Le Moyne (9-18, 7-7 NEC) vs Stonehill (10-15, 6-8 NEC)
Info: Saturday, Feb. 21 | 3:00 P.M. | Syracuse, N.Y. | Ted Grant Court at the Donald J. Savage '51 Basketball Arena
Watch: NEC Front Row
Listen: WSIV 106.3 FM / 1540 AM
Live Stats: https://lemoynedolphins.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Stonehill's Links: Schedule | Roster | News

Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team will host Stonehill for their second meeting of the regular-season at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. The game will be broadcast on NEC Front Row and WSIV 106.3 FM / 1540 AM from Ted Grant Court at the Donald J. Savage '51 Basketball Arena.

Season Summary:
The Dolphins have won four straight games for the first time this season and possess a 9-18 record overall with a 7-7 mark in conference action this season, placing them in a tie for fourth in the NEC with Wanger having already clinched a conference tournament berth.

They opened the season against St. John's on Nov. 3 and dropped the matchup, 68-53, before downing Lafayette, 82-79, in overtime in their lone win of the season thus far on Nov. 9. Le Moyne then fell to seventh-ranked Baylor, 99-43, in Waco, T.X. on Nov. 16 before traveling to Pitt and coming away with a 87-65 defeat on Nov. 18. 

To finish out November, the Dolphins dropped their home-opener to Cornell, 52-51, in overtime at Ted Grant Court on Nov. 22 and a road matchup at Bucknell, 65-41, on Nov. 25 before dropping another road meeting against Illinois, 100-28, on Nov. 30.

Through December, Le Moyne dropped a home set against St. Bonaventure on Dec. 6 with the Bonnies coming out on top, 66-57, before hitting the road for two games at Marquette (89-42) and Bowling Green (74-46) on Dec. 14 and 16. 

The squad then dropped a pair of games in the Hawk Classic from Dec. 21-21 against host St. Joe's, 100-40, and Akron, 94-68 before closing out their non-conference schedule with a home win over SUNY Geneseo, 67-55, on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Since NEC play began in early January, the Dolphins have gone 7-7 with wins coming at home against Saint Francis (73-69), Wagner (62-49), and CCSU (65-46) and also on the road against New Haven (48-40), CCSU (65-61), Saint Francis (62-50), and Chicago State (80-76) in their most recent game.

Stat Leaders:
Junior forward Ashley Buragas leads the team as their sole double-digit scorer with 12.6 points per game through 27 starts, just ahead of senior guard Sierra Linnin and sophomore guard Eli Clark who are averaging 9.9 and 8.4 points per game, respectively.

Buragas is shooting a team-high 136-260 (.523) from the field and also leads the 'Phins with 6.9 rebounds per game and total blocks with nine. She is tied for third in steals with 20 (freshman guard Kayden Clark) and third in both assists with 56 and minutes played per game with 26.4 this season.

Linnin leads the Dolphins with 60 made three-pointers while being the only other Dolphin to get the starting nod in all 27 games along with Buragas. She is shooting 40-44 (.909) from the line and is second on the team with 28.7 minutes on the hardwood per game.

E. Clark leads the squad in minutes played per game (29.5) and total assists (63), and is third in field goals made with 61 through 21 games started this season. 

NEC Stat Rankings:
Through 14 conference games, Buragas sits third in the NEC in scoring with 16.1 points per game while Linnin ranks tied for 16th with 11.6 in the same category.

Buragas sits atop the league in field-goal percentage (.534), third in rebounds per game (7.8), eighth in free-throw rate on 67 attempts (.776), and tied for 18th in assists (2.1).

Linnin sits fifth in threes made per game with 2.4 and tied for 24th in minutes played with 29.6 per conference game.

Junior guard Jessica Wangolo ranks fifth in free-throw rate (.795), ninth in assists (2.8), tied for 15th in steals (1.4), and tied for 20th in rebounds per game (4.7).

E. Clark sits just ahead of Wangolo in assists with 3.0 per game, placing her seventh.

Freshman forward Praise Matthews has registered 0.4 blocks per NEC game, tied for 17th-best in the conference.

Freshman guard Peyton Dincher ranks tied for 19th in three-pointers made with 1.0 per game this season.

Last Time Out:
Le Moyne hosted the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils at Ted Grant Court in their second meeting of the season on Thursday night. The Dolphins now possess a 9-18 season record with a 7-7 mark in NEC play this season.

Redshirt sophomore guard Amya McLeod, Linnin, and Buargas all tied for the team lead in scoring with 11 points apiece while Wangolo also finished in the double-digits with 10 points of her own in the win.

McLeod shot just 1-2 from the field but went a perfect 9-9 from the free-throw line in 21 minutes off the bench.

Linnin led the team with two buckets from three-point range and added another three from the line. Buragas shot 5-8 overall and led the team with eight rebounds, while Wangolo went 5-6 from the charity stripe in a team-high 29 minutes on the hardwood.

Junior forward Sydney Postell added eight rebounds to trail just behind Buragas while E. Clark dished out a team-leading four assists. 

Le Moyne shot 19-51 (37.3%) from the field and 23-28 (82.1%) from the line against the Blue Devils. The Dolphins recorded 22 points in the paint, 19 points off turnovers, 11 second chance points, and registered 26 of their points off the bench.

Series History:
Stonehill holds a 30-14 advantage all-time against Le Moyne, as the two programs were conference foes in the NE10 from 1996-2022 and again in the NEC from 2023 to the present.

Since beginning their transition to NCAA Division I and joining the NEC prior to the 2023-24 season, the Dolphins have gone 4-3 against the Skyhawks with the two teams also meeting in the NEC Tournament in both of the past two seasons.

