Syracuse, N.Y. – Redshirt sophomore guard Deng Garang (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to an 81-63 victory over Chicago State University in NEC action on Saturday afternoon at Ted Grant Court.

Garang tallied 11 of his game-high point total in the first half, while adding seven rebounds. Graduate student forward Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central/Vincennes/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) recorded 10 of his 15 points after halftime and pulled down six rebounds. Redshirt junior guard Trent Mosquera (Boston, Mass./Belmont Hill School) registered 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Junior swingman Tennessee Rainwater (Davenport, Wash./Davenport/Utah Tech) turned in 11 points, seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Junior guard Samuel Hincapie (Medellin, Colombia/Gateway Legacy Prep (Mo.)/Lake Land College) also finished in double figures off the bench with 10 points to go with four assists.

CJ Ray led the Cougars in the setback with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with three assists. Marcus Tankersley posted 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Braelon Bush and Stephen Byard each had 10 points and two steals off the bench, while Bush had four assists and Byard grabbed seven rebounds.        

The teams went back and forth over the opening eight minutes of the game and the first two-possession lead by either team didn't come until the 11:25 mark when Hincapie nailed a three-pointer for an 18-14 lead.

After Byard answered with a conventional three-point play and the team's traded 5-0 spurts, the Dolphins rattled off 13 of the next 16 points to take their first double-digit lead of the game. Mosquera hit back-to-back three-pointers, Hincapie followed with one of his own, Rainwater made a fast-break lay-up and then Garang had a put-back jumper for a 36-25 lead with 3:00 remaining in the half.

The Cougars scored the next four points, but the Dolphins closed out the half with the final six points for a 42-29 advantage at the intermission. Jackson made a free throw, Garang buried his third three-pointer of the half and Jackson capped the scoring with a lay-up.

Chicago State ran off the first 13 points of the second half to even the score at 42 with 15:48 left. Daniel Zatsepin started the streak with a put-back lay-up, Ray buried a three-pointer, Bush and Dailliss Cox recorded conventional three-point plays and then Ray had a put-back lay-up to tie the score.

The Dolphins regained the lead with five straight points, but the Cougars answered back with five in a row of their own and eight of the next 10 points to take a 50-49 lead with 10:31 to play.

Le Moyne took the lead for good with the next 11 points over 2:20. Rainwater made a lay-up, Mosquera drilled a three-pointer from the left wing, Rainwater had a conventional three-point play and then Garang followed with a conventional three-point play of his own.

After Ray snapped the run with a three-pointer, the Dolphins tallied 17 of the next 20 points to take their first 20-point lead of the afternoon. Rainwater and Garang started the run with back-to-back three-pointers off passes to each other and then Jackson had eight of the next 11 points of the stretch for a 77-56 lead with 2:35 remaining.

The teams alternated points the remainder of the game.

Le Moyne (14-13, 9-5 NEC), which clinched a berth in the upcoming NEC Championship, starts a two-game roadtrip on Thursday at Central Connecticut State University at 7:00 p.m. The Dolphins and Blue Devils enter the matchup tied for second place in the standings.