Chestnut Hill College Athletics

Emily Sekerak recorded a double-double in the Chestnut Hill College Women's Basketball team's season opener, but the Griffins fell short when the final buzzer sounded, losing to host Molloy University 82-73 Saturday afternoon at the East Region conference challenge in Rockville Centre, New York.

The game was the season opener for both teams.

Sekerak scored a team high 20 points and grabbed a game high 14 rebounds.  The junior center also had three blocks and three steals on the afternoon.   Bridie McCann added 17 points and four assists. Avery White added 16 points.  Caleigh Edwards and Kaitlyn Carter had four and three steals respectively.

The Griffins led for most of the first quarter with McCann and White combining for eight of the griffins first 12 points for a 12-11 lead with three minutes remaining.  The Lions closed out the quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 19-14 lead.

Chestnut Hill opened the second quarter with an 8-3 run with a jumper from Bri Rider and three-point baskets from Carter and McCann, closing the deficit to one 23-22.  Molloy then scored ten straight points to increase their lead to double digits 33-22 with 4:53 left.  The Lions increased their lead to as many as 13 before White and McCann brought the difference back to single digits with three point baskets to end the quarter with the Griffins trailing 43-34.

Sekerak fueled a 9-0 run by the Griffins to open the third quarter and tie the game at 43-43, scoring seven of the nine points.  Molloy's Colleen McCullagh broke the run with a basket midway through the period to put the host back on top.  The Lions held onto the lead for the remainder of the period, but the Griffins, however, never trailed by more than five points over the final five minutes.  Sara Tamoun's basket at the buzzer put the Griffins within one 58-57.

White converted a traditional three-point play to open the fourth quarter scoring, giving chestnut Hill their first lead since the first period, 60-58.  Molloy countered with a three-point basket from Sophia Yearwood to retake the lead and their advantage oscillated between one and four points for the next several possessions.  Molloy scored six straight points to increase their lead to seven before a basket and two free throws by Sekerak on CHC's next two possession brought the Griffins back within three 71-68.  Five more points from Molloy pushed their lead to eight with 2:46 left.  Baskets from McCann and Sekerak and a free throw from Edwards again made it a one-possession game, 76-73 with 1:30 left.  Molloy made four free throws and capitalized on a steal to seal the win 82-73.

For the game, the Griffins shot 37.7% (29-77) from the field while the Lions connected on 40% (28-70) of their shots.  Molloy was near perfect on the free throw line making 15 of 16 shots with the Griffins connecting on only nine of 15.  The lions also held a 53-37 rebounding advantage.  The
Griffins forced 22 turnovers but were unable to take full advantage of them scoring just ten points off the Lion miscues.  Molloy scored 16 points off 12 CHC turnovers.

Yearwood and Samantha Muller came off the bench to lead the Lions with 20 points apiece.

The women's basketball team will face Queens College tomorrow in the final game at the East Region Challenge.  Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m.