Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball

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Le Moyne Dolphins
2023–24 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team
University	Le Moyne College
First season	1948–49; 75 years ago
All-time record	1,082–837 (.564) through 2023–24 season
Athletic director	Mike Lindberg (interim)
Head coach	Nate Champion (4th[a] season)
Conference	NEC
Location	DeWitt, New York[b]
Arena	Le Moyne Events Center (capacity: 2,637[c])
Nickname	Dolphins (official) Unofficial The Green & Gold Heightsmen Nilandmen (1948–1973)
Student section	Mad Hatters (1976–1983)[1][2]
Colors	Green and gold[3]
Uniforms
Home Away
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
Division II: 2018
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
Division II: 1959, 1964, 2018
NCAA tournament round of 32
Division II: 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1988, 2018
NCAA tournament appearances
Division II: 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1988, 1996, 1997, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019
Conference tournament champions
Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA): 1960 Mideast Collegiate Conference (MECC): 1988 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC): 1996 Northeast-10 Conference (NE10): 1997, 2018
Conference regular season champions
MECAA: 1959,[d] 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969,[e] 1973 MECC: 1984, 1988[f] NE10: 1998, 2017, 2018, 2020
Conference division season champions
NE10 Southwest Division: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

The Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball program is the men's college basketball team of Le Moyne College. The Dolphins compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Nate Champion. The Dolphins have played their home games on Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York since 1962. The Dolphins are currently transitioning to Division I and are ineligible to participate in the NCAA tournament until the 2027–28 season.

The Dolphins' first varsity basketball game was a home game at the State Fair Coliseum against Siena on December 7, 1948, a 41–39 loss for Le Moyne.^[4][5] The opening game against Siena had been treated by Le Moyne's student body as not simply the debut of the Dolphins as a basketball team but as the first game of what was expected to become a heated rivalry. In anticipation of the game, "BEAT SIENA!" was emblazoned across the front page of the school newspaper.^[6] A pep rally was held the night before the Siena game and attended by the team, the head coach, the athletics moderator, Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J., and, of course, the cheerleaders.^[7]

Le Moyne's first head coach and athletic director was Tommy Niland,^[8] who mentored the varsity basketball team for 25 years, until 1973. Niland remained at Le Moyne after his coaching career ended, continuing in his role as the athletic director until his retirement in 1990. Le Moyne's athletics center is named in his honor.

Le Moyne's first victory came on the road at the Geneva Armory against Hobart on December 10, 1948. Dave Lozo scored 13 points, and team captain Don Savage added 11, as Le Moyne cruised to a 50–37 victory.^[9][10]

During the first three years of its varsity basketball program, Le Moyne was led on the court by Don Savage.^[11][12][13] Savage had appeared in Le Moyne College's first ever intercollegiate contest on December 4, 1947, a 62–57 overtime victory for the freshman basketball team at Utica.^[14] More than 400 Le Moyne students made the trip to see the game.^[15] Savage had eight points in that game, while Dave Lozo had a game-high 18 for the Dolphin Cubs.^[16] Joe Boehm served as captain of that freshman team,^[17] which went 16–4 and was coached by Tommy Niland^[8] in an effort to build the basketball program from the ground up. Niland pulled double duty, serving as coach of both the varsity and freshman teams through the end of the 1949–50 season.^[18]

The challenge faced by Le Moyne during its inaugural varsity season was unique. The Dolphins were not simply a first-year basketball team; Le Moyne College was a second-year institution. Therefore, the Dolphins were composed entirely of sophomores and faced teams with experienced juniors and seniors in every game.

