Colchester, Vt. – Freshman guard Eriq Jenkins (Windsor, Ontario/Catholic Central) stole the ball and converted a lay-up at the buzzer to give the Le Moyne College men's basketball team a 74-72 victory over Saint Michael's College on Wednesday night in Northeast-10 Conference action at the Ross Sports Center.

Jenkins finished the game with a career-best 18 points, including 12 in the second half, while adding four steals, four rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Qwadere Lovell (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon) recorded 18 points, including 13 in the first half, six assists and four rebounds.

Levi Holmes III led the Purple Knights in the setback with a game-best 21 points, including 15 on five three-pointers in the second half. Matt Bonds recorded his nation-best 12th double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Greg Grippo posted 12 points and six assists, while Winston Jones II scored 11 points off the bench.

The Dolphins opened the game by making four of their first five three-point attempts to jump out to a 12-6 lead at the 16:28 mark. Jenkins hit the first two three-pointers and then sophomore guard Tanner Hyland (South Portland, Maine/South Portland/Bridgton Academy) knocked down back-to-back three-pointers.

Saint Michael's answered with six straight points to tie the score at 12. Grippo made a lay-up and Bonds followed with consecutive baskets in the paint.

After the teams traded baskets to force a tie at 14, the Dolphins rattled off a 15-2 run to take their largest lead of the game. Lovell scored the first seven points, sophomore guard Russell Sangster (Rockville, Md./Bullis School) made a lay-up and then sophomore guard Anthony Richards (New Castle, Pa./New Castle/West Virginia Wesleyan) drained a pair of three-pointers for a 29-16 lead with 9:48 left.

Following back-and-forth play over the next six minutes, which led to a 39-29 Le Moyne lead, the Purple Knights scored six straight points to get within four. Jones II had four of the points, while Bonds had a fast-break dunk in the middle.

Sophomore forward Daniel Kaigler (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden/Gannon) gave the Dolphins a 41-35 lead at halftime with a lay-up.

After Lovell started the scoring in the second half with a three-pointer, the Purple Knights got a lay-up from Bonds and a three-pointer by Holmes III to get within four with 18:12 left.

The teams then traded points for the next nine minutes with Le Moyne's lead bouncing between two and six points.

Following the third three-pointer of the half by Holmes III to get Saint Michael's within 59-57 with 9:31 left, the Dolphins got a lay-up from Kaigler and a three-pointer from Hyland to push their lead back to seven for the final time.

Holmes III answered back with consecutive three-pointers to make it a one-point game with 6:04 remaining.

The Dolphins countered with three-pointers from Jenkins and junior forward Stan Buczek (Port Jervis, N.Y./Burke Catholic) around a Bonds lay-up for a 70-65 advantage.

After Lovell made a lay-up with 3:27 left to put the Dolphins in front 72-67, Grippo nailed a three-pointer and then Bonds made a lay-up with 1:43 remaining to knot the score at 72 apiece.

Following two empty possessions by the Dolphins around an empty possession by the Purple Knights, Saint Michael's called timeout with 4.8 seconds remaining. Out of the timeout, Grippo caught the ball near midcourt. Jenkins was then able to poke the ball into the backcourt, where he collected it and calmly dribbled in to convert the game-winning lay-up as time expired.

Le Moyne (6-10, 4-7 NE-10), which won its first road game of the season, returns home to face Bentley University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.