Syracuse, N.Y. – Freshman guard McKayla Roberts (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) landed five-of-six from deep and contributed a game-leading 24 points as the Le Moyne College women's basketball team cruised to an 85-72 victory over American International College on Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action at Ted Grant Court.
 
The victory boosts the Dolphins to 13-9 on the season and 9-7 against the NE-10. With the win, Le Moyne gained ground on AIC in the Southwest Division standings. The Yellow Jackets reside in second place with a 10-6 conference record and the 'Phins now sit one game behind in third.
 
The teams were trading baskets through the first 10 minutes of the game. The first quarter contained four lead changes. But, with just over four minutes to go, Roberts found junior forward Joanna Dobrovosky (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) under the basket, where she landed a lay-up that put the Dolphins up 14-13. That was the final lead change of the game. It would be Le Moyne's lead the rest of the way.
 
The Dolphins were able to get ahead by six, 44-38, at the half-way point and the third became an important 10 minutes for Le Moyne. At the 3:08 mark, the Dolphins went on a 14-3 run that finished off the quarter. Guards Roberts, junior Ellie Leszyk (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) and freshman Liz Millea (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown) and junior forward Nicole Riddick (Albany, N.Y./Colonie/UMass Lowell) all had three-pointers during that span. That was also when Roberts landed her longest three of the day—an uncontested shot nearly five feet from behind the arc. Her team went up by 16 after the quarter.
 
The Yellow Jackets were able to rack up 11 unanswered points in the final quarter, aided by three Dolphin fouls, which resulted in five made free throws. They outscored their hosts 18-15 in the quarter. But, after all 40 minutes were played, Le Moyne went on to defeat AIC by 13, 85-72.
 
Le Moyne shot 50 percent (12-24) from behind the three-point line—the highest of the season. The 12 made three-pointers are tied for the second-most in a game in the program's history and are the most since also making 12 against Franklin Pierce University on February 1, 2014. The Dolphins were 53.6 percent from the field overall and the defense held American International to just 38.8 percent (26-57). The Dolphins have scored at least 82 points in each of their last three home games (88-SNHU-1/24, 82-St. Rose-2/1, 85-AIC-2/4), which marks the first time in the program's history they have recorded three consecutive home games with at least 80 points.
 
In addition to her game-high 24 points, 13 of which came in the second half, Roberts dished out a game-best eight assists. She now has 123 assists on the season, which ranks fourth in a single season in the program's history and is the most since another freshman, Kathleen Gladstone '09, handed out 126 in the 2005-06 season. Dobrovosky tallied a career-high 19 points and pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds. Leszyk and Millea each recorded 11 points and three rebounds, while Millea recorded a career-high six assists.

Alyssa Guyon led the Yellow Jackets in the loss with 19 points, while adding five rebounds. Dana Watts finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds.
 
Next, the Dolphins will travel to Pleasantville, N.Y. on Tuesday to take on Pace University, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30.