In June 1950, Le Moyne became a charter member of the Eastern Catholic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (ECIAC).^[19][20] After only one season, the ECIAC ceased publicizing itself as a conference and became an association of its member schools with no basketball champion crowned, leaving Le Moyne an independent again for 1951–52.^[21]

In June 1955, Le Moyne became a charter member of the new Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA).^[22][23]

The Dolphins produced seven winning campaigns and only two losing records in the first 10 seasons of their varsity program. They made their first postseason appearance in only their second season with no seniors on the roster at the 1950 Utica Optimist Club Invitational Tournament and took the title.^[24][25] Le Moyne followed up by repeating as champions in Utica in 1951^[26][27][28] and 1952.^[29][30]

The Dolphins participated in the prestigious National Catholic Invitational Tournament (NCIT) in both 1951 and 1952. At the 1951 tournament, Le Moyne defeated archrival Siena, ranked no. 18 in the AP major program poll, on the Indians' home floor, the Dolphins' first victory over a ranked major program.^[31][32] Le Moyne finished third in the 1951 tournament^[33] and reached the quarterfinals in 1952.^[34]

The Dolphins had 25 wins over University Division/major programs during their first decade, three of which came against opponents ranked in the AP major program poll. Their record against such foes was 25–49, including 3–4 versus ranked teams.

Don Savage was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in 1951, and, as of 2024,^[update] he is the only former Dolphin to play in the NBA. Savage was selected as the most valuable player of the 1950 and 1951 Utica Optimist Club tournaments and named to the 1951 NCIT all-tournament team. He ended his collegiate career as Le Moyne's all-time leading scorer with 1,341 points in three varsity seasons. Dick Kenyon, who played varsity basketball for four years, surpassed Savage's career total in 1956, finishing with 1,378 points.

The 1958–59 season marked the start of a golden era for Le Moyne Dolphins basketball. They appeared in seven of the 11 NCAA College Division tournaments between 1959 and 1969, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1959 and 1964.

The Dolphins were co-champions of the MECAA and made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1959 ranked no. 20 nationally in the small college coaches poll.^[35] The Dolphins reached the Sweet 16, where they lost at Saint Michael's^[36] to finish the season 18–6. Junior Dick Lynch was unanimously named to the NCAA tournament All-Regional team and was also named to the All-MECAA first team for the second straight year. Senior Bob Hollembaek made the All-MECAA second team, and sophomore Chuck Sammons earned honorable mention. Dolphins head coach Tommy Niland was unanimously selected as 1959 MECAA coach of the year.^[37][38] Lynch also earned honorable mention on the Catholic All-America team.^[39]

The Dolphins won the MECAA championship outright and made their second straight NCAA tournament appearance in 1960. They lost the regional semifinal game to Saint Anselm and the regional third-place game to Assumption to finish 13–5. Le Moyne's head coach, Tommy Niland, was unanimously chosen as 1960 MECAA coach of the year. Niland was also named Catholic small college coach of the year. Dick Lynch was named a MECAA All-Star, a first-team Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) small college All-Star and a second-team Catholic small college All-Star. John Caveny and Bill Stanley were both named All-MECAA second team.^[40][41][42] The 1959–60 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2011.^[43]

The MECA organized an in-season tournament in December 1960, hosted by Saint Peter's. The Dolphins defeated the host Peacocks,^[44][45] Iona^[46][47] and Long Island^[48] to win the tournament title. Bill Stanley had 18 points and 17 rebounds in the final and was named the tournament most valuable player.^[49]

The Dolphins had their 22-game home winning streak snapped by Saint Anselm, losing, 83–68, on January 6, 1961. The Dolphins' previous home loss had been a 65–50 drubbing at the hands of St. Bonaventure on February 5, 1958.^[50][51][52] In early January, Le Moyne was ranked no. 13 in the country among all Catholic schools. This ranking included both University Division and College Division institutions.^[53] However, the Dolphins fell out of the rankings after the loss to Saint Anselm.

