Syracuse, N.Y. – On head coach Mary Grimes' birthday, the Le Moyne College women's basketball team gifted their coach with an outstanding defensive performance that produced their third consecutive Northeast-10 Conference victory. The Dolphins held the Bentley University Falcons (12-6, 9-3 NE10) to 38 points on Saturday afternoon – the lowest point total that Le Moyne has held an opponent to so far this season, as well as the least amount of points that the Falcons have scored in game during the 2022-23 campaign – and claimed a 53-38 win on Ted Grant Court to improve their overall record to 13-5, and boost their NE10 resume to 8-4.

Senior guard Lytoya Baker (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) registered her conference-leading 12^th double-double of the season and set a new career-high for rebounds in the process. Baker provided a team-high of 11 points and 18 rebounds (she grabbed 12 defensive boards and six offensive) in 37 minutes of action against the Falcons.

Baker's 18 rebounds are tied for the fifth-most boards corralled in a single game in program history, and the second-most rebounds pulled down by a Le Moyne player during an Northeast-10 Conference game (The record for most rebounds in a conference game in Le Moyne women's basketball program history is held by assistant coach Joanna Dobrovosky '18 who recorded 20 rebounds against Southern Connecticut State on December 20, 2016).

Redshirt-sophomore forward Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent, N.Y./Holland Patent) recorded 10 points and six rebounds for the 'Phins on Saturday, while redshirt-freshman guard Sydney Lusher (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, a season-high four blocks and three steals in 36 minutes played.

Baker and senior guard Lexi Gruss (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) each tallied two assists during the win, while sophomore guard Emily Florvil (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) grabbed five rebounds, including three offensive boards, during 18 minutes played off the bench.

Junior guard/forward Maggie Whitmore led Bentley in scoring with 11 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds, but no other Bentley player scored more than six points during the setback.

The Dolphins established a 24-23 lead at halftime, then the Le Moyne zone held Bentley to just two points during the third quarter, giving the 'Phins a 34-25 lead going into the final period.

The Falcons shot 24.6% from the field on Saturday, including a 5-26 mark on three-point attempts.

The Dolphins did not have a great shooting day themselves, going 17-53 from the field, including 5-17 from long range, however Le Moyne pulled down 13 offensive rebounds and shot 14-22 from the free-throw line, compared to just 3-8 from the stripe for Bentley.

Le Moyne made all five of their threes during the first half – they went 4-8 from three during the first quarter – while Bentley made four of their five total triples during the first 20 minutes.

Le Moyne shot 11-14 from the free-throw line during the fourth quarter.

Bentley sophomore guard Amanda Kabantu knocked down a three-point field goal with 4:42 left in the first quarter to give Bentley a 7-3 lead, then Lusher hit a contested step-back three from straight on at the 3:18 mark.

After first-year forward Ciara Norman scored to put Bentley up 9-7, Le Moyne grabbed two offensive rebounds during their next possession – one from Florvil and another from Baker – and got the ball back to Lusher on the left wing for another three pointer.

With 0:45 seconds left in the first period, Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) popped out to the right wing, Roberts sent her a pass, and Linnin knocked down the triple to give Le Moyne a 14-11 advantage.

Less than a minute into the second quarter, Baker flashed across the paint towards the right block, and received a pass from Gruss. Baker quickly turned towards her right shoulder, finished a layup through contact, drew a foul and converted the additional free throw to put the Dolphins up 16-13.

Freshman guard Cassidy Yeomans hit two consecutive three pointers for Bentley at the 6:18 and 4:31 marks to put the Falcons on top, 21-19.

Norman scored in the paint with 2:13 left in the second quarter to make it 23-19 in favor of the Falcons. During the subsequent Le Moyne possession, Florvil came off a screen set by first-year guard Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y./Averill Park), then caught the ball just above the right elbow. Florvil jabbed left, drove to her right, made a jump stop at the right block, then finished her layup attempt over a Bentley defender to trim her team's deficit to 23-21.

With 30 seconds remaining in the first half, Lusher caught the ball at the top of the key, drove to her left, drew a help defender, and kicked the ball out to an open Lexi Gruss on the left wing. Gruss' three point attempt hit the right side of the rim, bounced high in the air, then dropped through the net to give Le Moyne a 24-23 lead that they carried into halftime.

To begin the second half, Baker attacked the hoop with a head of steam then finished a running layup in the right side of the paint with 9:33 on the clock to put Le Moyne up by three.

The Le Moyne zone was extremely active throughout the penultimate period, and Bentley did not score their first – and only – points of the quarter until the 2:12 mark, when junior guard Brooke Obar made a running layup on the right side of the hoop. During the next Le Moyne possession, Baker attacked the basket, drew a help defender from the weak side and kicked the ball out to Florvil in the short corner on the right side of the floor. Florvil knocked down the open jumper to put Le Moyne up 32-25, then went out of her way to give Baker an appreciative high five as they both hustled back on defense.

Bentley came up with an offensive rebound in the paint with 20 seconds left in the third quarter, but Roberts blocked the putback attempt to earn possession back for the 'Phins. Le Moyne held for the final shot, and when the clock hit six seconds, freshman guard Kaia Goode (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) dribbled at her defender towards the right block and finished a running layup over a Bentley forward to give the Dolphins a 34-25 lead – their largest of the game up to that point – after 30 minutes of action.

Bentley went on a 5-0 run to begin the fourth quarter via a layup and a three pointer from Whitmore to trim their deficit to 34-30.

During the subsequent Le Moyne possession, Goode and Roberts ran a pick and roll on the left side of the floor, and Roberts caught a pass above the left block. Roberts dribbled towards the hoop and powered through her defender to finish the layup and extend her team's lead back out to six points.

Lusher came up with a steal at the 6:18 mark, then Baker drove to the basket at the other end and finished a contested shot to make it 38-30 in favor of the Dolphins.
Roberts finished another difficult contested layup with 5:17 left in the fourth to give Le Moyne a 10-point lead.

Le Moyne's last 11 points of the game came from the free-throw line, and the Dolphins hung on to claim their third consecutive conference victory, as well as their eighth win in their last nine games.

Le Moyne is now tied for fourth in the NE10 standings alongside AIC, behind Assumption (17-2, 10-2 NE10), Southern New Hampshire (13-3, 9-2 NE10), and Bentley (12-6, 9-3 NE10).

The Le Moyne College women's basketball team will be back in action on Tuesday, January 24 when they travel to Pace University (8-11, 5-7 NE10) to take on the Setters at 5:30 p.m.