RINDGE, N.H. (January 28, 2017) – The Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team's losing streak reached five games with a 69-57 setback to Northeast-10 Conference opponent Le Moyne College on Saturday afternoon in The Fieldhouse. With the win, the Dolphins move to 15-5 overall and 10-4 NE10 while the Ravens slide to 10-10, 7-7 NE10.

The Ravens recorded their second poorest shooting performance of the season as they shot 19-of-54 (35.2%) from the field and only knocked down 4-of-23 (17.4%) from deep. Pierce was also outscored in the low post, 38-to-22 by the guests. However, the Ravens held the advantage on the boards (36-to-27) and when given a second chance (14-to-0).

Senior guard Matt Banton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) poured in a team-high 17 points to go along with six rebounds. Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) tallied 13 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist. Mike McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) scored 11 points and led all players with eight boards.

For Le Moyne, Russell Sangster racked up a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. C.J. Asuncion-Byrd notched 11 markers, three rebounds, two steals and two assists. Tanner Hyland scored 15 points in 18 minutes off the bench.

In the opening 20 seconds, Banton was fouled on a three-point attempt. He then converted two-of-three at the charity stripe to put his team up 2-0. Asuncion-Byrd got his team on the board by hitting a trey from the right wing which moved Le Moyne in front 3-2.

Gittens responded with a spinning layup to push Pierce back ahead by one, 4-3 until Sangster came off a screen, and knocked down a long range attempt that regained the advantage to the Dolphins' side. The point trading continued as McDevitt matched Spangster's three with one of his own off a feed by Asante Sandiford (Boston, Mass.) that put the Ravens back up by one, 7-6.

Following a Spangster layup, Jordan Lackey (South Plainfield, N.J.) dished the ball to a waiting Ben Mead (Ipswich, England) who immediately released the rock for a three point conversion that gave FPU a two point 10-8 advantage. That was the last time the Ravens held the lead.

Six in a row by the guests gave them a four point cushion until Lackey converted a fast break and1 that cut the Raven deficit to one, 14-13. Following the Lackey hoop and harm, the Dolphins embarked on a 8-2 mini binge that Hyland began and concluded with a three-pointer which increased the Le Moyne lead to seven 22-15.

Both teams traded points over the final five minutes of the half as the Dolphins headed into the break with an eight point, 32-24 cushion.

14 seconds into the second half, Isaiah Eisendorf made a layup off an Anthony Richards pass to give the Dolphins their largest lead of the game to that point, 34-24. A 6-1 mini Raven run that featured a Marvilio Berroa (Bronx, N.Y.) trey off a pass from a double teamed Gittens brought the score to two possessions at 35-30.

Over the next few minutes, the Dolphins outscored the Ravens 14-6 as Richards hit a three to push the guests out ahead by 13, 49-36 with 9:56 left. The Ravens kept fighting as Gittens grabbed a defensive board, drove coast to coast for two and Banton put the ball on the floor and buried a step-back three which brought the deficit down to eight, 53-45 with 7:15 to go in the game.

A Sangster free throw grew the Dolphin lead to 12 points, 58-46 and the Ravens responded with a 9-2 run. Gittens followed a missed layup by a teammate, tipped the rock in for the three-point play which brought the deficit to seven. Gittens made two more trips to the line as he split the freebies and at the second trip to the stripe, Berroa grabbed the offensive board which led to Banton who was fouled on the floor. Banton buried both free throw attempts and made it a two possession game at 60-55.

Hyland answered on the next trip down the floor as he connected on a corner trey which made it an eight point, 63-55 lead with 2:19 left. FPU missed a three on the following possession and Sangster threw in a layup to push his team on the brink of victory. Berroa was fouled and sank both free throws as the eight point hole was too much for the Ravens to climb out of.

The Ravens will travel to Manchester, N.H. on Wednesday, February 1st to take on the scorching hot Saint Anselm Hawks who have won six straight contests. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).