North Easton, Mass. – Davante Hackett scored 30 points to lead Stonehill College to a 77-68 win over the Le Moyne College men's basketball team in NEC action on Saturday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium.

Redshirt sophomore guard Deng Garang (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) led the Dolphins with 20 points, including 13 in the first half, and eight rebounds. Graduate student forward Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central/Vincennes/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) tallied 17 points, 11 of which came in the second half, six rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Junior swingman Tennessee Rainwater (Davenport, Wash./Davenport/Utah Tech) posted 10 of his 12 points in the second half in his first start since November 9.

Hackett registered 20 of his 30 points (the most by a Dolphin opponent this season) in the second half, while adding six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Chas Stinson turned in 16 points and nine rebounds. Hermann Koffi had 12 points and Ridvan Tutic added 10 off the bench.

The teams went back and forth over the opening 11 and one-half minutes, exchanging the lead six times and neither team taking more than a three-point lead.

After Tutic made a lay-up to get the Skyhawks within 17-16 with 8:38 left in the half, the Dolphins scored five straight points to take their largest lead of the game. Garang hit a fast-break three-pointer and then Rainwater made a lay-up for a 22-16 advantage with 6:32 remaining.

Stonehill countered with a 16-2 run to close out the half with a 32-24 lead. Hackett had six of the points, including the last four, while Tutic and Koffi each had four points and Stinson had two.

Ethan Meuser started the scoring in the second half with a three-pointer to give the Skyhawks their first double-digit lead of the game.

Jackson got the Dolphins within nine on a pair of occasions over the next three minutes, but Stonehill scored 12 of the next 15 points to take a 49-31 lead with 13:48 left. Stinson made two free throws, Hackett had a pair of lay-ups, Koffi drilled a three-pointer and then Hackett knocked down a three-pointer.

Le Moyne answered with a 13-4 run to get within nine with 9:44 to play. Redshirt sophomore forward Trevor Roe (Syracuse, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius/Radford) started the run with a three-pointer, Rainwater made a lay-up and a three-pointer, Roe hit another three-pointer and Rainwater capped the stretch with a lay-up.

Meuser made a lay-up to push the margin back to 11, but Le Moyne scored the next five points to close within 55-49 with 6:26 remaining. Jackson made a jumper and then Rainwater converted three free throws over two possessions.

The teams traded points over the next 90 seconds before the Skyhawks scored seven of the next nine points to regain a double figure lead with 1:55 left. Koffi hit a three-pointer, Hackett made two free throws over two possessions and then Stinson made a put-back lay-up.

Garang got the Dolphins back within seven with 1:28 left with a free throw and a three-pointer.

Stonehill went 6-of-8 from the foul line over 44 seconds to push its lead to 12 with 44 seconds left.

Le Moyne scored seven of the next 10 points to get within 75-67 with 27 seconds left, but could not get any closer as Hackett made a pair of free throws before Garang made one to end the game's scoring.

Le Moyne (14-15, 9-7 NEC) returns home to face FDU on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The Dolphins enter the final week of the regular season tied with Mercyhurst for third place in the NEC standings. The Dolphins will clinch a home game in the NEC Championship quarterfinals with one win in the final two games or a loss by FDU next Saturday at LIU and a loss by Stonehill in one of its final two games.