Game #17 vs. Central Connecticut State (NEC)
Info: Fri., Jan 19 | Syracuse, N.Y. | 7 p.m. | Ted Grant Court
Watch: Yes Network / ESPN+ / NEC Front Row .... Live Stats: lemoynedolphins.com
Listen: wvoaradio.com
Le Moyne WBB Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
CCSU Links: Schedule | Roster | News | Stats


Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team will host the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils on Friday, January 19 at 7 p.m. at Ted Grant Court in a conference matchup that will air on the YES Network and ESPN+, as well as NEC Front Row.

The contest will be a 'Phins Phrenzy event. The student-centric promotion will feature in-game entertainment provided by the Baldwinsville High School band, giveaways courtesy of LSPB, in-game contests, halftime youth basketball games, t-shirt tosses into the crowd following every three-point field goal made by a Dolphin player and postgame autograph sessions. All fans are encouraged to wear white.

Admission to all Le Moyne men's and women's basketball games is $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, Le Moyne faculty and staff and children ages 12-17. Le Moyne students with ID and children under 12 are free.

Le Moyne and CCSU, picked to finish eighth and ninth, respectively, in the conference's preseason coaches poll, are currently at the top of the NEC Standings.

Le Moyne is in first place with a 3-0 conference record, and Central Connecticut is third with two wins and one loss against NEC opponents.

Hot start for the 'Phins:
Le Moyne has won each of its first three Northeast Conference matchups. The Dolphins defeated the FDU Knights at home in their Northeast Conference debut on January 6 by a score of 65-52 with the help of a season-best 22 assists. Redshirt-junior forward Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent, N.Y./Holland Patent) provided a season-high 17 points and a season-high-tying eight rebounds during the win, while fifth-year guard Lytoya Baker (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

During Le Moyne's 74-59 win at Merrimack, which was picked to finish second in the NEC preseason poll, on January 13, the Dolphins shot a season-best 51.8% (29-56) from the field, including a season-high 56.3% (9-16) from beyond the three-point line to record a season-high 74 points. Baker scored a season-high 19 points against the Warriors to go along with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, while graduate guard Sydney Lusher (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) registered 17 points on 6-7 from the field, including 5-6 from three-point range, tying her career-high in three pointers made. Roberts and junior forward Brianna Williams (Brampton, Ontario/Southwest Academy/Hartford) also scored in double figures at Merrimack with 10 and 12 points, respectively.

The Dolphins came away with an impressive victory on Monday against the preseason favorite and defending conference tournament champion Sacred Heart. The two teams were locked in a 42-42 tie after three quarter, then the Dolphins outscored the Pioneers by a tally of 18-14 in the final 10 minutes to claim the road win and become the only remaining unbeaten team in NEC play. Sophomore guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) scored 14 first-half points during the win with three three-point field goals and two stepback jumpers off the dribble. Sophomore guard Kaia Goode (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) recorded 13 points, while Williams notched her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-best 10 rebounds in a season-high 33 minutes played.

Baker and Williams were both named NEC Prime Peformers for week 10 of the season.

Through three NEC games, Roberts is fifth in the league in field goal percentage (52%) and third in free-throw percentage (89%). Lusher is third in three-point field goal percentage (50%) in conference games, while Linnin is tied for fifth in three pointers made.

Junior guard Emily Florvil (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) is fifth among NEC players with 2.0 steals per conference game, while Baker is tied for ninth in scoring average (13.7), ninth in rebounding (6.3), third in assists (4.0), third in blocks (1.0), and first in assist/turnover ratio (3.0).

On the year, Baker is fourth in the league in scoring average (12.0), second in rebounding (7.8), 11^th in assists (2.4), sixth in steals (1.7), third in blocks (0.9) and seventh in minutes played (32.3). She has been named the NEC Player of the Week twice, and a Prime Performer on six different occasions.

For her career, Baker is in the top 25 in five major statistical categories on the Le Moyne women's basketball career records lists. She is seventh in career rebounds (654), 16^th in assists (202), 20^th in blocks (43), 14^th in steals (139) and 25^th in points (843).

As a team, the Dolphins are currently second in the NEC in free-throw percentage (72.9%), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (27.4%), fourth in blocked shots average (2.38), fourth in assists (11.1), fourth in steals (8.3), third in turnover margin (-0.31), third in offensive rebounding (11.6) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.68).

Baker, Goode and Florvil are each top 15 among NEC players in steals. Through 16 games, Baker is sixth with 1.7 steals per game, while Florvil is ninth with 1.6, and Goode is 14^th with 1.3 per game. Goode is also eighth among NEC players in assists (2.7 per game). Roberts leads all NEC players in field goal percentage (86.5%).

Central Connecticut State head coach Way Veney is in her first season as the Blue Devils' leader.

The Blue Devils (4-12, 2-1 NEC) defeated Stonehill and Saint Francis U to begin their conference schedule, but they are coming off a 71-53 loss at Merrimack on Monday.

Sophomore guard Samora Watson currently leads CCSU in scoring and rebounding with 16.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Watson's scoring average is second among NEC players, and she is 12^th in steals with 1.4 per game.

Senior guard Belle Lanpher is averaging 13.1 points per game for the Blue Devils to go along with 2.7 rebounds, a team-high 3.1 assists per game, and a team-high 2.0 steals per game. Lanpher is currently fourth in the NEC in scoring average, fifth in assists and fifth in steals.

CCSU senior forward Meghan Kenefick is averaging a team-high 35.6 minutes per game, during which she is averaging 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks.

Through three NEC games for the Blue Devils, junior guard Amaya Williams is averaging 11.0 points and 2.3 steals per game, while sophomore forward Alonna Sellers is averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks against conference opponents.

On the year, CCSU is second among NEC teams in scoring average (57.1), first in free-throw percentage (75.7%), first in field goal percentage (37.9%), third in assists (11.13), second in turnover margin (+1.31), and second in assist/turnover ratio.

During the 2022-23 season, CCSU compiled a 7-22 record, including a 3-13 resume in the Northeast Conference. Lanpher was named to the 2022-23 NEC All-Conference Second Team after averaging 13.5 points and 2.5 assists per game last season.

Friday will be the first-ever meeting between Le Moyne and Central Connecticut State in women's basketball.

Following their home contest against CCSU, the Dolphins will travel to Loretto, Pennsylvania for a conference matchup at Saint Francis on Sunday.

After that, the Dolphins will have their rematch against Merrimack on January 25 at Ted Grant Court.