Greg Wall

MEN'S BASKETBALL WELCOMES CHICAGO STATE FOR SATURDAY MATINEE

2/15/2025 7:40:00 AM

By: Dylan Dariano, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Le Moyne (8-18, 3-8) vs. Chicago State (4-22, 4-7) - NEC
Info: Saturday, Feb. 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Syracuse, N.Y. | Ted Grant Court
Video: NEC Front Row (http://necfrontrow.com/game/12934)
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: https://lemoynedolphins.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College men's basketball team will continue its four-game homestand in its second matchup of the season against NEC rival Chicago State University on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1:00 p.m.

Series History:
Earlier this season marked the first meeting between Le Moyne and Chicago State in the history of the programs. The Cougars came away with a 88-72 victory at home against the Dolphins on Saturday, Jan. 18 behind junior guard Jalen Forrest's game-high 24 points. Sophomore guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) led Le Moyne with 19 points in the matchup while redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (Md.)/Iona/Salt Lake C.C./UT Arlington) recorded 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Dolphins' Season:
Le Moyne is currently 8-18 overall with a 3-8 record in NEC play, placing them at the bottom of the conference standings. The squad kicked off the 2024-25 season with a 5-10 record in non-conference play before opening conference action with back-to-back losses against LIU and FDU in early January.

The Dolphins claimed their first two conference victories at home against Mercyhurst, 79-63, on Jan. 12 and Stonehill, 73-72, on Jan. 20 with their loss to Chicago State in between. The team then went on a five-game losing streak from Jan. 24 through Feb. 8 before beating Wagner in their latest game, 72-68, in overtime this past Thursday, Feb. 13.

Dancler led Le Moyne with 17 points against the Seahawks, tallying eight made free-throws, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 43 minutes on the court. He is ranked second in the NEC in scoring (18.5 points), assists (4.6) and minutes (36.2), sixth in free-throw percentage (.466), and first in three-pointers made (2.5) through 11 conference games played.

Redshirt freshman guard Deng Garang (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) followed with a career-high 15 points on a trio of three-pointers while adding one rebound, two assists, and two steals in his second career start on Thursday night. Garang has averaged 4.6 points with a .481 shooting rate through eight appearances for the Dolphins this season.

In 38 minutes against Wagner, graduate guard Robby Carmody (Mars, Pa./Mars Area/Notre Dame/Mercer) tallied 13 points with a pair of both blocks and steals. He is second on Le Moyne's roster with 12.1 points through 21 games played while adding 20 steals this season.

Rounding out Le Moyne's double-digit scorers in the win was graduate guard Will Amica (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee/UAlbany), who registered 11 points on 4-7 shooting while recording four rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes off the bench. Amica has played in 19 games this season, including three starts, and has played to 6.0 points with a .391 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

Le Moyne leads the NEC in points per game with 73.2 but has given up the most points in conference games this season (79.3), as well. The 'Phins have allowed the highest opponent field goal percentage (.486) but are middle of the pack in blocked shots, steals, and assists this season.

A Look at the Cougars:
Chicago State is currently 4-22 overall after beginning their season with a 0-15 record through their non-conference slate from November to January. The squad found their first win in their inaugural NEC season against Wagner, 64-52, on the road on Jan. 3 before falling to LIU and Stonehill prior to their victory against Le Moyne in mid-January.

The Cougars went on a three-game losing streak against FDU, Stonehill, and CCSU from Jan. 20-26 before grabbing two victories at home against LIU, 73-67, and Mercyhurst, 85-78, on Feb. 1 and Feb. 6. In their two most recent matchups, the squad fell to Saint Francis, 81-69, at home on Feb. 8 and FDU, 91-49, on the road on Thursday, Feb. 13.

Junior forward Quincy Allen led Chicago State against FDU in their most recent loss, recording 15 points on 6-14 shooting from the field with a team-high nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 29 minutes off the bench. Allen has averaged 7.1 points and a team-leading 5.1 rebounds through five starts and nine more appearances this season.

Forrest marked the Cougars' only other double-digit scorer, tallying 14 points four rebounds, one assist, and one steal on Thursday. Forrest ranks fourth in scoring (17.0) and eighth in field-goal percentage (.450) in the NEC this season.

Chicago State is ranked only above Wagner in points per game (64.0) and team field-goal percentage (.403) as well as Mercyhurst in team rebounds (26.6) through 11 conference games played.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will host Saint Francis (10-16, 5-7) in its second matchup of the season at Ted Grant Court on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:00 p.m.

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