ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – The Roberts Wesleyan College men's basketball team staged a furious comeback, cutting a 17-point second-half deficit to one twice in the final minute, before eventually falling 86-80 to host Molloy College in an East Coast Conference game on Sunday afternoon.
The Redhawks (6-6, 4-3 ECC) trailed 46-33 with 16:50 to play before rallying. Roberts pulled within78-77 on a three-point shot by Amari Lee with 47 seconds to play and 80-79 on a dunk by Abou Gbane with 25 seconds left before Molloy (6-11, 5-3) went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to close out the game.
"I was pleased with the looks that we were getting," Roberts coach Mark Saladzius said. "We just did not shoot a high enough percentage to get over the hump.
"We had to rely on our defense to make stops but we gave them a few too many opportunities."
Gbane led five Roberts players in double figures with 17 points. Lee and Ja'Kair Sanchez both contributed 13 points and Rian Carter and Kevon Wright each scored 10. Shane Fanning finished with nine points.
Roberts shot just 33 percent from the floor (21 of 63) and went 27 of 35 from the free-throw line. Roberts scored 25 points off of turnovers in a game that featured 10 lead changes.
"We gave ourselves a chance, but we just had to make a few too many runs," Saladzius said.
Gbane paced the Redhawks with seven rebounds while Lee and Sanchez each snared six. Lee finished with a team-high four assists.
The Redhawks return to action for an ECC matchup against Mercy College at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Voller Athletic Center.