Le Moyne (1-6) vs. St. Bonaventure (7-3)
Info: Saturday, Dec. 6 | 1:00 P.M. | Syracuse, N.Y. | Ted Grant Court
Watch: NEC Front Row
Listen: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: https://lemoynedolphins.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
St. Bonaventure's Links: Schedule | Roster | News

Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team is returning home to Ted Grant Court for a matchup against St. Bonaventure at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6. The game will be broadcast on NEC Front Row and FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM.

Season Summary:
The Dolphins have played to a 1-6 record through their first seven games of the 2025-26 campaign, including six on the road and one home contest all against non-conference opponents. They opened the season against St. John's on Nov. 3 and dropped the matchup, 68-53, before downing Lafayette, 82-79, in overtime in their lone win of the season thus far on the following Sunday, Nov. 9. Le Moyne then fell to seventh-ranked Baylor, 99-43, in Waco, T.X. on Sunday, Nov. 16 before traveling to Pitt and coming away with a 87-65 defeat on Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

To finish out November, the Dolphins dropped their home-opener to Cornell, 52-51, in overtime at Ted Grant Court on Saturday, Nov. 22 and a road matchup at Bucknell, 65-41, on Tuesday, Nov. 25 before dropping another road meeting against Illinois, 100-28, on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Stat Leaders:
Through seven games played this season, sophomore guard Eli Clark leads all Dolphins in scoring and is the only player averaging double-digit points, with 10.6 with identical field goal and three-point marks (.353). She's also averaged 3.4 rebounds, added a team-leading 22 assists, and shot 93% from the line in a team-best 31.7 minutes per game.

Clark currently ranks fifth in the NEC in assists, 12th in scoring, and eighth in minutes per game.

Junior forward Ashley Buragas sits just behind E. Clark with 9.3 points and a .509 rate from the field. Her 6.9 rebounds and nine steals lead the team and she has added 17 assists while tying for a team-high two blocks this season. 

After seven games, Buragas sits fifth in the NEC in rebounding and 20th in scoring. 

Last Time Out:
The Dolphins traveled to the University of Illinois and fell to the Fighting Illini, 100-28, this past Sunday. 

Eli Clark led Le Moyne with eight points on 3-7 shooting from the field, including the team's only two three-pointers of the game. E. Clark added two rebounds and tied junior forward Sydeny Postell with a team-high two assists.

Freshman guards Peyton Dincher and Kayden Clark along with junior guard Jessica Wangolo sat behind E. Clark with four points apiece against the Illini. Dincher and K. Clark went a combined 4-11 from the field while Wangolo shot a perfect 4-4 from the line.

Senior guard Sierra Linnin led the 'Phins with five rebounds and added one assist in 24 minutes on the court.

Series History:
St. Bonaventure holds a 9-3 record all-time against Le Moyne, as the programs played 1-2 times per season from 1980-81 to 1987-88.

The Dolphins have played to a 1-4 mark at home against the Bonnies, with the most recent home matchup coming during the 1986-87 campaign.

Common Opponents:
The Dolphins and Bonnies have two common opponents this season, one from each of their respective conferences. 

St. Bonaventure will travel to NEC-rival Mercyhurst next week on Friday, Dec. 12 before the Dolphins host the Lakers on Sunday, Jan. 4 and head to Erie for their second matchup to close the regular season on Thursday, Mar. 5. 

Le Moyne will participate in the Hawk Classic and play against host and Atlantic-10 member Saint Joseph's in two weekends on Saturday, Dec. 20. St. Bonaventure will play the Hawks one time through their conference slate this season at home on Wednesday, Jan. 14. 

Year #3:
Le Moyne is in its third year transitioning to the Division I level and is the only institution in the nation in its transition "class." The Dolphins went 18-15 in their first season at the Division I level in 2023-24, including 14-2 in NEC action to earn the second seed in the postseason tournament before advancing to the conference title game. The team then posted a 7-24 overall record last season, including going 6-10 in conference play, en route to their second straight NEC tournament, this time as the fifth seed. 

Returners:
The 2025-26 Dolphins will feature six returners; senior guards Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) and Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Averill Park), juniors guard Jessica Wangolo (Ottawa, O.N. / Capital Courts Academy / Buffalo) and forward Sydney Postell (Churchville, N.Y. / Churchville-Chili), sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township), and redshirt sophomore guard Amya McLeod (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy / Youngstown State).