In their most recent meeting at Stonehill on Jan. 31 earlier this season, Le Moyne faced a 79-54 defeat at the hands of the Skyhawks.

Buarags led the team in scoring with 16 points on 7-11 shooting from the field and a 2-2 mark from the line. Her seven rebounds also ranked second on the team, behind only Postell who had nine. Postell also recorded a team-high three assists in the loss.

K. Clark also finished with double-digit points, registering 13 on 5-12 shooting overall, a pair of threes, and one free throw. She added two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a team-leading 35 minutes on the hardwood.

Linnin finished with nine points, two rebounds, a pair of assists, and a team-high three steals in 34 minutes of play.

Le Moyne struggled offensively against Stonehill, shooting 20-63 (31.7%) overall with 30 of their points coming in the paint.

Common Opponents:
Aside from their NEC rivals, the Dolphins and Skyhawks have no common opponents this season. 

Year #3:
Le Moyne is in its third year transitioning to the Division I level and is the only institution in the nation in its transition "class." The Dolphins went 18-15 in their first season at the Division I level in 2023-24, including 14-2 in NEC action to earn the second seed in the postseason tournament before advancing to the conference title game. The team then posted a 7-24 overall record last season, including going 6-10 in conference play, en route to their second straight NEC tournament, this time as the fifth seed. 

Returners:
The 2025-26 Dolphins will feature six returners; senior guards Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) and Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Averill Park), juniors guard Jessica Wangolo (Ottawa, O.N. / Capital Courts Academy / Buffalo) and forward Sydney Postell (Churchville, N.Y. / Churchville-Chili), sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township), and redshirt sophomore guard Amya McLeod (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy / Youngstown State).

Newcomers:
The Dolphins welcomed eight new players to the program this year, including six freshman, one sophomore, and one junior. Guards Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore), Ava Lucarotti (Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep), and Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) join forwards Ava Johnson (Richmond, Va. / The Steward School), Rachel Lynch (Cork, Ireland / Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)), and Praise Matthews (Red Lion, Pa. / Dallastown) as 'Phins freshmen this season. Junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College) joins Le Moyne's program after a two-year stint at NJCAA Mineral Area College in Park Hills, M.O. while sophomore guard Sophia Bonnell (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads / SUNY New Paltz) played one season in NCAA Division-III for the New Paltz Hawks.

NEC Outlook:
Le Moyne's squad was selected to finish fourth in the regular season standings in the NEC preseason coaches' poll, just behind unanimous favorite FDU, Stonehill, and Chicago State. CCSU, Mercyhurst, Wagner, LIU, New Haven, and Saint Francis rounded out the poll behind the Dolphins. 

Eli Clark was named to the preseason All-NEC team, as well, after recording averages of 8.2 points (third on the team), 3.3 rebounds (fifth on the team) and a team-best 2.9 assists over a team-high 31.5 minutes per game as a starter in 27 of 30 games played. During NEC action, she increased her averages to 8.5 points and 3.5 assists to go with 3.1 rebounds as a starter in 12 of 15 games.

2025-26 NEC Weekly Award Winners & Prime Performers:
Dolphins players have earned two NEC Weekly Awards and 12 NEC Prime Performer honors so far this season.

Rookies of the Week:
Kayden Clark (Nov. 10)
Peyton Dincher (Jan. 20)

Prime Performers:
Ashley Buragas (Nov. 10, Dec. 31, Jan. 6, Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 9, Feb. 16)
Sierra Linnin (Jan. 6, Feb. 2, Feb. 16)
Kayden Clark (Nov. 10)
Eli Clark (Nov. 24)

Coach DiPillo:
Nick DiPillo was named the seventh head coach in Le Moyne women's basketball program history on May 23, 2024 after stints as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University, University of Pittsburgh, Seton Hall University and with the New York Liberty, in addition to a successful head coaching stint at the University of Scranton. 

The Dolphins earned the fifth seed in the 2024-25 NEC tournament in coach Dipillo's first season, eventually taking down #4 Saint Francis, 62-51, in the opening round before falling to #2 Stonehill, 60-41, in the semifinals. 

Scouting the Skyhawks:
Stonehill has earned a 10-15 record overall and will host the Dolphins with a 6-8 mark in NEC action, putting them seventh in the standings.

Head coach Trisha Brown is in her 24th season at the helm of the Skyhawks' program.

The Skyhawks have earned their six conference wins in home matchups against CCSU (71-53), Saint Francis (59-57), Le Moyne (79-54), and New Haven (62-58) and on the road at CCSU (74-65) and Wagner (52-37).

In their latest game, a 62-58 win at home against New Haven on Thursday night, junior guard Brooke Paquette led the Skyhawks with 22 points on 7-16 shooting overall with four three-pointers and a 4-4 mark from the charity stripe. Sophomore forward Julia Webster and freshman guard Ella Pelletier also finished in the double-digits in scoring with 12 points apiece in the win.

Pelletier also brought in a team-high eight rebounds while Paquette dished out a Skyhawk-leading six assists against the Chargers.

Through 25 games played, Paquette sits second in the NEC in scoring with 14.6 points per game, ahead of Webster (10.8) and Pelletier (9.6) on the year. 

Of qualified players, Webster (5.8) and Pelletier (5.4) lead Stonehill in rebounding this season.

Stonehill returns 12 players from their 2024-25 team that went 17-16 overall and fell in the NEC championship game against #1 FDU. They are joined by one transfer, graduate center Amaya Dowdy and three freshman newcomers this season.

The Skyhawks were voted to finish second in the NEC's Preseason Coaches Poll after going 11-5 in conference play a season ago. Paquette was named to the Preseason All-NEC Team, as well. 

What's Next:
Le Moyne will travel to Teaneck, N.J. for a midweek matchup with top-ranked FDU at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26.