LE MOYNE (12-14, 7-5) vs. Long Island University (6-19, 5-8)
Thursday, Feb. 22 - 7:00 p.m.
Steinberg Wellness Center - Brooklyn, N.Y.
Video: NEC Front Row
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: https://www.liuathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 
Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men's basketball team hopes to extend its two-game win streak when it visits Long Island University on the road Thursday night. The Dolphins downed the Sharks 87-74 on January 27 in the two's first matchup. Le Moyne's 87 points are its third most in NEC play.
 
Long Island has struggled since its last matchup against Le Moyne. The Sharks are 2-4 in their last six games and have lost two straight. LIU's two victories came against Saint Francis on February 3 and Sacred Heart on February 10. Three of their four losses were within seven points, including two overtime defeats. The Sharks most recently fell to Merrimack on the road, surrendering 83 points. LIU is led by former All-NBA point guard Rod Strickland. Strickland is in his second season with the program.
 
On the season, the Sharks have just six wins. They have played better in conference play, securing five of their six wins in the NEC. But LIU started the year just 1-11 and entered its conference schedule on a seven-game losing streak. The Sharks won their first two NEC matchups but are just 3-8 since. Long Island currently sits seventh in the conference, nearly three games behind Le Moyne.
 
LIU is already having a better season than 2022-23, though. The Sharks went 3-26 and secured only one conference victory a year ago. Long Island has had a losing NEC record in just one of its last four campaigns.
 
Graduate guard Tai Strickland, the son of head coach Rod Strickland, leads the Sharks in scoring with 14 points per game. He's struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 25.7% on the season. However, Strickland has made his impact in other sectors too. The guard is first on the team in steals, second in assists, and third in rebounds. He has had a tough time in his last two games, scoring two and four points respectively. He did dominate in LIU's first contest against Le Moyne, though, dropping a season-high 34 points.
 
Junior Tana Kopa is another strong option on the Sharks offense. The Australian averages 13 points and shoots over 34% from three. Kopa recently snapped a ten-game streak of scoring in double figures. He had 13 and hit all three of his three-pointers back in late January against Le Moyne. Kopa also leads LIU in blocks, is third in steals, and averages four rebounds. He's started in 20 of Long Island's 25 contests.
 
Freshman guard Eric Acker rounds out the Sharks averaging over 10 points. Acker scores over 12 per game but is shooting just 37.2% from the field and 26.4% from three. He has been LIU's main distributor, averaging nearly four assists. Acker had a season-high 11 assists during a loss to Merrimack on February 8. He dropped 16 points and played 38 minutes during the first matchup between Long Island and Le Moyne.
 
The Sharks rank second-to-last in the NEC with a -11 point margin. They give up nearly 78 points per game and allow opponents to shoot 45.7% from the field. LIU has also struggled taking care of the basketball, sitting last in the conference in turnovers. The Sharks average nearly 15 turnovers per contest.
 
Le Moyne enters Thursday's contest on the back of a 75-67 home victory over Stonehill College. The win completed the Dolphins' season sweep over the Skyhawks. Le Moyne held an opponent to under 70 points for the fourth consecutive matchup.
 
Graduate forward Luke Sutherland led all scorers with 23 points in the victory. Sutherland has been on a tear lately, averaging 17.5 points over his last six games. He shot 60% from the field and knocked down two three-pointers. Sutherland also had a team-high nine rebounds and five assists.
 
Graduate guard Kaiyem Cleary also played well against Stonehill. Cleary had 14 points and knocked down all five of his free throw attempts. He added seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal in the effort. Cleary leads Le Moyne averaging 15.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. In the home win over the Sharks, Cleary tallied a program-record 43 points.
 
The Dolphins trailed just once during their win over the Skyhawks. Le Moyne forced 18 turnovers and limited Stonehill to just 11 assists. The Dolphins hit 13 free throws compared to Stonehill's four.
 
Following Le Moyne's contest with Long Island, the Dolphins host FDU on February 24 and Wagner College on February 29. Le Moyne finishes its season with a road matchup against Saint Francis University on March 2.