New Britain, Conn. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team claimed its second NEC regular season sweep on Thursday evening with a 69-54 win at Central Connecticut State University.

The Dolphins, who won the first game of the home-and-home series with CCSU on January 19 in Syracuse by a score of 57-44, improved their Northeast Conference record to 9-2 with the win on Thursday.

Le Moyne shot 19-20 from the line inside CCSU's Detrick Gymnasium, which is the third-best free-throw shooting performance in program history.

A season-high five different Le Moyne players scored in double figures during the win, led by fifth-year guard Lytoya Baker (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) who recorded her 10^th double-double of the season with 17 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals in 38 minutes played. Baker was a perfect 7-7 from the line, which is the most free throws that she has made in a game this season, as well as the most free throws that she has made in a game without a miss in her Le Moyne career.

Baker, who leads all Northeast Conference players in rebounding and double-doubles, has now scored in double figures in 10 of 11 NEC games this season, and she has recorded double-digit rebounds and at least three assists in each Le Moyne's last five contests.

Graduate guard Sydney Lusher (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) provided 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal for the Dolphins, while sophomore guard Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) shot 3-5 from three-point range and 2-2 from the line to finish the game with 11 points.

Linnin has now made at least three three-point field goals in seven NEC games this season.

Sophomore guard Kaia Goode (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) and redshirt-junior forward Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent, N.Y./Holland Patent) also scored in double figures with 10 points each. Goode, who made a career-high nine free throws during the win at Buffalo earlier this season, was a perfect 6-6 from the line on Thursday to go along with three assists in 35 minutes played.

Roberts, who leads all NEC players in free throw percentage during conference play, did not attempt a free throw at CCSU, but she pulled down eight rebounds and the Dolphins outscored the Blue Devils by 19 points during her 23 minutes on the floor.

The Dolphins were 8-8 from the line after three quarters, then they shot 11-12 from the stripe during the final 10 minutes to close out their fourth conference road victory.

Although CCSU pulled down 14 offensive rebounds compared to nine for Le Moyne, the Dolphins grabbed 28 defensive rebounds for a +7-rebounding margin on the evening.

CCSU senior guard Belle Lanpher, who scored her 1,000^th career point during the setback, led the Blue Devils in scoring with 16 points on 5-10 from the field, 3-5 from three and 3-4 from the line to go along with five assists and three rebounds in 39 minutes played.

Senior forward Meghan Kenefick played all 40 minutes for CCSU and tallied 14 points on 6-10 shooting from the field.

Nottingham High School graduate Amaya Williams was the third Blue Devil in double figures with 12 points in addition to five assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes played.

The Dolphins limited sophomore guard Samora Watson, the NEC's leading scorer entering Thursday's games, to just six points, and zero points during the second half.

"CCSU has been playing everybody tough. They played Sacred Heart tough the other day so the fact that we were able come out with a win here in this fashion, where we stepped up huge defensive, is a credit to the team," said Le Moyne head coach Mary Grimes after the game. "We really tried to focus in on rebounding the ball and boxing out."

Le Moyne held a 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, then they closed the second quarter on a 13-3 run to establish a 34-23 advantage at halftime.

Roberts keyed the run for Le Moyne, scoring a layup at the 4:09 mark, followed by a three pointer during the very next possession. Roberts then scored the final field goal of the half with 41 seconds on the clock as she accepted a pass from Baker on the right block and converted a layup over her defender.

Central Connecticut State started the second half on a positive note, forging a quick 8-0 run between the 7:36 and 6:20 marks of the period with two free throws and a three pointer from Lanpher followed by a triple from Kenefick to make it a one-possession game.

Lusher ended the run by intercepting a pass on the wing, gathering the ball in the front court and knocking down a pull up jumper at the 5:28 mark, but Williams drained a contested three during the next CCSU possession to make it 40-38 in favor of the Dolphins.

Two made free throws from Williams with 1:29 remaining in the third tied the game at 42-42, but Lusher scored the final four points of the penultimate frame to give the 'Phins the lead going into the final quarter.

With 1:19 left in the third, Lusher inbounded the ball to sophomore guard Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y./Averill Park) near the right block, then moved to the corner and got the ball right back. Lusher jabbed to her right, drove left into the paint and converted a heavily contested runner to put Le Moyne back in front. She then forced a missed shot in the paint at the other end, grabbed the defensive rebound, pushed the ball up the floor, threw a pass ahead to Linnin, then got the ball back midway between the right block and the wing, turned towards the hoop and swished a midrange jumper to make it a four-point game.

Lusher then scored another two-point field goal on Le Moyne's first possession of the fourth quarter by using a screen from Baker and draining a pull up jumper from straight on.

Baker then scored Le Moyne's next six points around a three pointer from Lanpher and a layup from CCSU sophomore forward Alonna Sellers. With just over seven minutes remaining and the Dolphins holding onto a 50-45 lead, Goode drove into the paint and dropped off a great pass to Baker who made the layup just before the shot clock expired.

Williams drew a foul and made two free throws to trim CCSU's deficit to 55-49 with 5:09 left in the fourth. During the next Le Moyne possession, Baker worked her way into the paint, drew a help defender and kicked the ball out to an open Roberts who swished the clutch three pointer to extend the lead to nine and force a CCSU timeout.

Linnin put an exclamation point on the victory with a three pointer in almost the exact same spot as Roberts' triple with a little over a minute remaining to make it 65-52 in favor of the Dolphins.

Four made free throws from Goode in the final minute sandwiched a field goal from Lanpher which gave her 1,000 career points.

The Le Moyne women's basketball team will remain on the road as they will play a 2:00 p.m. game at Stonehill on Saturday. The Dolphins previously bested the Skyhawks last Friday at home by a score of 72-51.

With five NEC regular season games remaining, the Dolphins are currently in second place in the NEC Standings, and are one of two teams to have already clinched a spot in the eight-team Northeast Conference Tournament.