LE MOYNE (9-13, 4-4) vs. Stonehill College (3-21, 1-8)
Thursday, Feb. 8 - 7:00 p.m.
Merkert Gymnasium - North Easton, Mass.
Video: NEC Front Row
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: https://www.stonehillskyhawks.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240208_mvc5.xml
 
Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men's basketball team aims to get back on track in the NEC when it visits familiar foe Stonehill on Thursday evening. The two have faced off 41 times, including 37 dating back to their Northeast-10 Conference days.
 
Stonehill had struggled immensely in conference play until its first NEC victory on Saturday. The Skyhawks defeated Wagner College, 71-61, to claim their first win in over a month. Previously in conference, Stonehill was 0-8. The Skyhawks were the last remaining winless team in the NEC before their triumph over the Seahawks. Despite the recent victory, Stonehill is still averaging just under 64 points per contest, ranking last in the conference. The Skyhawks have gone through two losing streaks that lasted ten games this season.
 
Stonehill's non-conference schedule wasn't much better. After getting their first win against Army West Point on November 9, it took more than a month for the Skyhawks to grab their second victory against Hartford. During Stonehill's 15 non-conference games, they averaged 16.2 points less than their opponents. The stretch included tough matchups, though, including the University of Connecticut, the University of Kentucky, the University of Miami and Rutgers.
 
Head coach Chris Kraus is in his 11th year with the Skyhawks. Kraus became the first ever Canadian-born coach to lead an NCAA men's basketball program when he was appointed in 2013. Stonehill went 10-6 in the NEC last season, its first year at the Division I level.
 
Stonehill has three players averaging over 12 points per game. Forward Max Zegarowski leads the pack, putting up 12.5 per matchup. The graduate student is coming off his best performance in over two months, dropping 20 points and six rebounds against Wagner. Zegarowski also tops the Skyhawks in minutes, rebounds and free-throw percentage. He shoots over 35% from three and dishes out 1.8 assists per contest as well.
 
Senior Jackson Benigni is another option for Stonehill. The guard averages 12.3 points and has put up double digits in back-to-back games. Benigni missed eight matchups in the middle of the year and had his best outing after his absence. He scored 27 points in a loss to FDU in mid-January, a season-high. Benigni hits more than 35% of his shots from beyond the arc and leads the Skyhawks in steals with nearly two per game.
 
Sophomore Tony Felder rounds out the Skyhawks averaging double-digit points. The guard puts up 12.2 per game and has started all but two of Stonehill's contests. Felder attempts the most shots and three-pointers on the team. He leads the Skyhawks in assists with three per matchup. Felder also places second on the squad averaging 1.5 steals.
 
Stonehill has won its last three games against Le Moyne dating back to January of 2019. The Skyhawks held the Dolphins to just 52 points in the latest contest two years ago. The Dolphins went 9-10 at Stonehill during their NE10 years.
 
Le Moyne tries to end a two-game skid when it travels to Stonehill. The Dolphins dropped a close 87-81 matchup against Sacred Heart on Saturday. Despite the loss, Le Moyne scored 80+ points for the third time in the last four games.
 
Graduate student Luke Sutherland led the Dolphins with 26 points in the defeat, his most since early December. The forward converted 12 of his 23 shot attempts and knocked down two three-pointers. Sutherland added five rebounds and played 27 minutes. He's scored 20+ in consecutive games and 10+ in four straight. Sutherland ranks second on Le Moyne averaging 14.8 points in 2023-24.
 
Guard Kaiyem Cleary was also effective against Sacred Heart. The graduate student put up 23 points on 50% shooting. Cleary has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games. He also rejected the only two shots Le Moyne blocked. Cleary recorded four rebounds as well to round out his day. He leads the Dolphins averaging 16.2 points this season.
 
Graduate guard Isaiah Salter had a balanced game for Le Moyne. Salter had twelve points, had a season-high seven assists, and grabbed two rebounds. He was the third and final Dolphin to score 10+ against Sacred Heart.
 
Le Moyne looks to avoid its biggest losing streak of the season against Stonehill. The Dolphins have one more away game at Merrimack on Saturday before returning to Ted Grant Court for a two-game homestand.