Bill Stanley grabbed 22 rebounds to break his own program record and scored a game-high 24 points in the Dolphins 73–69 loss at Buffalo State on February 2, 1961.^[54]

The losses of Bill Stanley, the team's leading scorer and rebounder at the time of his injury, and Chris Pitman, a key rotation player off the bench, was too much for the Dolphin to overcome down the stretch,^[55] and they lost four of their final six games, finishing 16–7 in collegiate contests. Stanley was unanimously named a 1961 MECAA All-Star. John Caveny and Tom Burns were named second-team MECAA All-Stars.^[56]

The Dolphins were 13–9 overall and 4–1 in MECAA play in 1961–62, winning their third conference championship. Bill Stanley was the 1962 MECAA most valuable player and Tommy Niland was the conference's coach of the year. It was the first time a Le Moyne player had earned a conference MVP award and the third MECAA coach of the year honor for Niland. It was Stanley's second straight MECAA All-Star selection. John Caveny was named to the MECAA All-Star second team.^[57]

The Dolphins' first game in their new Le Moyne Athletic Center was a 43–41 victory over archrival Siena on December 1, 1962.^[58][59]

The Dolphins suffered through a mid-season slump and finished the 1962–63 season with a 12–10 record in collegiate contests. Mickey Flynn was named All-MECAA first team.^[60]

The Dolphins returned to the NCAA tournament in 1964, for the first time in four years. They entered the tournament as MECAA champions with a 4–1 league record and 17–5 overall and winners of five straight and 14 of their previous 15 games. The Dolphins had two victories over University Division opponents.^{[61][62][63][64][65]} Le Moyne met Youngstown State, ranked no. 6 nationally in the Associated Press College Division poll at the time,^[66]: 8 in the regional semifinals. Le Moyne's stifling defense, fierce rebounding and hot shooting by Gary DeYulia led to a six-point burst in just a minute and a half that put them ahead, 54–44, with 4:08 to play, and the Dolphins were not challenged the rest of the way. DeYulia shot 10 for 15 and had a game-high 20 points. As a team, the Dolphins shot 57% from the floor, while their zone defense limited the Penguins to 39% shooting.^{[67]: 26 [68][69][70]}

The Dolphins met Akron, the region's host in the Mideast Regional Final Sweet 16 game. The Zips scored early and often. Meanwhile, it took six and a half minutes for the Dolphins to put their first points on the board. Akron dominated the game wire to wire, winning by a score of 62–38. Akron's defense frustrated Le Moyne's top scorer Gary DeYulia, who finished with six points on 2-for-15 shooting. Le Moyne's Tom Cooney was named to the All-Regional team. Cooney had 24 points in the two tournament games.^{[67]: 26 [69][71][72]}

Tommy Niland was named 1964 MECAA coach of the year, the fourth time he was so honored.^[73] Gary DeYulia was named All-MECAA first team, and Tom Cooney was selected for the second team.^[74] DeYulia was also named an ECAC All-Star.^[75]

In April 1964, Le Moyne College announced that it would sponsor and participate in a four-team Christmas invitational basketball tournament to take place on December 29 and 30.^[76][77] The Dolphins won the tournament, and Gary DeYulia was named most valuable player.^[78][79]

Gerry Glose came off the bench to score 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting to lead the Dolphins to a 61–51 victory at Clarkson on February 24, 1965. Gary DeYulia, slowed by a calf injury, had 18 points for Le Moyne, who won their 15th straight game and improved to 17–2 on the season.^[80]

The Dolphins accepted a bid to host the Northeast Regionals of the 1965 NCAA College Division tournament. Aside from the Dolphins' stellar record, the selection committee cited the outstanding support shown by both students and area residents for the Dolphins at recent games as well as during the Christmas tournament. Le Moyne head coach Tommy Niland was named tournament director for the regional.^[81][82][83]

The Dolphins won their second straight MECAA championship with a 4–1 league record^[84] and entered the NCAA tournament 18–3, including 3–0 against University Division opponents.^{[85][86][87][88]} However, Assumption executed a suffocating defensive effort, frustrating the Dolphins and kncoking them out of the tournament, 76–58.^[67]: 26 Le Moyne trailed by 16 at halftime and spent most of the game in foul trouble. The Dolphins' leading scorer, Gary DeYulia, scored Le Moyne's first four points on a layup and a jump shot but was shut down by the Greyhounds the rest of the way, finishing with just four points. Dan Frawley had a double-double for Le Moyne with 10 points and 11 rebounds.^[89][90]

