Syracuse, N.Y. - The Le Moyne College men's basketball team will battle a top five nationally-ranked opponent on Thursday. The Mercyhurst University Lakers, ranked #3 in the most recent NABC Coaches Top 25 poll, will travel to Syracuse with a 7-0 record to take on the Dolphins (5-3, 2-2 NE10). Tip-off for the non-conference matchup is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST

The Dolphins have won two in a row and are winners of three of their last four games. They are most recently coming off of a 84-77 win over non-conference opponent Daemen College on December 6. 

Senior guard Nino Hernandez (Gardner, Mass./The Winchendon School/Bryant) has led Le Moyne in scoring during their last two wins. In Le Moyne's first six games of the season, Hernandez averaged 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest, but in Le Moyne's last two games, Hernandez has averaged 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. The senior guard has also been more active on the defensive end, averaging 2.5 steals during the last two Dolphin wins compared to just one steal per game in their first six contests. 

Redshirt-freshman Kevin Constant (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic/Tilton School) is averaging 13.1 points per game on 63% shooting from the field. The athletic guard has also ripped 14 steals and blocked nine shots so far this season. 

Fellow redshirt-freshman Christian Davis (Denver, Colo./Mullen/New Hampton School) is averaging a team-best 15.6 points per game on 43% shooting from behind the three-point line and 91% from the free-throw line. Davis has scored in double figures during all eight Le Moyne games this season while pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game. 


The Mercyhurst University Lakers lost in the 2021 NCAA Tournament Atlantic Region to Hillsdale College in March of 2021, but have yet to drop a game during the 2021-22 campaign, starting the season off 7-0 to earn the #3 ranking in the most recent NCAA Division II NABC Coaches Top 25 poll. The Lakers are led in scoring by senior guard Steve Cannady, who is averaging 16.3 points per game on 55.5% shooting from the field.

Senior guard MiyKah McIntosh is connecting on 2.7 three-point field goals per game so far this season, shooting over 40% from beyond the arc and averaging 15.7 points per contest.

Graduate forward Cameron Gross delivered a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds during the Lakers most recent win over Lock Haven on December 4. Gross shot nearly 70% from the field during the win, and is averaging 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds on the year.

First year guard Aidan Reichert is averaging 10.6 points per contest for the Lakers while shooting an extremely efficient 73% from the field.

Junior guard Michael Bradley is averaging 8.7 points and 3.3 assists per game for Mercyhurst.

The last time these two programs met on December 14, 2019 Le Moyne came away with a 76-66 win on the road. 

The last time a top five nationally ranked opponent came to town was January 13, 2007 when #4 Bentley visited Le Moyne.