Syracuse, N.Y. – Isaiah McLeod hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 54 seconds left in overtime to lead Southern Connecticut State University to a 97-91 win over the Le Moyne College men's basketball team in Northeast-10 Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Ted Grant Court.

Senior forward C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich/St. Thomas More/Gannon) led five Dolphins in double figures with a career-best 26 points, 15 of which he scored in the first half, while adding five rebounds. Junior forward Kobi Nwandu (York, Pa./Northeastern York/East Stroudsburg) scored 17 of his 19 points after halftime. Sophomore Tim Leavell (Marion, Ind./Marion/State Fair C.C.) recorded 14 of his career high-tying 17 points after the intermission. Junior forward Tom Brown (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) registered his team-high eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, including nine after halftime. Junior guard Ryan Roland (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Mercyhurst) scored 11 first-half points and dished out a career-high six assists.

McLeod, who led five Owls in double digits, scored eight of his game and career-high 35 points in the overtime period, while scoring 16 in the first half. Luke Beesley tallied eight of his 16 points in the first half, while pulling down five rebounds. Kealen Ives recorded 15 points and five assists off the bench. C.J. Seaforth and Joey Wallace each scored 11 points, while Seaforth grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists.

After the teams traded points over the opening 10:12 of the game, the Owls used an 8-0 run over 1:22 to take their first double-digit lead of the game. Ives made two free throws and then McLeod hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions for a 30-20 lead with 8:13 left in the half.

Le Moyne scored four straight points to get within six, but Southern Connecticut State answered with 10 of the next 14 points for its largest lead of the game, 43-31, with 2:49 left. McLeod bookended the stretch with three-pointers, while Beesley and Ives each scored two points.

The Dolphins closed out the half with six of the last eight points of the half to get within 47-39 at halftime. Asuncion-Byrd had four of the points around a lay-up by Roland.

Le Moyne scored seven of the first nine points of the second half to cut its deficit to three. Nwandu scored all seven points with two lay-ups and a three-pointer.

The Owls, who snapped a five-game losing streak to the Dolphins, answered with the next five points to push their lead back to eight with 14:13 left in the half.

The teams then went back and forth over the next six minutes as Southern Connecticut State's lead fluctuated between four and eight points before Ives made a jumper with 8:11 left for a71-61 advantage.

Le Moyne countered with eight straight points to get within two with 6:12 to play. After redshirt junior guard Oshea Gairey (Toronto, Ontario/St. John's Catholic Prep (Md.)/Simon Fraser) made two free throws, Asuncion-Byrd hit a three-pointer and recorded a traditional three-point play.

Southern Connecticut's lead was four over two over the next four minutes before Beesley made a lay-up with 2:02 left for an 80-74 lead.

Brown and Leavell countered with shots in the paint before Wallace converted a lay-up with1:04 to play for an 82-78 lead. Leavell then made a pair of jumpers 23 seconds apart around two free throws by Beesley to get the Dolphins within two.

Ives was fouled with 11 seconds left and went to the foul line for a one-and-one. He missed the front end and Nwandu grabbed the rebound. Leavell raced into the paint and was fouled with 2.8 seconds left. He made both foul shots to tie the score at 84.

After a timeout, the Owls were unable to get a shot off before time expired.

Following a jumper by Seaforth to start overtime, Leavell made a jumper and Nwandu hit a free throw with 3:56 left to give the Dolphins their first lead since the 16:12 mark of the first half.

McLeod and Nwandu traded baskets before Beesley and Nwandu alternated baskets, which resulted in the Dolphins holding a 91-90 lead with 1:09 to go.

McLeod then hit his seventh three-pointer of the game to give the Owls the lead for good. After the Dolphins missed a three-pointer with 38 seconds left, McLeod recorded a traditional three-point play for a 96-91 advantage with 16 seconds to play. After another missed three-pointer, Taurus Adams finished off the game's scoring with a free throw with eight seconds left.
 
Le Moyne (14-8, 11-6 NE10), which is tied with New Haven (12-6) and Adelphi (12-6) for the fewest losses in the Southwest Division with 10 days left in the regular season, is back in action on Wednesday at Pace University at 7:30 p.m.