BUFFALO, N.Y. — D'Youville (1-5, 1-0 ECC) narrowly defeated Molloy (0-8, 0-1 ECC) 82-79 on Friday night at Saints Center Gym. The Saints controlled the boards throughout the night, out-rebounding Molloy 52-31 to help secure their first conference win. 

The game opened with Molloy scoring the first basket, but D'Youville quickly responded and settled into an early rhythm. The Saints gained momentum with a 3-pointer from Elisha Warren and continued to build their lead with steady offense, including a key 3-pointer from LaShard Lowry Jr. Strong free-throw shooting and capitalizing on Molloy turnovers helped D'Youville take a 47-39 lead into halftime.

D'Youville extended its lead early in the second half before Molloy battled back to close the gap. The Saints answered with timely scoring in the paint, including layups from Trayton Trice and Justin Moore to maintain a slim advantage. Moore later sank two free throws in the closing seconds to seal the 82-79 victory.

Warren led the Saints with 24 points, nine field goals and 13 rebounds. Moore added 11 rebounds and nine points. Sean Reynolds knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with nine points, while Trice recorded 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

D'Youville returns to action Sunday, Dec. 7, when it hosts Queens College at 3 p.m. in the Saints Center Gym.