Top-Seeded Purple Knights Top Molloy, 64-49, To Reach 2013 ECC Men's Basketball Championship Final

Bridgeport, Conn.-The top-seeded University of Bridgeport advanced to the finals of the 2013 East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Championship Tournament where they will face number six Dowling College for a berth in the 2013 NCAA Division II Championship Tournament at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, after the Purple Knights defeated the number three seed Molloy College Lions, 64-49, in Bridgeport on Thursday night.  UB is now 20-9 on the year, marking the eighth time in 13 seasons under head coach Mike Ruane that UB has posted at least 20 wins in a single season.  Molloy finishes its season at 18-10.

The Purple Knights' defense was stifling on Thursday forcing Molloy to shot only 26.7 percent from the floor (16 of 60) and only 15.4 percent from behind the three-point line (4 of 26).

Senior Darian David (Bronx, N.Y.) led Bridgeport in scoring with 16 points, as he was a perfect 8-for-9 from the free throw line.  Davis was joined in double figures by junior Ivan Simic (Belgrade, Serbia), who had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, junior JoJo Swift (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who netted 12 points off the UB bench plus graduate student Omari Howard (Bronx, N.Y.) who fell just shy of a dou8ble-double with 10 points and nine boards.

Bridgeport's Dion Waiters (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) had seven assists, four steals and three blocked shots on the night for the winners.

John Petrucelli led Molloy with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  He was joined in double figures for the Lions by Jimmy Nolan and Matt McLeod, who each had 11 points.