The Queens College men's basketball team failed to capitalize on a scorching start from Pat Parker (Queens, N.Y./Alfred State) as they fell to Molloy, 63-62 in a terrific basketball game played at Fitzgerald Gym in Queens on Saturday.  Parker led all scorers with 29 points and rattled off the first nine points of the game for the Knights.

The game began with a Tyler Hammett basket before Parker scored the next four points.  The Lions evened the score at 4-all, then Parker poured in five more to give the Knights a 9-4 lead with just over 17 minutes remaining.

From here, the game was eerily similar to the Knights most recent contest with Dowling College on Wednesday, as both sides shared small leads for the majority of the half.  Finally, the Lions pulled away in the final two and half minutes of the stanza, leading at the beak, 41-31.

A John Petrucelli jumper at 16:53 gave Molloy a 12-point cushion, 46-34, before the Knights were able to respond.  But Queens turned up the defensive pressure and began the long climb back into the game.  Following the Petrucelli basket, Parker rattled off four more points, and after a Brandon Williams three-pointer, Kevin Nascimento (Harlem, N.Y./Genesee C.C.) found Dan Watson (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Mt. Vernon) in the paint for a three-point-play.

Eventually, Queens would regain the lead when George Holmes' (Gordon Heights, N.Y./Suffolk C.C.) basket with 8:13 remaining gave the Knights a 53-52 advantage.  Molloy responded by scoring the next seven points to take a 59-53 lead with 4:22 left.

Pat Piasecki (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) helped the draw the Knights even again as he scored four points in a minute span, the second basket, coming at 3:03, tied the game at 59-59.  About 90 seconds later, Holmes nailed a huge three-pointer, which seemingly gave QC an insurmountable, 62-59 lead, with just 1:21 left.  But Matt McLeod scored the final four points as the Lions came back to win 63-62.

Queens College returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, January 16, when they host Bridgeport in Flushing.  The game with the Purple Knights is slated to begin at 7:00 PM.