Rindge, N.H. – Junior guard Russell Sangster (Rockville, Md./Bullis School) registered 18 points to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to a 69-57 win over Franklin Pierce University on Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action at The Fieldhouse.

With the victory, the Dolphins clinched a berth in the NE10 Championships for the fifth straight year.

In addition to his game-best 18 points, 13 of which came in the first half, Sangster recorded team-highs of seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, while also drawing three charges. Junior guard Tanner Hyland (South Portland, Maine/South Portland/Bridgton Academy) registered 15 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Sophomore guard C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich/St. Thomas More/Gannon) was the third Dolphin to reach double figures with 11 points.

Matt Banton led three Ravens in double figures with 17 points, including 11 after halftime, while adding six rebounds. Donte Gittens posted 13 points and seven rebounds, while Mike McDevitt recorded 11 points and a game-best eight rebounds.

After the teams went back-and-forth over the opening six minutes of the game, which resulted in a 10-8 Franklin Pierce lead, the Dolphins tallied six straight points to take the lead for good. Freshman guard/forward Tom Brown (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) started the spree with a lay-up, senior forward Stan Buczek (Port Jervis, N.Y./Burke Catholic) gave the Dolphins the lead with a lay-up and then Sangster added a lay-up.

McDevitt pulled the Ravens within 17-15 with a lay-up with 7:05 remaining in the half, but the Dolphins answered with five straight points to open up their first three-possession lead. Sangster made a lay-up with 5:59 left and then Hyland drained a three-pointer 40 seconds later.

Le Moyne's lead was either six or eight points over the final 2:55 of the half and settled at eight, 32-24, at halftime.

After Franklin Pierce pulled within five on a pair of occasions in the first 4:21 of the second half, the Dolphins ran off 12 of the next 16 points to extend their lead to a game-best 13 points, 49-36, with 9:56 to play. Junior guard Anthony Richards (New Castle, Pa./New Castle/West Virginia Wesleyan) started the run with a lay-up and capped it with a three-pointer, while Asuncion-Byrd also had a three-pointer and a lay-up in the stretch.

Following five minutes of back-and-forth action, the Ravens put together a 9-2 run to get within 60-55 with 2:41 remaining. Banton started the run with a jumper and capped it with two free throws, while Gittens added a tip-in and three free throws over three trips to the line.

Hyland countered with a three-pointer and Sangster converted a lay-up to push Le Moyne's lead back to 10 with 1:39 to play.

Hyland went 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final 1:07 to close the game out.

Le Moyne (15-5, 10-4 NE10), which fell to the Ravens twice last season, return home to face The College of Saint Rose on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The Dolphins and Golden Knights are currently tied for second place in the NE10 Southwest Division.