Syracuse, N.Y. – Senior forward Xavier Wilson (Spring Valley, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac/The Hotchkiss School/Central Connecticut State) scored 18 points to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to an 84-81 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Ted Grant Court.

Wilson recorded 12 of his points after halftime, while finishing the game with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. First-year graduate student guard Isaiah Salter (Charlotte, N.C./Central Cabarrus/American International/Adelphi) netted 11 of his 17 points in the second half, while dishing out six assists. Fourth-year junior forward Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee/Siena/Bryant) tallied 16 points, including 11 in the first half. Junior guard Darrick Jones Jr. (Richmond, Va./Oak Hill Academy/Towson) registered 12 points in 12 minutes off the bench, including 10 in 10 first-half minutes.

Brandon Kolek led all scorers in the game with 23 points, including 12 in the second half, to go with seven rebounds. Sean Trumper turned in 12 of his 15 points in the second half, while also grabbing seven rebounds. Mohamed Traore and Wol Maiwen each recorded 10 points.

After Franklin Pierce scored six straight points to take an 11-9 lead, the Dolphins rattled off eight straight points over the next four and one-half minutes to take the lead for good. Wilson, Sutherland, Jones Jr. and redshirt sophomore guard Kevin Constant (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic/Tilton School) each scored in the paint in the span.

Following 15 points from each team over the next six minutes, the Ravens scored five straight to pull within 32-31 with 2:53 remaining in the half. Kolek buried a three-pointer off a feed from Maiwen, who followed with a pair of free throws.

Le Moyne answered with eight points in 1:09 to take its largest lead of the half at 40-31 with 1:20 to go. Fourth-year junior guard Jeremiah Washington (Chicago, Ill./Bogan/Ferris State) hit a step-back jumper and then Salter drilled a pair of three-pointers.

Franklin Pierce, which had its seven-game win streak snapped, scored the next four points, but Constant had a put-back as time expired to give the Dolphins a 42-35 lead at halftime.

Following back-and-forth action over the opening three minutes of the second half, the Dolphins scored six straight points to force a Franklin Pierce timeout. Sutherland had a free throw and a lay-up around a transition three-pointer by Salter to put the Dolphins up 54-42 with 15:39 to go.

Le Moyne pushed its lead to 14 with 14:34 left on a lay-up by Constant, but the Ravens answered with eight of the next 10 points to get within single digits. Kolek made four foul shots, Antonio Chandler made one and then RJ Delahaye drained a three-pointer to pull the Ravens within 60-52 with 12:24 remaining.

The teams went back and forth over the next eight minutes as Le Moyne's lead bounced between six and 13 and was at 81-69 with 4:40 to play.

Franklin Pierce, which won the first matchup of the season between the teams on November 30 in Rindge, 68-63, scored the next nine points and 12 of the next 13 to get within a point with 52 seconds to go. Chandler started the run with a lay-up, Traore went 2-for-2 from the foul line on two occasions 30 seconds apart and then Jarnel Snow-Guzman drilled a three-pointer to make it 81-78 with 1:41 to play. After Constant pushed it to a two-possession game with a free throw with 1:05 left, Kolek buried a three-pointer with 52 seconds left to get within 82-81.

Le Moyne ran almost 30 seconds off the clock before turning the ball over with 22 seconds remaining. Traore drove into the paint, but his shot with 18 seconds left rolled off the rim and Constant grabbed the rebound and called timeout.

Off the ensuing in-bounds play, Salter ended up with the ball and drew a foul with 11.2 seconds remaining. He converted both free throws to put the Dolphins up 84-81.

Following a Franklin Pierce timeout, Trumper was able to get off a three-point attempt from the top of the key, but it was off the mark and the Dolphins corralled the rebound as time expired.

Le Moyne (13-11, 10-6 NE10), which moved past the Ravens for fifth place in the NE10 standing by one-half of a game, concludes its three-game homestand on Tuesday against Assumption University at 7:30 p.m.