New Haven, Conn. – Following a huge win at home over Southern New Hampshire University (13-3, 9-2 NE10) on Saturday, the Le Moyne College women's basketball team (12-5, 7-4 NE10) went on the road and claimed a 74-63 conference victory over Southern Connecticut State University (10-6, 5-5 NE10) on Wednesday evening inside the James Moore Field House.

"… In the first quarter, (Southern Connecticut State) came out really strong and it's been tough for everybody to score [against the SCSU defense], not just us … The resiliency of our team [is great], just sticking with it, we calmed down in the second quarter and were able to start scoring, and everyone was getting involved," said Le Moyne Head Coach Mary Grimes. "We'll enjoy this one tonight, and then get refocused again tomorrow for a tough Bentley team," Coach Grimes added.

The battle between two top-six teams in the conference standings got off to a slow start, as the Dolphins shot 2-17 from the floor in the first quarter and trailed the Owls 10-7 after 10 minutes of action. Le Moyne outscored the Owls 25-14 during the second quarter to take a 32-24 lead at halftime.

Le Moyne freshman guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) became the first Le Moyne freshman in program history to make six three-point field goals in a single game on Wednesday. Linnin shot 7-12 from the field, including 6-9 from three-point land against the Owls on her way to a game-high and season-high 22 points.

For just the sixth time this season, senior guard Lytoya Baker (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) did not record a double-double, however she was still outstanding for the 'Phins and was particularly effective at creating open shots for others on Wednesday night. Baker finished the contest with 13 points, a season-high eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes of action.

Redshirt-sophomore forward Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent, N.Y./Holland Patent) delivered a great performance for Le Moyne, tallying 21 points (on 9-14 shooting from the field and 3-3 from the foul line), eight rebounds and a steal in 39 minutes played.

First-year guard Kaia Goode (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) contributed 13 points, three assists and a game-high four steals to the Le Moyne cause.

The Dolphins recorded 12 steals during the victory, which marks the ninth game this season that the 'Phins have recorded at least 10 steals in a single game.

Redshirt-freshman guard Sydney Lusher (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) recorded three steals for Le Moyne, and senior guard Lexi Gruss (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) came up with two steals off the bench.

The Dolphins shot 16-18 from the free-throw line, compared to 5-7 for the Owls. Le Moyne's 89% free-throw shooting percentage on Wednesday is their second-best performance from the line this season (The Dolphins shot 17-18 from the stripe during their win at Franklin Pierce).

The Dolphins made four of their game total eight threes during the fourth quarter (three from Linnin, one from Lusher).

Overall, the 'Phins shot 44.4 % from three-point land (8-18) and 44.6% from the field overall (25-56). Entering Wednesday's NE10 matchup, Southern Connecticut State's tough defense had been holding their opponents to 35.9% shooting from the field.

SCSU shot 8-13 from beyond the arc, including a perfect 4-4 during the final period.

Graduate guard Delaney Connors went 5-5 from three-point land for the Owls on Wednesday and finished the game with a team-high 19 points. Junior forward Katie Williamson did a lot of work in the paint for the Owls, contributing 18 points on nine made field goals to go along with six rebounds. Graduate guard Zoë Amalbert was the third SCSU player to score in double figures with 16 points to go along with a team-high eight assists, while sophomore forward Renza Milner pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards.

The Le Moyne College women's basketball team will return to action on Saturday, January 21 when they host Bentley University (12-5, 9-2 NE10) for a 1:00 p.m. matchup on Ted Grant Court.

Game Details:
Both sides struggled to score during the first period, with great defense being played at both ends of the floor.

Le Moyne trailed 10-5 with 0:35 left in the first when Roberts pulled down a defensive rebound and threw an outlet pass to Lusher on the right side of the court.
Lusher surveyed the floor and got rid of the ball quickly, sending a pass ahead to Baker across the court near the left sideline. Linnin stood in the left corner as Baker dribbled towards the three-point line. Baker hesitated slightly, and as the defense gravitated towards Linnin, Baker drove through an open lane towards the left block and was fouled by a help defender during her layup attempt. She made both free throws to cut her team's deficit to 10-7.

Connors hit her first three of the game at the 8:49 mark of the second quarter to put Southern Connecticut State up 13-9.

Roberts and Linnin scored consecutive layups to tie the game at 13-13, then Goode received a kick out pass from Baker and knocked down a three from the right wing to put Le Moyne up by three.

