February 3, 2007
LAURENCE EKPERIGIN SCORES 17 POINTS TO LEAD LE MOYNE TO THIRD STRAIGHT WIN, 74-69 OVER STONEHILL
EASTON, Mass.-- Freshman Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead four players in double figures as Le Moyne scored a 74-69 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball victory over Stonehill. The Dolphins (11-11, 8-9 Northeast-10) push their winning streak to three straight, while Stonehill (13-9, 8-9 Northeast-10) has dropped six of its last eight games.
The visiting Dolphins jumped out to a 28-25 edge at the break before the defending regional champion Skyhawks scored 11 of the first 17 points after intermission to take a 36-34 advantage with 14:26 remaining.
Le Moyne responded with a pair of 8-2 runs over the next five-plus minutes of action to take a 10-point cushion at 50-40 on an Ekperigin dunk with 8:31 to play. The Dolphins maintained no less than a seven point lead into the final 3:22 of action before Stonehill crept back to within three points on a pair of occasions in the final minute of action. The Dolphins hit 10 of 11 free throws, however, in the final 54 seconds of play, including five by senior Matt Cooper (Fulton, N.Y./Fulton) and four by junior Jonathan Joshua (Inglewood, Calif./Inglewood), to ice the win.
Cooper added 15 points and eight rebounds in the win for Le Moyne, which also received 14 points, four assists and three steals from junior Matt Vassil (Dalton, Pa./Abington Heights). Joshua added 10 points for the Dolphins, who also received eight points and seven assists from junior Mark Covin (Culver City, Calif./Santa Monica). Le Moyne shot 48 percent from the field and held a slim 33-32 rebounding edge while converting 17 Skyhawk turnovers into 16 points on the afternoon.
Sophomore Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) led all scorers with 24 points and eight rebounds in the setback for Stonehill, which also received 12 points from sophomore Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.) as well as 10 points and six boards from freshman AJ Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.). Freshman Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.) added nine points and four assists for the Skyhawks, who shot 45 percent from the field and canned nine three-pointers but were outscored by a 21-10 margin from the foul line.
Le Moyne travels to Pleasantville, N.Y. for a key Northeast-10 Conference game at Pace on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
LE MOYNE (11-11, 8-9)
Laurence Ekperigin 8-13 1-4 17; Matt Cooper 3-7 9-11 15; Matt
Vassil 5-9 3-4 14; Jonathan Joshua 2-13 4-4 10; Dan Cromwell 3-4
2-2 8; Mark Covin 3-5 2-4 8; Phil Schoff 1-1 0-0 2; Durett Miles
0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-52 21-29 74.
STONEHILL (13-9, 8-9)
Nick Smith 8-12 4-7 24; Matt Hall 4-8 2-2 12; AJ Rudowitz 3-5 4-6
10; Randall Stallworth 4-11 0-0 9; Nikola Stevanovic 3-6 0-0 7;
Colin Scanlon 2-6 0-2 4; Lance Clarke 1-4 0-0 3; Soap Toun 0-3 0-0
0. Totals 25-55 10-17 69.
Le Moyne...................... 28 46
- 74
Stonehill..................... 25 44
- 69
3-point goals--Le Moyne 3-14 (Jonathan Joshua 2-10; Matt Vassil 1-4), Stonehill 9-25 (Nick Smith 4-8; Matt Hall 2-6; Nikola Stevanovic 1-2; Randall Stallworth 1-2; Lance Clarke 1-4; Soap Toun 0-3). Fouled out-Le Moyne-None, Stonehill-Lance Clarke. Rebounds--Le Moyne 33 (Matt Cooper 8), Stonehill 32 (Nick Smith 8). Assists--Le Moyne 18 (Mark Covin 7), Stonehill 19 (Lance Clarke 7). Total fouls--Le Moyne 14, Stonehill 20. Technical fouls--Le Moyne-None, Stonehill-None. A-400
story courtesy of Stonehill College Athletics