In the regional third-place game, Gary DeYulia's steal and transition basket capped a run that gave the Dolphins a 53–51 lead and thrilled the crowd in the Le Moyne Athletic Center. Hartwick responded immediately with a run of their own to go ahead by 64–56. Le Moyne fought back, led by Eric Pitman and Dick Martyns and had the ball down by two points with 31 seconds to play. However, DeYulia's shot at the buzzer fell short, and the Warriors held on for a 70–68 victory.^[67]: 26 DeYulia and Tom Mullen led the Dolphins with 17 points each. Mullen also grabbed nine rebounds. Gerry Glose scored 10 points and had nine rebounds for the Dolphins.^[91][92][93]

Gary DeYulia was named a 1965 ECAC first-team All-Star.^[94] He also received honorable mention for the 1965 Little All-America team.^[95] DeYulia was also honored as first-team All-MECAA, and Tom Mullen was named to the second team. Tommy Niland won his fifth MECAA coach of the year award.^[96]

In the final of their 1965 Christmas tournament, the Dolphins met Hartwick, a team that had beaten them twice during the previous season, including a game at the Le Moyne Athletic Center in the NCAA tournament. Neither team had a lead larger than six points, and the game went down to the wire. Eric Pitman scored to tie the game at 51 with 2:12 to play. After the Warriors turned the ball over, Pitman missed a driving layup, and Hartwick grabbed the rebound. With just 24 seconds to play, Dan Parham, who had a game-high 19 points and was named tournament MVP, was fouled. Parham missed the first free throw but made the second to give Hartwick a 52–51 lead. Gary DeYulia's shot from the left of the key was off the mark, but he snatched his own rebound near the foul line and hit a jump shot with one second on the clock to give the Dolphins a 53–52 victory. Tom Mullen led Le Moyne with 15 points, and DeYulia added 13.^[97][98]

For the second straight season, the Dolphins hosted NCAA tournament regional games in 1966.^{[99][100][101]} Le Moyne entered the tournament 14–5, including two wins against University Division opponents,^{[102][103][104]} but lost their first-round game to Philadelphia Textile, 83–61.^[67]: 26 Gary DeYulia led the Dolphins with 26 points.^[105][106] Le Moyne salvaged their consolation game against Potsdam State, 86–63.^[67]: 26 DeYulia had 25 points in the consolation game, giving him 51 for the two tournament games, and was named a Northeast Region Section B All-Star.^[107][108]

After the tournament, the Dolphins closed the regular-season with an 88–72 home victory over Siena to finish 16–6. Gary DeYulia had a game-high 23 points in his final collegiate contest.^[109][110] DeYulia finished his career with 1,212 points, second on Le Moyne' all-time scoring list.^[111]

Gary DeYulia was named 1966 MECAA player of the year. Tom Mullen was selected second-team all-MECAA.^[112] DeYulia was also named to the first-team small Catholic college all-America squad and to the small college all-America team^[113] and received honorable mention on the Little All-America squad.^[114]

After struggling through an 11–10 season in 1966–67, the Dolphins regained their form and, led by captain Gerry McDermott, went 14–8 in 1967–68, including a trip to the NCAA tournament.

