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.

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