With just over five minutes left in the first half, Baker caught the ball in the short corner on the right side of the floor and backed her defender down. Baker picked up her dribble just outside the paint and offered a pump fake, then saw Emily Florvil (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) cut from the top of the key towards the middle of the paint. Baker threw an overhead pass to Florvil, who caught the ball on a jump stop just outside the restricted area arc. The SCSU weak-side defender stepped in front of Florvil, so the sophomore guard jumped and dropped off a pass to Roberts on the left block. Roberts gathered herself, went up through contact, made the layup, drew a foul, and converted the additional free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play, which put Le Moyne up 22-18.

Roberts knocked down a long two-point field goal with 4:30 left in the second quarter, then Florvil crashed the glass during the next Le Moyne possession, grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the putback to extend Le Moyne's lead to 26-18.

Williamson scored two baskets during consecutive possessions for the Owls with under two minutes remaining in the first half to trim her team's deficit to 28-24, but Le Moyne's defensive pressure gave them a burst of momentum going into halftime.

With 30 seconds left in the second quarter, Goode picked off a pass near mid court and finished a layup at the other end. Gruss immediately pressured the SCSU inbounds pass, and Goode stalked the ball behind her. With Gruss applying pressure to the ballhandler, Goode suddenly ran over to double team the dribbler just before she crossed half court. Goode cut her off on the sideline, Gruss poked the ball away from the Owl guard, then Goode scooped up the loose ball and finished the layup with four seconds on the clock to give Le Moyne a 32-24 lead going into the halftime locker room.

A Williamson layup at the 7:15 mark of the third quarter cut Le Moyne's lead to four points. During the subsequent Le Moyne possession, the Dolphins got the ball to Baker at the high post, and she dribbled at her defender towards the left block. As the opposite post defender left Roberts at the right block to help stop Baker's drive, Baker delivered a great bounce pass between the two defender to Roberts, who then stepped towards the hoop and scored the layup to make it 38-32 in favor of the Dolphins.

Williamson scored again during the next SCSU possession, but then Le Moyne got the ball back to Baker at the high post, and she sprayed a pass to Linnin in the left corner for an open three, which the rookie drained with confidence to put Le Moyne up 41-34 and force a Southern Connecticut State timeout.

Williamson continued to work inside for the Owls, scoring two more baskets at the 6:05 and 5:31 marks in the third to trim her team's deficit to 41-38.

An Amalbert three pointer with 3:22 left in the third quarter gave SCSU a 45-43 lead, but Baker drove to the basket and got to the line at the other end, converting both free throws to tie the game at 45-45.

Williamson finished a difficult reverse layup under the basket at the 1:23 mark for her 11th and 12th points of the third quarter, tying the game at 47-47.

A layup from Roberts and two free throws from Linnin during the final minute of the penultimate quarter put Le Moyne up 51-47 after 30 minutes of action.

Connors drained two consecutive three-point field goals during the first 1:30 of the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 53-53.

After using a screen from Roberts on the right wing, Linnin dribbled into a three pointer from the top of the key and drilled it to put Le Moyne up 56-53 with 7:50 left in the game.

After Amalbert answered with a made contested jump shot at the other end, Lusher scored her first points of the game on a three pointer. Baker grabbed an offensive rebound and sent a pass to Lusher between the top of the key and the right wing. Lusher's shot was well contested, but she swished it anyway, forcing a SCSU timeout.

After a Roberts jumper from the right wing, which was preceded by a Linnin three pointer and put Le Moyne up by nine points, Connors knocked down another timely three for the Owls to trim their deficit to 64-58 at the 4:48 mark of the fourth quarter.

Baker delivered another delightful assist during the subsequent Le Moyne possession. Baker was posted up above the right block, and Goode threw her a pass from the right wing. As Baker turned towards the middle of the floor, the opposite SCSU forward left Roberts to double team Baker. Baker promptly picked up the ball and dropped a dime to Roberts for an easy two on the left block.

Le Moyne went up by 10 when Roberts scored off another assist from Baker. With 3:40 on the clock, Roberts had her defender sealed high in the right side of the paint, and Baker threw an entry pass over the defender from the top of the key. Roberts showed great athleticism to catch the pass that was thrown slightly behind her, then finish the layup through contact at a tough angle to the rim.

Connors scored in the paint, then made her final three of the game at the 1:43 mark of the fourth quarter to make it 69-63 in favor of the 'Phins.

Linnin then hit her final three of the game with 1:01 left in the contest to put Le Moyne back up by nine.