November 3, 2009
MBB: CHRIS JOHNSON'S THREE-POINTER STUNS SYRACUSE,
82-79
Syracuse, N.Y. - Sophomore guard Chris Johnson
(Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) hit a three-pointer from
the left wing with nine seconds remaining to lead the Le Moyne
College men's basketball team to a stunning 82-79 win over
25th-ranked Syracuse University in an exhibition match-up on
Tuesday night at the Carrier Dome.
With 30 seconds remaining and Le Moyne leading 78-76, Syracuse
grabbed the rebound off a
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missed lay-up and dribbled up court. Freshman guard Brandon Triche found junior forward Wes Johnson in the corner, where he buried a go-ahead three-pointer with 22 seconds to go. Following an Orange timeout, senior guard Durett Miles (Schenectady, N.Y./Schenectady) lobbed a cross-court pass to Chris Johnson, who drilled his game-high sixth three-pointer to give the Dolphins an 81-79 lead. On the other end of the court, Wes Johnson misfired from the left wing and junior guard Can Ozkaner (Ankara, Turkey/Tilton Prep (N.H.)) grabbed the rebound. Ozkaner connected on one of two free throw attempts to seal the win.
Johnson led the Dolphins with 22 points in shooting 8-of-16 from
the field. Preseason All-American Laurence Ekperigin
(Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) finished with 20
points, 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, four
blocked shots, three steals and three assists. Graduate student
guard Damani Corbin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick
Douglass) totaled 11 points and five assists, while junior
forward Kevin Roth (Lake View, N.Y./St. Francis
HS) posted 10 points and six rebounds. Wes Johnson led all
scorers with 34 points, including 18 in the second half, and pulled
down seven rebounds. Andy Rautins and Rick Jackson also finished in
double-digits for Syracuse, registering 13 and 10 points,
respectively.
After trailing by five points at halftime, the Dolphins fell
behind by a game-high 10 points at the 14:21 mark of the second
half. Le Moyne responded with a 21-8 run that included three Chris
Johnson three-pointers and seven points by Ekperigin. Following a
lay-up by Roth to give the Dolphins a 60-57 lead with 7:51
remaining, Wes Johnson converted a conventional three-point play to
tie the score for the third and final time.
The Dolphins rattled off five consecutive points and 13 of the
game's next 20 points to take a game-high six-point lead. Miles
jump-started the streak with a traditional three-point play, while
Roth capped it with a lay-up. Wes Johnson made a lay-up and Triche
converted a pair of foul shots to pull Syracuse within two. Le
Moyne extended its lead back to five on a Corbin free throw and an
Ekperigin dunk off an alley-oop from Corbin. Wes Johnson (2), Kris
Joseph (1) and Rautins (2) hit five-of-seven free throws around a
fast-break lay-up by Roth to set up Wes Johnson's go-ahead
three-pointer.
Le Moyne recorded a 36-10 advantage in bench points, led by
Johnson (22), Miles (7) and Ozkaner (6). The Dolphins also
outscored the Orange in the paint, 42-30, including 18-10 in the
opening half.
Le Moyne opens the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Caldwell
at 2:00 p.m.
-agate-
Le Moyne 82, #25
Syracuse 79
Le Moyne
32
50
-
82
Syracuse
37
42
- 79
