Flushing, N.Y. - Senior All-America forward Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) scored 24 of his game-high 30 points in the second half to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to a 79-68 come-from-behind win at Queens on Saturday afternoon at Fitzgerald Gym.
Ekperigin, who finished with 30 points for the second time in his career, made 11-of-16 shots from the field and 8-of-9 free throw shots in the game. Ekperigin also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive end of the court, and blocked a pair of shots. Sophomore guard Chris Johnson (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) came off the bench to score 11 points. Junior forward Kevin Roth (Lake View, N.Y./St. Francis HS) posted seven points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked a career-high three shots. Khaleef Allicott led the Knights with 20 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Edil Lacayo was the second Queens player to finish in double-digits with 11 points.
After Ekperigin scored the first four points of the second half to pull the Dolphins within seven points, Queens responded with seven straight points to push out to a game-high 14 point lead with 16:33 remaining in the contest.
The Dolphins answered back with seven straight points of their own and 15 of the game's next 19 points to get within 54-51 with 12:51 to go. Ekperigin scored seven points and graduate student guard Damani Corbin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglas Academy) added five points, before Roth added the final three points of the run.
The two squads split the next eight points before Allicott drilled a three-pointer to put the Knights back up by six points. Senior guard Durett Miles (Schenectady, N.Y./Schenectady) made a pair of foul shots and Ekperigin made a basket before Khalil McDonald made a jumper at the 7:49 mark for a 63-59 lead and the Knights' final basket until the final seconds of the game.
Le Moyne then scored 13 consecutive points to take a 72-63 lead with 2:35 left in the contest. Ekperigin scored seven points in the streak, including the first five, while Johnson added a pair of three-pointers from the top of the key. Sophomore guard James Cormier (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull/Proctor Academy (N.H.)) sealed the victory with six straight foul shots, while Corbin added Le Moyne's final point with a foul shot with 14 seconds remaining.
The two teams opened the game by scoring eight points each over the first 3:36. Allicott scored six points for Queens, while senior forward Kevin Hassett (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Mountain/Iona) buried a pair of three-pointers from the left side for the Dolphins. After Lacayo hit a three-pointer at the 15:41 mark, Ekperigin hit a jumper, Hassett drilled his third three-pointer and Johnson knocked down a jumper along the baseline to put the Dolphins ahead 15-11 with 12:20 to go.
Queens ignited an 18-5 run with eight consecutive points to open up a 29-20 lead with 5:27 remaining in the opening half. Allicott and Akim Neverson each registered six points in the run for the Knights. The Dolphins narrowed their deficit to 31-25 over the next minute and one-half, but Queens pushed out to an 11-point lead on a pair of occasions, including 43-32 at the half.
Le Moyne (3-0), which is off to its best start since the 1997-98 season, returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 24 against American International at 7:30 p.m.
-agate-
Le Moyne 79, Queens 68
Le Moyne (3-0) 32 47 - 79
Queens (1-1) 43 25 - 68
