Syracuse, N.Y. – Redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (Md.)/Iona/Salt Lake C.C./UT Arlington) recorded a double-double to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to a 79-63 victory over Mercyhurst University in Northeast Conference action on Sunday afternoon at Ted Grant Court.

Koroma finished with team-highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Sophomore guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) registered 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Senior forward Ocypher Owens (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Christian Prep/Indian River State) posted 12 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line.

Bernie Blunt III led the Lakers in the setback with 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Jeff Planutis added 10 points.

The Dolphins opened the game with the first 10 points and 16 of the first 18 as Mercyhurst called two timeouts in the initial eight and one-half minutes. Fifth-year guard Darrick Jones Jr. (Richmond, Va./Oak Hill Academy/Towson) scored six of the first eight points with his three-pointer at the 16:47 mark forcing the first Mercyhurst timeout. Koroma scored the first points of the game and his fast-break dunk off a steal with 11:29 left gave the Dolphins a 16-2 lead and forced the second timeout by the Lakers.

After scoring just two points over the first 10:26 of the game, the Lakers hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to cut their deficit to 10 with 9:00 left.

The teams then went back and forth over the next five minutes as Le Moyne's lead bounced between 10 and 13 points.

Following a lay-up by Aidan Reichert to get the Lakers within 27-19 with 3:30 remaining, the Dolphins rattled off eight of the next nine points to take their largest lead of the half. Redshirt sophomore forward Nate Fouts (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles/Kimball Union Academy) made two free throws, Owens finished off an alley-oop from Dancler in transition and then junior guard Freds Pauls Bagatskis (Riga, Latvia/Complejo Educativo Mas Camarena (Spain)/Georgia Tech/UT Arlington) drained a three-pointer and ensuing free throw for a 25-20 lead with 2:21 to play in the half.

Mercyhurst scored the final eight points of the half to cut its deficit to just 35-28 at the intermission. Blunt III started the run with a jumper, Shemar Rathan-Mayes recorded a conventional three-point play, Blunt III connected on a foul shot and then Planutis closed out the half's scoring with a jumper with three seconds left.

Following a lay-up by Reichert to start the scoring in the second half and get Mercyhurst within 35-30, the Dolphins scored the next six points to regain their double-digit lead. Koroma had a dunk and then Dancler buried a three-pointer and ensuing free throw.

After five points by Blunt III around another Koroma dunk to get the Lakers within single digits for the final time with 16:34 left, the Dolphins scored six in a row and 16 of the next 21 points to blow the game open. Graduate student guard Robby Carmody (Mars, Pa./Mars Area/Notre Dame/Mercer) started the run with a lay-up and then Dancler (8) and Koroma (6) combined for the next 14 points.

Mercyhurst got back-to-back three-pointers from Christian Gamble and Max Jusianiec to get the Lakers within 59-46 with 8:51 to go, Le Moyne scored seven straight points and 16 of the next 23 to take its largest lead of the game, 75-53, with 4:02 to play. Bagatskis scored the first five points, Owens added six points, Carmody scored three points and graduate student guard Will Amica (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee/UAlbany) made two free throws.

Mercyhurst closed out the game with 10 of the last 14 points, with James Thomas scoring five of the points.

Le Moyne (6-12, 1-2 NEC), which improved to 18-2 all-time against the Lakers, is back in action on Saturday at NEC newcomer Chicago State University at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT.