WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO TRAVEL TO NEW HAVEN FOR THURSDAY NIGHT MATCHUP

Le Moyne (3-12, 1-1 NEC) at New Haven (4-9, 2-0 NEC)

Info: Sunday, Jan. 4 | 1:00 P.M. | Syracuse, N.Y. | Ted Grant Court

Watch: NEC Front Row

Listen: WSIV 106.3 FM/1540 AM

Live Stats: https://newhavenchargers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary

New Haven’s Links: Schedule | Roster | News

West Haven, Conn. – The Le Moyne College girls’s basketball group will journey to NEC-newcomer New Haven for his or her first highway convention sport of the season at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8. The matchup might be broadcast on NEC Front Row and WSIV 106.3 FM/1540 AM from the Hazell Center. 

Season Summary:

The Dolphins are 3-12 total and 1-1 in convention motion following the whole lot of their 2025-26 non-conference slate and opening NEC weekend.  

They opened the season in opposition to St. John’s on Nov. 3 and dropped the matchup, 68-53, earlier than downing Lafayette, 82-79, in time beyond regulation of their lone win of the season up to now on Nov. 9. Le Moyne then fell to seventh-ranked Baylor, 99-43, in Waco, T.X. on Nov. 16 earlier than touring to Pitt and coming away with a 87-65 defeat on Nov. 18. 

To end out November, the Dolphins dropped their home-opener to Cornell, 52-51, in time beyond regulation at Ted Grant Court on Nov. 22 and a highway matchup at Bucknell, 65-41, on Nov. 25 earlier than dropping one other highway assembly in opposition to Illinois, 100-28, on Nov. 30.

Through December, Le Moyne dropped a house set in opposition to St. Bonaventure on Dec. 6 with the Bonnies popping out on prime, 66-57, earlier than hitting the highway for 2 video games at Marquette (89-42) and Bowling Green (74-46) on Dec. 14 and 16. 

The squad then dropped a pair of video games within the Hawk Classic from Dec. 21-21 in opposition to host St. Joe’s, 100-40, and Akron, 94-68 earlier than closing out their non-conference schedule with a house win over SUNY Geneseo, 67-55, on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

The Dolphins earned a win of their NEC opener in opposition to Saint Francis, 73-69, additionally at residence on Friday, Jan. 2 earlier than falling brief of their assembly with Mercyhurst, 89-72, at Ted Grant Court two days later.

Stat Leaders:

Through 15 video games performed, junior ahead Ashley Buragas (9.4) leads all Dolphins in scoring with 9.9 factors per sport whereas taking pictures a team-best 61-116 (.526) from the sphere. Buragas additionally leads the group with 6.1 rebounds per sport whereas sitting second in steals (13), tied for second in blocks (six), third in assists (27), and third in minutes performed per sport (24.2) this season.

Sophomore guard Eli Clark (9.4) and senior guard Sierra Linnin (9.2) sit simply behind Buragas in scoring for Le Moyne. Clark leads the group in whole assists (42) and minutes performed (29.9) whereas Linnin has linked on a team-high 33 pictures from three-point vary and is an ideal 11-11 from the charity stripe this season.

NEC Stat Rankings:

Through a pair of convention video games performed, Ashley Buragas and Sierra Linnin rank sixth and seventh within the NEC in scoring with 17.0 and 16.0 factors per sport, respectively. 

Buragas sits third in field-goal proportion (.632), seventh in rebounding per sport (7.5), and twelfth in free-throw charge on 15 makes an attempt (.667). 

Linnin sits second in threes made per sport (3.0), fourth in three-point proportion (.375), fourth in steals (3.0), fifth in field-goal proportion (.480), and tied for twentieth in minutes performed (30.0).

Eli Clark ranks second in assists (4.5), tied for eleventh in help to turnover ratio (9-7), 14th in free-throw charge (.625), tied for seventeenth in scoring (11.0), tied for 18th in rebounding (4.5), and tied with Linnin for twentieth in minutes performed (30.0).

Last Time Out:

Le Moyne suffered an 89-72 defeat by the hands of Mercyhurst of their second NEC sport of the season on Sunday afternoon. 

Sierra Linnin led all gamers in scoring in opposition to Mercyhurst, registering 21 factors on 8-16 (50.0%) taking pictures from the sphere, a 3-9 (33.3%) charge from deep, and an ideal 2-2 mark from the road. Linnin additionally put up a team-high two steals and completed second on the group with each six rebounds and 29 minutes on the court docket. Linnin added a block on the defensive finish, as properly. 

Ashley Buragas additionally completed in double-digits for Le Moyne, recording 18 factors on 7-10 (70.0%) taking pictures total and 4-7 (57.1%) from the charity stripe. Buragas led the squad with 10 rebounds, marking her third double-double of the season, and added one block in 27 minutes on the hardwood. 

Both Linnin and Buragas had been named NEC Prime Performers after the video games on Monday, Jan. 6. 

Jessica Wangolo and sophomore guard Eli Clark tied for a team-best three assists within the loss.

Le Moyne linked on 44.8% (26-58) of their pictures from the sphere whereas including 44 factors within the paint and 19 bench factors. The group additionally set a brand new season-high in factors off turnovers (19) for the second straight sport.

Series History:

Le Moyne sits with a 23-16 total collection document in opposition to New Haven with their first assembly coming throughout the 1992-93 season. 

The two packages met 9 instances as co-members of the New England Collegiate Conference from ’92-’96 till the Dolphins left the convention previous to the 1996-97 season. They met on 29 extra events as members of the NE10 as soon as New Haven joined forward of the 2008-09 marketing campaign. 

Their contests included two convention playoff matchups (1995, 2019) and one non-conference sport throughout the 2001-02 season.

Le Moyne at the moment holds a five-game profitable streak over the Chargers relationship again to Feb. 2020 and are 11-2 over the collection’ final 13 video games since Nov. 2016. 

Common Opponents:

Aside from their NEC rivals, the Dolphins and Chargers each met St. John’s earlier this season.

Le Moyne opened the season in Queens on Nov. 3 in opposition to the Red Storm and fell, 68-53, earlier than the Johnnies traveled to New Haven and got here out on prime, 67-47, on Dec. 17. 

Year #3:

Le Moyne is in its third 12 months transitioning to the Division I degree and is the one establishment within the nation in its transition “class.” The Dolphins went 18-15 of their first season on the Division I degree in 2023-24, together with 14-2 in NEC motion to earn the second seed within the postseason match earlier than advancing to the convention title sport. The group then posted a 7-24 total document final season, together with going 6-10 in convention play, en path to their second straight NEC match, this time because the fifth seed. 

Returners:

The 2025-26 Dolphins will characteristic 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 ahead 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 gamers to this system this 12 months, together with 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) be part of 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 ahead 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. whereas sophomore guard Sophia Bonnell (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads / SUNY New Paltz) performed one season in NCAA Division-III for the New Paltz Hawks.

NEC Outlook:

Le Moyne’s squad was chosen to complete fourth within the common season standings within the NEC preseason coaches’ ballot, simply behind unanimous favourite FDU, Stonehill, and Chicago State. CCSU, Mercyhurst, Wagner, LIU, New Haven, and Saint Francis rounded out the ballot behind the Dolphins. 

Eli Clark was named to the preseason All-NEC group, as properly, after recording averages of 8.2 factors (third on the group), 3.3 rebounds (fifth on the group) and a team-best 2.9 assists over a team-high 31.5 minutes per sport as a starter in 27 of 30 video games performed. During NEC motion, she elevated her averages to eight.5 factors and three.5 assists to go together with 3.1 rebounds as a starter in 12 of 15 video games.

2025-26 NEC Weekly Award Winners & Prime Performers:

Dolphins gamers have earned one NEC Weekly Award and 6 NEC Prime Performer honors up to now this season.

Weekly Award Winners: 

Rookie of the Week – Kayden Clark (Nov. 10)

Prime Performers:

Ashley Buragas (Nov. 10, Dec. 31, Jan. 6)

Kayden Clark (Nov. 10)

Eli Clark (Nov. 24)

Sierra Linnin (Jan. 6)

Coach DiPillo:

Nick DiPillo was named the seventh head coach in Le Moyne girls’s basketball program historical past 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, along with a profitable head teaching stint on the University of Scranton. 

The Dolphins earned the fifth seed within the 2024-25 NEC match in coach Dipillo’s first season, ultimately taking down #4 Saint Francis, 62-51, within the opening spherical earlier than falling to #2 Stonehill, 60-41, within the semifinals. 

Checking on the Chargers:

New Haven closed out their non-conference slate possessing a 2-9 document earlier than opening the NEC season with a pair of wins at residence this previous weekend. Head coach Debbie Buff enters her seventh season as chief of the Chargers’ program in 2025-26.

During the NEC-opening weekend, the Chargers took down Stonehill, 66-61, and CCSU, 70-51, at residence of their first video games as members of the convention.

In their newest win in opposition to CCSU, senior ahead Aniya McDonald-Perry (22), senior guard/ahead Lindsay Hogan (14) and sophomore ahead Addisen Sulikowski (14) all completed within the double-digits to steer New Haven. McDonald-Perry led the group with 11 rebounds to tally the double-double whereas Hogan added one other seven boards and Sulikowski led the sport with six assists. 

McDonald-Perry was named the NEC Player of the Week after the group’s pair of wins on Jan. 6. 

Through 13 group video games, Hogan leads with 13.5 factors per sport, simply forward of McDonald-Perry who sits with 12.0.

The pair rank in reverse order for first and second on the group in rebounds with 8.2 and 6.7 per sport, respectively. They additionally lead in assists per sport as Hogan has 2.7 and McDonald-Perry sits at 2.5 this season.

New Haven returns eight gamers from their 2024-25 season the place they went 17-11 total and fell within the opening spherical of the NE10 Tournament in opposition to Assumption. They are joined by one switch, Sulikowski, and eight freshman newcomers this season.

The Chargers had been voted to complete ninth within the NEC’s Preseason Coaches Poll after asserting their transfer to the convention and NCAA Division I previous to the 2025-26 season.

What’s Next:

Le Moyne will journey to CCSU for a gathering with the Blue Devils at 1:00 pm. on Saturday, Jan. 10.