January 28, 2009
MBB: EKPERIGIN AND ROTH LEAD DOLPHINS PAST AIC 67-52
Syracuse, N.Y. - Junior forward Laurence Ekperigin
(Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) scored 18 points and
grabbed nine rebounds and sophomore forward Kevin Roth
(Lake View, N.Y./St. Francis) tallied 14 points with nine
rebounds to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to a
67-52 win over American International on Wednesday night at Ted
Grant Court.
Ekperigin posted 12 of his 18 points in the second half to
register his 14th consecutive game in double-figures. Freshman
Chris Johnson (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) came
off the bench to score 14 points in the first half, while hitting
four three-pointers. Junior center Eduardo Archibold Brown (Panama
City, Panama/Mercershure Academy/West Georgia) recorded a
career-high six rebounds in 14 minutes of action off the bench,
while junior guard Durett Miles (Schenectady, N.Y./Schenectady)
tallied four points and dished out five assists. Isiah Wallace led
the Yellow Jackets with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Sesoo
Ikpah scored 10 points.
Over the opening seven minutes of the second half, Le Moyne's lead
see-sawed between 18 and 22 points. Ekperigin scored six points and
Roth tallied four in the span. Following a jumper by Millinder,
Ekperigin converted a pair of dunks around a jumper by Barnes to
increase the Dolphins' lead to a game-high 25 points.
The Yellow Jackets recorded a 10-2 spurt to pull within 17 with
8:08 remaining in the contest. Le Moyne answered back with an 8-1
span to push back out to a 24-point advantage on a fast-break dunk
by junior Kevin Hassett (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert
Mountain/Iona) 4:23 remaining. AIC closed out the contest
with a 12-3 streak to deliver the final score.
The two squads traded early runs over the opening three and
one-half minutes. The Dolphins tallied the game's first four
points, while the Yellow Jackets answered back with five points of
their own.
The Dolphins responded by rattling off 21 of the game's next 23
points to take a 25-7 lead with 7:52 remaining. Johnson ignited a
10-0 run by burying a pair of three-pointers around layups by Roth
and Ekperigin. Following a pair of free throws by Lucious Millinder
pulled AIC to within 14-7, senior swingman Phil Barnes
(Georgetown, Cayman Islands/Clinton C.C.) drilled a
three-pointer from the right wing and Roth added two layups to
bookend baskets by Johnson and junior guard Damani Corbin
(Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglass). The two squads traded
baskets over the remainder of the half to go into intermission with
the Dolphins leading 35-15.
Le Moyne (10-10, NE-10 6-9) returns to action on Saturday at New
Haven at 4:00 p.m.
-agate-
Le Moyne 67,
American International 52
American International (12-8, NE-10
8-7)
15
37
-
52
Le Moyne (10-10, NE-10
6-9)
35
32
- 67
