January 3, 2009
MBB: EKPERIGIN NETS 1,000TH CAREER POINT AND LE MOYNE BREEZES PAST
SNHU, 70-53
Syracuse, N.Y. - Junior Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt
Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) scored 20 points and pulled down
12 rebounds, scoring his 1,000th career point in the process, and
the Le Moyne College men's basketball team took down Southern New
Hampshire University, 70-53, in Northeast-10 Conference action at
Ted Grant Court. Ekperigin led four Dolphins in double figures,
while Gerald Carter paced the Penmen with 14 points.
Ekperigin, who entered the contest needing four points to reach
1,000 for his career, sank a pair of free throws at the 17:36 mark
of the first half to become the 35th member of Le Moyne's
1,000-point club. Freshman Christopher Johnson
(Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) connected on five
three-pointers and finished with 19 points. Junior guard
Damani Corbin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglass)
and sophomore forward Kevin Roth (Lake View, N.Y./St.
Francis) each scored 10 points for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins opened the second half on an 18-8 run over the first
eight minutes to build a 19 point lead at 55-36. Ekperigin led Le
Moyne in the run with eight points, while Johnson added five. The
two squads traded baskets over the final 12 minutes to deliver the
17-point victory for the Dolphins.
Following a made free throw for each team in the opening minute of
the contest, Ekperigin tallied four straight points, capped by two
free throws for his 1,000th point, to give the Dolphins a 5-1 lead.
The Penmen scored 12 of the next 20 points to knot the score at 13
apiece with 11:08 remaining in the contest, the final tie of the
game. Johnson drilled a three-pointer on Le Moyne's next possession
as the Dolphins scored seven straight points to open up a 20-13
edge.
After Southern New Hampshire scored six consecutive points to
close within a point with 7:09 left in the stanza, Le Moyne
registered a 17-9 run to close the half. In the closing streak,
Johnson connected on two three-pointers and a jumper, Corbin
recorded back-to-back layups and Ekperigin made a pair of baskets
in the paint.
Ekperigin, who pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked three shots in
the contest, registered his sixth consecutive double-double and
fifth straight 20-point, 10-rebound performance. As well as
becoming the 35th member of the 1,000-point club, Ekperigin became
just the 13th player in Le Moyne history to register at least 1,000
points and 600 rebounds. In the Dolphins five-game win streak,
Ekperigin is averaging 24.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and
is shooting at an 84.5-percent clip.
Le Moyne (7-5, NE-10 4-4) returns to action on Tuesday at UMass
Lowell at 7:30 p.m.
-agate-
Le Moyne 70,
Southern New Hampshire 53
Southern New Hampshire (7-5, NE-10 3-4)
28
25
-
53
Le Moyne (7-5, NE-10
4-4)
37
33
- 70