Newcomers:
The Dolphins welcomed eight new players to the program this year, including six freshman, one sophomore, and one junior. Guards Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore), Ava Lucarotti (Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep), and Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) join forwards Ava Johnson (Richmond, Va. / The Steward School), Rachel Lynch (Cork, Ireland / Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)), and Praise Matthews (Red Lion, Pa. / Dallastown) as 'Phins freshmen this season. Junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College) joins Le Moyne's program after a two-year stint at NJCAA Mineral Area College in Park Hills, M.O. while sophomore guard Sophia Bonnell (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads / SUNY New Paltz) played one season in NCAA Division-III for the New Paltz Hawks.

NEC Outlook:
Le Moyne's squad was selected to finish fourth in the regular season standings in the NEC preseason coaches' poll, just behind unanimous favorite FDU, Stonehill, and Chicago State. CCSU, Mercyhurst, Wagner, LIU, New Haven, and Saint Francis rounded out the poll behind the Dolphins. 

Eli Clark was named to the preseason All-NEC team, as well, after recording averages of 8.2 points (third on the team), 3.3 rebounds (fifth on the team) and a team-best 2.9 assists over a team-high 31.5 minutes per game as a starter in 27 of 30 games played. During NEC action, she increased her averages to 8.5 points and 3.5 assists to go with 3.1 rebounds as a starter in 12 of 15 games.

2025-26 NEC Weekly Award Winners & Prime Performers:
Dolphins players have earned one NEC Weekly Award and three NEC Prime Performer honors so far this season.

Weekly Award Winners: 
Rookie of the Week - Kayden Clark (Nov. 10)

Prime Performers:
Kayden Clark (Nov. 10)
Ashley Buragas (Nov. 10)
Eli Clark (Nov. 24)

Coach DiPillo:
Nick DiPillo was named the seventh head coach in Le Moyne women's basketball program history on May 23, 2024 after stints as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University, University of Pittsburgh, Seton Hall University and with the New York Liberty, in addition to a successful head coaching stint at the University of Scranton. 

The Dolphins earned the fifth seed in the 2024-25 NEC tournament in coach Dipillo's first season, eventually taking down #4 Saint Francis, 62-51, in the opening round before falling to #2 Stonehill, 60-41, in the semifinals. 

Bonnies Brief:
St. Bonaventure has earned a 7-3 overall record through nine non-conference matchups and one A-10 contest so far this season. The 2025-26 campaign marks head coach Jim Crowley's third since returning to the Bonnies in 2023 after serving in the same role from 2000-2016.

The Bonnies opened the season with five consecutive wins against Mansfield, Niagara, Binghamton, Canisius, and Buffalo from Nov. 3-19 before faltering for the first time at home against UAlbany, 62-53, on Nov. 22. 

The team then traveled to Ohio for a three-game slate at the Cleveland State MTE last Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 26-29. The Bonnies fell to the host Vikings, 75-71, on Wednesday before taking down both Radford (55-45) and Valparaiso (87-55) to close out the set. 

Most recently, the squad opened Atlantic-10 action on the road against Saint Louis on Wednesday, Dec. 3 and fell to the Billikens, 76-70. 

Through 10 games, graduate guard Laycee Drake leads St. Bonaventure in scoring with 16.1 points per game on a .472 mark from the field and .351 rate from behind the arc. Drake also leads the Bonnies with 6.2 rebounds per contest and 18 steals through 28.4 minutes this season 

St. Bonaventure brings back just two players from its 2024-25 team that earned a 6-24 overall record and ended their season in the first round of the A-10 Tournament to Saint Louis. They're joined by six freshmen newcomers and six transfers.

The Bonnie's returners this season are senior forward Gabby Robinson and sophomore guard Mackenzie Pettinelli.

Robinson averaged 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game last season while Pettinelli averaged 4.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists through 28 starts in 2024-25.

St. Bonaventure was voted to finish at the bottom of the A-10 standings in 14th place in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll after going 2-16 in conference play and earning the 15th-seed in the conference tournament last season.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will travel to Milwaukee, Wisc. for a matchup with Marquette at 3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Dec. 14.