C.J. Davis took a George Davis pass and connected on a baseline jumper that proved to be the game winner for Molloy. It gave the Stanners a 48-47 lead with 4.3 and after Brian Bernardi missed a runner in the lane the sophomore star would add one more free throw for the final margin.
The shot was the capper on what was a spectacular game for C.J. who not only finished with a game high 18 points but created much of the rest of Molloy's offense with his pinpoint passing. Molloy also got 14 points from improving junior Marco Kozul and 12 plus 14 rebounds from Morell Gaskins, a senior who has moved from the Stanners' "B" team to carve out an important role by running hard rebounding and catching Davis' passes for scores.
The Stanners took advantage of early listlessness by the Clippers and nearly blew them out in the first half. C.J. Davis helped them sprint from the starting gate with two early triples but he spent much of the first half getting Kozul and Gaskins involved, and they rewarded him and the Stanners not only by finishing plays but by getting to every loose ball, contesting on defense and running hard in transition.
Molloy led 29-19 at the intermission thanks to their great effort and the inability of the Clippers' two best players, Brian Bernardi and Dillon Burns to get make shots they usually make routinely. Bernardi finished with a team high 14 points but needed way to many shots to reach that total while Burns finished with just 9 points.
Xaverian's effort in the second half was much better and it nearly helped them steal a win. At first it was simply a matter of improved energy that earned them enough second opportunities to offset the poor shooting that continued well into the second half. Shakeel Kemp played well until foul trouble forced him to the bench and in his absence Stanley Peacock provided terrific energy.
Throughout the second half, Molloy had answers each time Xaverian made a push. Both George and C.J.Davis along with Kozul and Gaskins continued to make plays and Christian Giles provided an able second ball handler that allowed C.J. to attack from different places on the court. The Clippers made a final push when Bernardi made consecutive three pointers and gave the Clippers 47-46 lead with just under a minute to go. It's worth noting that those appeared to be the only three pointers Bernardi shot without a moment's hesitation. And after the two Davises combined on the winning basket Bernardi got caught in between again, driving and putting up an off balance one hander when he had room for a three point attempt. The shot caromed harmlessly off the rim and backboard. With the win the Stanners broke a three game losing streak and handed Xaverian its second straight loss. The Clippers have a tall order to bounce back at Holy Cross on Friday while Molloy will be at St. Francis Prep looking for its second straight league win.
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