With Gerry McDermott slowed by an injury and able to play only limited minutes, Buffalo State used their size advantage to control the boards and defeat the Dolphins, 83–66, in the first round of the tournament. Le Moyne struggled throughout the game to get good looks at the basket against taller defenders. Tom Downey managed to score 13 points. John Zych was the only other Dolphin to reach double figures with 10 points. McDermott finished with eight points.^{[67]: 27 [115]}

Northeastern hit 23 of 34 free-throw attempts compared with only 6 for 11 by the Dolphins, and the Huskies won the consolation game of the Northeast Region's Section B, 67–54. Each team had 44 rebounds, and Le Moyne had 24 field goals, while Northeastern had only 22. However, the Dolphins were unable to defend the larger Huskies without fouling. Senior Dave Cary came off the bench to score a season-high 21 points for Le Moyne. Earl Eichelberger had 10 rebounds. Tom Downey was held to four points. Gerry McDermott exacerbated his left heel injury in the Buffalo State game and did not play.^{[67]: 27 [116]}

Gerry McDermott was named to the second team of the 1968 NCAA District 2 College Division All-Stars.^[117]

The Dolphins were 4–1 in MECAA play in 1968–69,^[118] and shared the conference championship with Saint Peter's.^[119]

The Dolphins were invited to the NCAA tournament in 1969, for the second straight season and fifth time in six years and selected to host the East Regional tournament games.^[120][121] Matt Fallis had been suffering from an ankle injury but was able to play in the Dolphins' first-round game against Montclair State and finished with 12 points. Chuck Brady had 14 points in the first half, and the Dolphins had a 43–40 lead at intermission after a back and forth opening stanza which saw each team lead by as many as seven points. The Indians opened the second half with a three-point play to tie the game at 43. With the score tied at 58, Montclair State went on a 12–2 run to take a 10-point lead as the Dolphins' shooting went cold. Le Moyne got no closer than six points down, until Brady's midcourt shot went through the hoop at the final buzzer, as the Indians held on for an 81–77 win. Brady scored a game-high 24 points.^[122]

The Dolphins jumped all over Albany State (NY) in the regional third-place game, building a 44–30 halftime lead and stretching it to a 20-point advantage early in the second half. However, the Great Danes fought back, led by Rich Margison, who scored 24 second-half points on 10-for-13 shooting. Le Moyne had a 70–66 lead in the final minute, but two baskets by Margison, the second with 20 seconds to play, tied the game at 70. A Margison free throw with three seconds left gave Albany State the win, 71–70.^[67]: 27 Bob Bradley scored 24 points for the Dolphins and was named to the East Region all-tournament team.^[123][124] The Dolphins finished the season 15–8. They were 13–6 against College Division opponents and 2–2 versus University Division foes.

Tom Downey was named to the 1969 All-East Region first team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.^[124][125]

The Dolphins' 1969–70 season featured the debut of Phil Harlow,^[126][127] who would later become Le Moyne's all-time career scoring leader while still a junior.^[128]

After NCAA tournament bids in each of the previous two seasons, expectations were high, and the Dolphins were ranked no. 1 among Upstate New York small college teams in pre-season polling conducted by the Upstate Sports Information Directors Council.^[129] However, After a loss at Buffalo on February 21,^[130] dropped the Dolphins to 7–10 on the season, the team needed wins in its final four games to finish with a winning record.^[131] Victories over Ithaca,^[132] Saint Michael's,^[133] Cortland State,^[134] and Siena^[135] gave the Dolphins a four-game winning streak to close the season at 11–10. It was the 12th consecutive winning season and 18th straight non-losing season for the Dolphins. However, this was the first season since the NCAA split into the University Division and the College Division in 1956, in which the Dolphins failed to earn a victory over a University Division opponent. Le Moyne was 11–6 against College Division teams and 0–4 versus University Division foes.

The Dolphins finished the 1970–71 season 9–12, their first losing record since 1951–52. Le Moyne was 1–4 against University Division opponents and 8–8 versus College Division foes.

