketball Battle At Molloy, 76-73

Rockville Centre, N.Y.-Bridgeport senior Willie Williams III (Norwalk, Conn.) recorded his third straight double-double and eighth of the 2014-15 season grabbing a season-high 19 rebounds and scoring 11 points to help the Purple Knights fight off a strong challenge from the host Molloy College Lions on Thursday night, as UB prevailed, 76-73, in a hard-fought Easy Coast Conference men's basketball affair.  Thursday's victory ups the Purple Knights season record to 12-4, and UB is now 8-1 in conference play.  Bridgeport has also won three straight games and 10 of last 11 outings.  Molloy is now 10-7 overall and 5-4 in the ECC.

Williams was joined in double figures by three teammates, as junior Devon Elliott (Brooklyn, N.Y.) netted a team-leading 18 points, and juniors Eddie Asamoah (Calgary, Canada) and Ernest Rouse (Freeport, N.Y.), each shipped in 14 points.

UB senior Naqwan Crowell (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had a solid all-around game on Thursday night with eight points, six assists, five rebounds and one steal.

The Purple Knights trailed 42-41 at the half, but Bridgeport opened the second 20 minutes of action on fire going on a 14-3 run to begin the second half to take a 55-44 lead with 15:53 to play.  Molloy would battle back to grab a 71-70 advantage with 4:28 to play, but a hoop by Crowell with 3:39 to go gave UB a 72-71 lead which it never relinquished, as the team stiffened its play on the defensive end allowing the Lions only two points over the final 4:28.

Charlie Marquardt led Molloy with a game-high 29 points, as he connected on 7-of-13 three-point shots.

Up next, the Bridgeport men open up a two-game homestand versus Queens (N.Y.) College on Saturday afternoon.  Action is slated to begin in Hubbell Gym at 3:00 p.m.