Greg Wall

MEN'S BASKETBALL OPENS NEC CHAMPIONSHIPS WEDNESDAY AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE

3/5/2025 7:07:00 AM

By: Dylan Dariano, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

#8 Le Moyne (9-22, 4-12) vs. #1 Central Connecticut State (23-6, 14-2) - NEC
Info: Wednesday, Mar. 5 | 7:00 p.m. | New Britain, Conn. | Detrick Gymnasium
Video: NEC Front Row (http://necfrontrow.com/game/13247)
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: https://ccsubluedevils.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/boxscores/20250305_0gix.xml

Syracuse, N.Y. – The eight-seed Le Moyne College men's basketball team will travel to New Britain, Conn. to take on Northeast Conference front-runner CCSU in the first round of the NEC Championships on Wednesday, Mar. 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Series History:
Le Moyne holds a 7-5 advantage in their series history against CCSU dating back to the 1949-50 season. After their initial matchup, the two teams did not meet for another 20 years until meeting annually from 1969 to 1975. The squads met once more in the 1982-83 season before becoming conference rivals when Le Moyne moved to Division I prior to the 2023-24 campaign.

Last season, the Dolphins swept the series against the Blue Devils, winning, 75-73, on the road in New Britain, Conn. on Jan. 19 and again at home, 69-64, in overtime to clinch an NEC Tournament berth on Feb. 15.

This season, CCSU took both matchups, first on Friday, Jan. 24, the Blue Devils earned a 90-73 victory over Le Moyne as five players scored in double-digits. Sophomore guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) led the way for the Dolphins, scoring 18 points and adding seven assists in 40 minutes in the loss.

More recently, the 'Phins dropped their second game against the Blue Devils, 84-75, last Thursday, Feb. 27. Dancler dropped a game-high 25 points while redshirt sophomore forward Nate Fouts (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles/Kimball Union Academy) followed closely behind with a career-high 22 points of his own.

Dolphins' Season:
Le Moyne closed out the 2024-25 regular season going 9-22 record overall, including a 4-12 conference record, resulting in an eighth-place seeding in the NEC Tournament.

After going 5-10 through their non-conference schedule to begin the season, the Dolphins kicked off NEC action with back-to-back losses against LIU and FDU from Jan. 3-10. The squad went 2-1 in their next three, defeating Mercyhurst and Stonehill at home while falling to Chicago State on the road in mid-to-late January.

The Dolphins endured a five-game losing streak that lasted from Jan. 24-Feb. 8 before winning back-to-back conference games for the only time this season against Wagner and Chicago State, at home, Feb. 13 and 15. Le Moyne wrapped up the regular season with four-straight losses to Saint Francis, LIU, CCSU, and Stonehill from Feb. 20-Mar. 1.

Last season, Le Moyne took down FDU, 82-61, in the first round of the conference tournament during the 'Phins first season in Division I and the NEC.

Dancler led all Dolphins with 15.1 points per game, a .416 three-point percentage, and 99 total assists through 29 appearances and 21 starts overall this season. He added 33 steals overall (second-best on the squad) and 3.7 rebounds on average, placing him fourth on the roster. Dancler sat top-10 in multiple NEC ranks this season, earning him a spot on the All-Conference Second team.

In 16 conference games this season, Dancler finished ranked second in the conference in scoring (20.125 points per game), first in three-point percentage (.412), three-pointers made (2.9 per game), and minutes per game (37.1), second in assists per game (4.5 per), second in assists per game (4.5 per), sixth in field-goal percentage (.453) and assist/turnover ratio (1.5), and 10th in free-throw percentage (.803).

Graduate guard Robby Carmody (Mars, Pa./Mars Area/Notre Dame/Mercer) ranked second on Le Moyne's squad with 11.7 points through 24 appearances, including all but one start this season. He had a .800 free-throw percentage and tallied 2.5 rebounds per game, as well. Carmody recorded 16 double-digit games, with his season-high 21 coming against Saint Francis on Feb. 6.

Right behind Carmody, and the Dolphins' final double-digit point scorer on the season was redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (Md.)/Iona/Salt Lake C.C./UT Arlington) who averaged 11.1 in 20 appearances and 29 starts. Koroma led the conference with 7.2 rebounds per game, and the squad with a .706 field-goal percentage from the field and 40 steals this season. He also ranked third on the squad with seven blocks and fourth with 61 assists.

Senior forward Ocypher Owens (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Christian Prep/Indian River State) tallied 9.6 points this season, fourth-best on the team, and sat ranked second with 6.2 rebounds. In his 21 games played, Owens recorded a team-high 20 blocks, good enough for fourth-best in the NEC. He put up 14 points against Stonehill in the regular season finale on Mar. 1, 1th double-digit mark of the season and first since Jan. 24 against CCSU.

Fouts rounded out the 2024-25 season as the only 'Phin to appear in all 31 team games, averaging 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while sitting second with 12 total blocks. His 62 assists ranked third on the squad and he played 26.3 minutes per game, fourth-most on Le Moyne's roster.

Le Moyne led the NEC with 74.3 points scored per game, but sat last allowing 80.0 in their 31 games, as well. They ranked third in field-goal percentage (.457) and fourth in offensive rebounding (9.0) and assists (14.26) per game this season.

A Look at the Blue Devils:
Central Connecticut State finished the season 23-6 overall and atop the NEC with a 14-2 record in conference matchups this season. The squad opened conference play with a 9-4 record before taking down Saint Francis and Mercyhurst on the road on opening weekend in early January in back-to-back games.

The Blue Devils then took their only two conference losses of the season in consecutive matchups at home against Wagner and LIU the following week, Jan. 10-12. CCSU finished the 2024-25 regular season on a nation-best 12-0 streak that solidified their top-seeding in the conference tournament.

CCSU led the country with 12 road wins this season, en route to back-to-back NEC regular season titles for the first time in program history. The Blue Devils are searching for their first conference title since the 2006-07 season.

Senior guard Jordan Jones led the Blue Devils with 14.4 points in 29 games played, averaging 2.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds this season. Jones was named NEC Player of the Year, sitting second in scoring, third in field-goal percentage (.471) and assist/turnover ratio (2.0), fourth in assists (3.6 per game), and 12th in steals per game (1.4) in the conference this season.

Junior guard Devin Haid followed with 13.7 points this season, adding 5.7 rebounds, 60 assists, and 40 steals while appearing in all 29 team games. Haid was named a Second Team All-NEC member along with Dancler, sitting fourth in free-throw percentage (.849), seventh in scoring, and ninth in rebounding.

Senior forward Jayden Brown rounded out the squad's double-digit scorers, registering 10.5 points, along with 4.8 rebounds (third-best on the squad), and 1.2 assists per game while also appearing in all 29 matchups this season.

In 28 games played, senior forward Abdul Momoh averaged 9.0 points on a .599 field goal percentage, and led the conference in blocks per game (1.6) while sitting seventh in rebounding (6.0). He was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year and placed on the All-Conference Third Team.

CCSU ranked first in the conference in scoring margin per game (+9.7), field-goal percentage (.480), rebounding (35.4 per game), assist/turnover ratio (1.32), and blocks (4.14 per game), second in scoring defense (63.0 per game), opponent field-goal percentage (.413), team free-throw percentage (.734), and turnover margin (+1.34), and third in scoring (72.7), steals (7.38), and assists (14.41) per game.

What's Next:
The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup will compete in the NEC Tournament semifinals at a time TBD on Saturday, Mar. 8.

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