LE MOYNE (3-7) vs. University of San Diego (3-6)
Saturday, Dec. 16 - 2:00 p.m.
Ted Grant Court
Video: NEC Front Row
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
 
Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men's basketball team returns home to face Dartmouth College on Saturday afternoon.
 
Dartmouth, a member of the Ivy League, has struggled to start 2023. The New Hampshire-based school began the season with losses to Duke and UMass Lowell. After garnering its first win of the season over Westfield State, Dartmouth dropped three straight contests to Saint Louis, Vermont, and UAlbany. The Ivy League participant has won two of their last three. Their latest win came over Boston University on Wednesday, December 13.
 
Dartmouth, which is led by eighth-year head coach Dave McLaughlin, is searching for its first winning season since the late 1990's. The Ivy school went 10-18 last year. Dartmouth is 0-4 on the road to start the 2023-24 campaign. Prior to taking the reins at Dartmouth, McLaughlin gained head coaching experience at Le Moyne-rival Stonehill College. During his time leading the Skyhawks, McLaughlin posted a 5-9 record against the Dolphins, including a 3-3 mark at Ted Grant Court.
 
Dartmouth's top two scorers have missed games heading into Saturday's matchup. Forward Dusan Neskovic leads the team in scoring with 17.5 points. Neskovic hauls in over four rebounds a game and leads the team in steals. He hasn't appeared since Dartmouth's bout against UAlbany on December 2.
 
Brandon Mitchell-Day is another Dartmouth player to miss time recently. The sophomore is averaging 12 points on over 50% from the field. Mitchell-Day ranks second on the team in rebounds per game, grabbing six boards. He's played only five games, the latest coming on November 29 against Vermont.
 
Forward Jayden Williams has been Dartmouth's most durable player. The sophomore has started every game, averaging 9.6 points. Williams put up a season-high 28 points against New Hampshire in early December. He's been Dartmouth's best shooter by far, cashing in on over 46% of his tries from beyond the arc. Williams has been a defensive presence at times too, totalling six steals and five blocks.
 
Guard Jaren Johnson is another offensive option for Dartmouth. He's averaging just under eight points and leads the team in rebounds and assists. Johnson has four or more rebounds in every contest this season. He also has an assist in eight straight games.
 
Dartmouth's scoring numbers are low to start the year. The team averages just 62 points, while allowing just under 69 per contest. Le Moyne puts up over 73 points per game in the young season, while yielding 75.5.
 
The Dolphins are coming off a tough 91-79 loss against Binghamton on the road. The defeat was Le Moyne's second in a row and seventh on the campaign. However, the Dolphins tallied 70+ points for the seventh time this year.
 
Graduate student Luke Sutherland exploded against Binghamton. He ended the day with 35 points, a new career-high. Sutherland was the only Le Moyne player with double-digit points in the loss. The forward hit five three-pointers and also had three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Sutherland leads the Dolphins with nearly 16 points per game.
 
Guard Mike DePersia was effective on the boards. The graduate student had seven rebounds against Binghamton. He added six assists, two assists, and two steals in the defeat.
 
Graduate student Isaiah Salter was a distributor in limited minutes during the loss. Playing just 11 minutes, Salter tallied a team-high four assists. He had two rebounds as well.
 
Le Moyne's upcoming matchup with Dartmouth is its first of two consecutive home games. The Dolphins host Houghton University on Monday before heading to Penn State for a Thursday clash.