New Britain, Conn. – Melo Sanchez had a career-high 23 points to lead Central Connecticut State University to a 78-77 win over the Le Moyne College men's basketball team in a battle for second place in the NEC standings on Thursday night at Detrick Gymnasium.

Redshirt junior guard Trent Mosquera (Boston, Mass./Belmont Hill School) led all scorers in the game with a career-best 28 points, 24 of which came in the second half, while adding five rebounds and four assists. Redshirt sophomore guard Deng Garang (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) tallied 18 points, including 12 in the first half on 5-of-5 shooting, and a career high-tying nine rebounds (matching last Thursday's total) to go with three steals and two assists. Graduate student forward Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central/Vincennes/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) posted 10 of his 16 points and seven of his eight rebounds in the first half, while adding three assists.

Sanchez scored 11 points in the first half and tallied 12 after halftime. Darin Smith Jr., the NEC's leading scorer, registered 10 points in each to go with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Max Frazier was 7-of-7 from the field for 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots.

Central Connecticut State, which takes a one-game lead over the Dolphins for second place in the NEC standings and now holds the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series, opened the game with the first four points and 17 of the initial 23 over 5:52. Smith Jr. had six of the points, Sanchez had five, Frazier had four and Jayden Mott had two.

Following back-and-forth action over the next three and one-half minutes, Garang hit a three-pointer and had a fast-break lay-up to pull the Dolphins within 23-18 with 9:57 to go.

The Blue Devils countered with the next 10 points for a 33-18 lead with 8:02 remaining. Roddy Jones started the run with a three-pointer, Jay Rodgers and Smith Jr. made lay-ups and then Rodgers drilled a three-pointer.

Le Moyne answered back with 16 of the next 19 points to trim its deficit to just two with 30 seconds left in the half. Jackson made two free throws, junior swingman Tennessee Rainwater (Davenport, Wash./Davenport/Utah Tech) made one of his own, Jackson made two more, Rainwater converted two more, Mosquera made a lay-up, Jackson connected on a jumper, redshirt sophomore forward Trevor Roe (Syracuse, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius/Radford) banked in a three-pointer and then sophomore guard Jakob Blakley (Elgin, Ill./Walter Payton Preparatory) capped the streak with a jumper with 36 seconds left.

Sanchez connected on a three-pointer at the first half buzzer to send the Blue Devils into the intermission up 39-34.

The Blue Devils scored the first eight points of the second half to regain a 13-point lead. Frazier made a jumper and then Smith Jr. and Sanchez drained three-pointers.

Le Moyne countered with eight of the next 10 points to close within 49-42 with 15:29 left. Mosquera made a pair of three-pointers and then Garang had a fast-break lay-up off a steal.

Frazier had a dunk and Ashton Reynolds buried a three-pointer to extend the CCSU lead back to 12 with 12:32 to play.

The Dolphins made another push with an 8-2 spurt to cut their deficit in half with 8:59 left. Following a Jackson dunk, Mosquera and Blakley drilled three-pointers off passes from each other to make it 60-54.

Central Connecticut State's lead bounced between five and eight points over the next 4:21 and was at seven, 66-59, with 4:38 to play.

Le Moyne scored the next six points to get within 66-65 with 3:07 to go. Jackson had a dunk and then Mosquera made four free throws in 21 seconds.

Sanchez answered 20 seconds later with a four-point play (CCSU's only free throw attempt of the game), but Mosquera countered with a three-pointer. Smith Jr. responded with one of his own to make it 73-68 with 2:08 to play. After Garang had a tip-in of his own miss, Sanchez drained another three-pointer for a 76-70 lead.

Mosquera followed with a lay-up with 1:08 left and then Garang recorded a steal and drew a foul with 58 seconds left. He made both free throws to get the Dolphins within 76-74.

Frazier converted a lay-up on the other end with 49 seconds left for his team's final points.

Mosquera banked in a three-pointer for the third time with 39 seconds left to get the Dolphins within 78-77.

The Dolphins got a stop on the defensive end and corralled the rebound with seven seconds left and pushed the ball up court, but a cross-court pass was swatted away and the clock ran out.

Le Moyne (14-14, 9-6 NEC) remains on the road and will face Stonehill College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.