Dolphins build big first-half
lead, hold off Ravens second-half challenges
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (January 22,
2005) - Le Moyne College posted its third-straight win
with a 61-54 decision over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10
Conference men's basketball action at Grant Court this afternoon.
Le Moyne led by as much as 15
points on two occasions in the first half, but were forced to
withstand a number of second-half challenges by Franklin Pierce to
post the win.
Sophomore Matt Cooper
(Fulton, N.Y./Fulton) led Le Moyne with 17 points as
he hit five-of-seven shots from the field and canned all six
attempts from the free-throw line. He also grabbed a game-high
eight rebounds and recorded three assists and two steals. Freshman
Trent Morgan (Maple Heights, Ohio/St.
Edwards) also scored 17 points to go with six
rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Phil Schoff
(Little Falls, N.Y./Little Falls) finished with ten
points, canning 3-of-3 from three-point range.
Freshman Mitchell
Johnson (Nassau, Bahamas/Cushing Academy) was the
lone Franklin Pierce player to reach double-figures with 15 points
(12 second half), to go with five rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore Nazim Senaldi (Istanbul,
Turkey) added nine points and four rebounds, while
junior Justin Powell (Brookline,
Mass./Brookline) contributed eight points, three
boards and two blocks.
Le Moyne staked out a 25-10 lead
just over ten minutes into the contest after a Morgan strike from
long-range. The hoop capped a string of three-straight Dolphins
possessions in which they hit from beyond the arc over a span of
two minutes.
Johnson drilled a three-ball after
missing on his first seven shots on the day (four three's) to close
out the first half and trim Franklin Pierce's deficit to 11
(33-22). Mitchell also opened the second-half with a three to
kick-start a 10-4 run to open the stanza and pull the Ravens within
five points (37-32) after he hit a second three with 15:31 to play.
Junior Corey Smith
(Gouverneur, N.Y./Gouveneur) buried a shot from
long-distance at 14:16 to put the Dolphins back up by ten (42-32),
but the Ravens responded with a 7-0 spurt, led by a pair of three's
from Johnson to get within three (42-39) with 11:20 in regulation.
Le Moyne regained an eight-point
lead, but Franklin Pierce had one more run left in it as an 8-2
rally got the Ravens within two (53-51) with 2:09 left after a
Pierre Sully (Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge
Catholic) jumper.
Morgan answered with a three to put
the Dolphins back up six, but after a Senaldi three, the Ravens
were back within a possession (57-54) with 55-seconds left. Cooper
hit two free throws and the Dolphins canned two-of-four in the
final 14-seconds while Franklin Pierce missed on its final three
attempts to end the
comeback.
Franklin Pierce (5-12, 3-9 NE-10)
is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Saint Michael's College
at 7:30 p.m. Le Moyne (6-12, 4-9 NE-10) hosts Southern New
Hampshire University on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
