Selected to First Team by NABC, Daktronics and Basketball Times
Syracuse, N.Y. – Le Moyne College senior forward Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) has been named to three All-America teams, as recently announced by each organization. Ekperigin earned a spot on the Daktronics and Basketball Times First Teams and was selected as a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) State Farm Coaches Division II All-America Team. Ekperigin was also selected to play in the NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game as part of the Elite Eight on Friday night at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Additionally, Ekperigin was named the ECAC Division II Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while also being named to a First Team All-Star.
Ekperigin, named to the Daktronics First Team for the second straight year, previously this season earned Daktronics and NABC East Region First Team accolades as well as Northeast-10 Conference First Team honors. Ekperigin, selected as the conference's player of the week six times this year, is the fourth Le Moyne men's basketball player to be named to the NABC All-America team. Len Rauch was a member of the 1991 Third Team, Mike Montesano was named to the 1995 Second Team and John Tomsich was a member of the 1999 Second Team.
Le Moyne's career scoring and rebounding leader, Ekperigin led the conference in scoring at 21.6 points per contest, the fourth-highest average in the program's 62-year history and the highest average by a Dolphin since 1994-95 (Montesano, 23.1). Ekperigin, the team's top scorer and rebounder for the third consecutive season, led the conference in rebounding for the second straight year at 12.1 per game, while ranking fifth among Division II players nationally, and also led the league with 72 blocked shots. Tied for the national lead in double-doubles with 20, Ekperigin scored in double figures in all 28 games and the final 53 games of his career, while also posting double digits in rebounds on 20 occasions during his final season. Ekperigin, who scored 30 or more points in seven games on the campaign, while grabbing at least 15 rebounds on seven occasions, became the program's all-time leading scorer against Pace on February 17 and the all-time leading rebounder against Saint Rose on February 24. In 117 career games, Ekperigin recorded 1,966 points and 1,171 rebounds, both totals which surpassed the previous school records held by Rauch '91.
Ekperigin, the only Le Moyne men's basketball player to garner first team all-conference honors in three consecutive seasons, also wrapped up his four-year record-setting career as the program's leader in field goals made (762), field goal percentage (.638), free throws made (442), free throws attempted (737) and minutes played (3875). He finished second in career annals in blocked shots (218), games played (117) and games started (107). He and classmate Durett Miles were a part of 67 victories, the highest total by a class since the Class of '99 finished with 70 victories. On the single-season charts, Ekperigin's marks this season of 606 points, 340 rebounds, 164 free throws made and 221 field goals made all rank third all-time, while placing second in free throws attempted (230) and fourth in scoring average (21.6), field goal percentage (.642) and blocked shots (72).
Le Moyne (18-10, NE-10 14-8), which won its most conference games since the 2003-04 season, completed its season with a 74-67 loss to Saint Anselm in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals.
Ekperigin was joined on the NABC State Farm All-America squad by Chris Banchero (Seattle Pacific), Tyrone Curnell (Valdosta State), Stephen Dennis (Kutztown), Kendrick Easley (Mt. Olive), Justin Keenan (Ferris State), Bryan LeDuc (Cal State San Bernardino), Ben Madgen (Augusta State), Travis Nelson (Minnesota State), Matt Schneck (St. Cloud State), Jamar Smith (Southern Indiana), Sanijay Watts (Central Missouri), Darryl Webb (Indiana (Pa.)), NABC Player of the Year Jason Westrol (Bentley), Dauntae Williams (Central Oklahoma) and Nick Wolf (Rollins). Joining Ekperigin on the Basketball Times first team were Westrol, Madgen, Dennis and Smith. On the Daktronics first team, Ekperigin is joined by Dennis, Westrol, Watts and Merrimack's Darren Duncan.
