Syracuse, N.Y. – With the help of a big third quarter and a program record 18 steals, the Le Moyne College women's basketball team erased an eight-point halftime deficit and earned a 64-57 victory at Ted Grant Court over Merrimack College on Thursday night, claiming their first NEC regular season sweep against the Warriors.

The Dolphins totaled 42 second-half points during the win. Le Moyne began the third quarter on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 30-30, and they outscored the visiting Warriors by a tally of 21-8 in the penultimate frame. Le Moyne then outscored Merrimack 21-19 in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line, to close out the win and improve to 5-1 in Northeast Conference play.

Le Moyne sophomore guard Kaia Goode (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) recorded a game-high and personal season-high 19 points, including 14 points in the second half, on 7-12 shooting from the field with a season-high five steals and two assists in 37 minutes played.

Sophomore guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) tied her season-high of 15 points on 50% shooting from the field, 60% from three-point land, and 100% from the line to go along with a career-best seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 37 minutes played.

Fifth-year guard Lytoya Baker (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) scored in double figures for the sixth consecutive game, and the 16^th time overall this season with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Baker previously registered a season-high 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal during Le Moyne's 74-59 win at Merrimack on January 13.

Graduate guard Sydney Lusher (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) added eight points, four rebounds, three steals and one block against the Warriors on Thursday, while junior guard Emily Florvil (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) produced a career-best four steals to go along with three rebounds, two assists and a field goal in 18 minutes off the bench.

Junior forward Brianna Williams (Brampton, Ontario/Southwest Academy/Hartford) recorded a season-best two blocks with two steals and two field goals.

Merrimack senior forward Amaya Staton recorded 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds off the bench, while graduate guard Kaylee Thomas also scored 16 points with four made threes.

Graduate guards Jayme DeCesare and Diamond Christian provided a combined 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals for the Warriors in 37 and 34 minutes played, respectively.

The 2011-12 Le Moyne women's team recorded a then-program record 17 steals against Merrimack during a January contest, but the current group of Dolphins broke that record with 18 steals against the Warriors on Thursday, including 11 during the second half. The Dolphins forced a season-high 22 turnovers against Merrimack, and scored a season-high 27 points off of those turnovers. Le Moyne also totaled a season-high 19 fast break points.

Merrimack pulled down 19 offensive rebounds, which was one shy of its season-high 20 offensive boards recorded against Le Moyne on January 13. The Warriors tallied 13 second-chance points on Thursday. The Warriors shots 5-28 from three-point range and 14-20 from the free-throw line, while the Dolphins went 6-12 from long range and 16-18 from the line.

Postgame comments from Le Moyne head coach Mary Grimes:


Postgame comments from sophomore guards Kaia Goode and Sierra Linnin:


How It Happened:
The Warriors jumped out to a 7-2 lead after Christian received a pass on the baseline, finished a reverse layup through contact, drew a shooting foul and made a free throw to complete the old-fashioned three-point play at the 6:48 mark of the first period, but Le Moyne scored on their next three possessions to take their first lead of the game with 5:29 left in the opening frame.

Linnin drove into the paint, drew a foul and made two free throws with 6:40 on the clock, then Lusher came up with a steal at the other end, dribbled across half court and sent a pass to the left wing for Goode who breezed through the Merrimack defense and finished an uncontested layup at the rim.

Lusher forced another turnover at the 5:40 mark, then Linnin used a screen from Williams and knocked down a pull up jumper from the left side during the ensuing Le Moyne possession to put the 'Phins up 8-7.

Le Moyne completed its 10-0 scoring run with a nice move and score in the paint from Williams followed by a steal and fast break layup from Florvil.

Merrimack answered back with a 7-2 run of their own to close the quarter and make it 14-14 after 10 minutes of play.

The play of Thomas and Staton helped the Warriors outscore Le Moyne 16-8 during the second quarter and take a 30-22 lead at the intermission.

Staton scored six of her points during the second period, while Thomas tallied eight second-quarter points with the help of back-to-back triples at the 6:43 and 5:53 marks.

Le Moyne graduate forward Kaitlyn Walker (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee/Onondaga C.C./St. John Fisher) scored the final point of the first half with a free throw with 35 seconds remaining.

Le Moyne began the third quarter with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 30-30 a little over two minutes into the period.

The Dolphins recorded two blocks and a steal during their first defensive possession, then Goode knocked down a three pointer from straight on at the other end.

Le Moyne recorded another steal with 8:18 on the clock, and this time Linnin drained a triple from straight on to make it a one-possession game.

Following a Merrimack timeout and another Le Moyne steal, Goode drove into the paint and sent a pass to Williams who converted the midrange jumper to tie the game.

A three pointer from redshirt-junior forward Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent, N.Y./Holland Patent) with 3:36 left in the third gave Le Moyne its first lead of the second half.

With over two minutes remaining in the third, Goode drove all the way to the left block in transition, made a layup through contact, drew a foul and completed the three-point play to make it 40-38 in favor of the Dolphins.

With just over a minute left in the period, Baker caught the ball at the top of the key, quickly ripped it through to the right side, drove to the right block and finished a right-handed layup off her right leg over two Merrimack defenders to give the 'Phins a four-point lead.

Le Moyne held a 43-38 advantage going into the fourth quarter, then began the final period with an 8-2 run.

During their first possession of the frame, Linnin caught a pass on the left wing and swished a three pointer, then less than a minute later Goode used a ball screen from Roberts, drove into the paint, faked a pass to Roberts and knocked down a jumper. Following a nice finish in the paint from Merrimack freshman guard Paloma Garcia, Linnin made her second three pointer of the quarter from the left wing to push the Le Moyne lead to 51-40.

Merrimack cut their deficit to six points with a three pointer from Thomas and a layup from sophomore guard Lydia Melaschenko.

Le Moyne ended the 5-0 Merrimack run with a floater from Lusher just under the three-minute mark.

With 1:40 left in the contest, Goode caught a pass on the left wing, crossed over from right to left, drove the ball to the left block, made a running layup, drew a shooting foul and made the free throw to give the Dolphins a 58-49 lead.

Thomas cut the deficit back to six with her final made three of the night at the 1:28 mark, but Lusher was fouled and made two free throws during the next Le Moyne possession.

Roberts and Baker each made two free throws in the final minute to close out the win for Le Moyne.

With a 5-1 conference record, the Dolphins sit at the top of the NEC Standings alongside Sacred Heart (11-9, 5-1 NEC), whom Le Moyne defeated on January 15.

Le Moyne will continue NEC play on Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. game at LIU (5-13, 3-3 NEC).