Brooklyn, N.Y. – Jamal Fuller scored 19 points to lead LIU to an 83-61 victory over the Le Moyne College men's basketball team in a battle for first place in the NEC on Thursday night at the Steinberg Wellness Center.

Junior guard Tennessee Rainwater (Davenport, Wash./Davenport/Utah Tech) led the Dolphins with 16 points, including 10 in the second half, to go with four rebounds. Sophomore guard Jakai Sanders (Brooklyn, N.Y./Eagle Academy) registered 14 points, 11 of which came in the first half, and dished out five assists. Redshirt junior guard Trent Mosquera (Boston, Mass./Belmont Hill School) posted 10 points on five in each half.

Fuller netted 11 of his game-high point total in the second half, while adding four rebounds and three assists. Jomo Goings and Mason Porter-Brown each had 16 points and six rebounds. Malachi Davis recorded 14 points, while Shadrak Lasu had 10 points and six rebounds.

After the Dolphins took a 5-2 lead, the Sharks scored 10 straight points to take the lead. Goings and Davis hit three-pointers, Fuller made a free throw and then Going drilled another three-pointer.

Le Moyne responded with a 9-2 run to even the score at 14 with 13:11 left. After two points from each team, Mosquera buried a three-pointer, Rainwater converted a lay-up in transition and then Mosquera had a fast-break lay-up.

The Sharks took the lead for good with the next eight points. Fuller had a conventional three-point play, Going drained his third three-pointer of the opening nine minutes and then Caleb Johnson made a lay-up with 9:47 left.

Following nine points from each team over the next three and one-half minutes, Lasu answered a Sanders free throw with a three-pointer to give LIU its first double-digit lead of the game.

After Goings made two free throws with 3:27 left to go up 38-27, the Dolphins cut their deficit to six with six of the next seven points. Sophomore guard Jakob Blakley (Elgin, Ill./Walter Payton Preparatory) knocked down a three-pointer, Rainwater made a free throw and then Sanders scored in the paint.

LIU scored the next six points to double its lead with 16 seconds remaining in the half. Porter-Brown made a free throw, Davis had a conventional three-point play and then Greg Gordon netted a fast-break lay-up.

Sanders got the Dolphins within 45-35 at halftime with the final two points of the half.

Following four points from Fuller to give the Sharks a 49-37 lead, the Dolphins scored six points in a row to get within six for the final time with 17:57 to play.

LIU responded with 11 straight points over 3:21 to go up 60-43. Fuller had seven of the points, including the first five of the run from the foul line, while Gordon and Davis each scored in the paint.

Le Moyne tallied seven of the next nine points to get within 12 for the final time with 10:16 left.

LIU recorded 21 of the next 30 points to take its largest lead of the game. Porter-Brown and Davis each scored six points in the span, while Lasu had four points, Goings a three-pointer and then Johnson made a lay-up for an 83-59 lead with 2:39 left.
 
Rainwater scored 16 seconds later for the final points of the game.

Le Moyne (11-11, 6-3 NEC), which split the season series with the Sharks for the second time in three years, returns home to take on Stonehill College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.