Phil Harlow became Le Moyne's all-time leading career scorer on March 4, 1972.^[136] The Dolphins rebounded from their losing season the previous year and finished 13–10.^[137]

On November 16, 1972, Le Moyne announced that Tommy Niland would resign as head coach at the end of the 1972–73 season but would continue in his role as athletic director. Niland cited a desire to spend more time with his family as a reason for his decision. The school said a successor would be named by the end of December.^[138][139] On December 19, Le Moyne announced that assistant coach Tom Cooney would succeed Niland. Cooney played for three seasons on Le Moyne's varsity team and was captain as a senior during the 1963–64 season, during which the Dolphins were MECAA champions and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA College Division tournament. Prior to becoming Niland's assistant, Cooney was the head coach at St. Vincent de Paul High School in Syracuse for three seasons.^[140]

The Dolphins defeated St. Francis (NY) on February 6, 1973, improving to 9–5 overall and completing their conference slate with a perfect 5–0 record.^[141][142] The MECAA championship was the Dolphins seventh league title.

Tommy Niland closed his coaching career with a 65–61 loss at archrival Siena on March 3, 1973. The Dolphins were 13–9 overall in his final season, and as of 2024,^[update] his 326 wins and seven NCAA tournament appearances both remain the most ever by a Le Moyne head coach. Phil Harlow scored 29 points in his final collegiate game to finish as Le Moyne's all-time leading scorer with 1,823 points.^[143]

Le Moyne became a Division II institution, when the College Division was split in 1973. Practices for the 1973–74 season opened on October 15, 1973.^[144] The Dolphins lost captain Phil Harlow, who was their all-time leading scorer, Brian Gaetano and Bob Kawa to graduation for Tom Cooney's inaugural season as head coach. Rick May and Bob Quirk returned for their senior seasons and were named co-captains.^[145] Junior Tom Moody and sophomores John Ferraro, Brian O'Connor and Mark Bowka also returned. New to the team were 6'0" junior transfer Bob Braunitzer from St. Lawrence, sophomores 6'4" Mark Daly and 5'8" Gary Jackson and freshmen 6'4" Bob Burkhard, 6'5" Pete Hogan and 6'7" John Lauer.^[146][147] Ted Grace, a key player for the Dolphins as a freshman and sophomore the previous two seasons, gave up basketball to devote more time to his Islamic faith.^[148]

Radio broadcasts of Dolphins games had ceased after the 1971–72 season. Le Moyne's own WLMU broadcast live coverage of three home games during the 1973–74 season with commentary by Kevin Cooney and Bruce Sedlak. They hoped to expand coverage next season, if the station's budget was adequate.^[149]

Dolphins head coach Tom Cooney earned his first victory in his second game at the helm, a 76–74 upset at Potsdam State on December 4. Le Moyne used a full-court press to stage a comeback from a seven-point second-half deficit. John Ferraro, who scored 16 points to lead the Dolphins, hit a pair of free throws on a one-and-one opportunity to break a 74–74 tie with 29 seconds remaining and provide the winning margin.^[150]

Le Moyne's Christmas invitational tournament returned in 1973, after a one-year hiatus. The Dolphins were 4–1 and riding a four-game winning streak entering the event. There was heightened interest in the tournament, since one of the participating teams was Catholic, which was coached by former Dolphins star Dick Myers. Myers and Le Moyne head coach Tom Cooney were teammates for three years, and both were starters on Le Moyne's 1963–64 team that went to the NCAA tournament.^[151] Both have since been enshrined in the Le Moyne Athletic Hall of Fame. Freshman John Lauer scored 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting to lead the Dolphins to a 95–68 victory over Hamilton in the tournament opener on December 28. Fifteen of Lauer's 25 points came during a decisive second-half run during which Le Moyne outscored the Continentals, 36–22, stretching their seven-point lead to a 21-point bulge with less than five minutes to play. John Ferraro had a double-double for the Dolphins with 13 points and 11 rebounds.^[152]

The following evening, Potsdam State closed the game on a 14–3 run over the final 6:25 to erase a seven-point Dolphins lead and win the tournament final, 78–74. Ted Bence scored 23 points to lead the Bears and was named the tournament's most valuable player. Rick May had a double-double for the Dolphins with 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team. Bob Braunitzer had 13 points to go with the 15 he scored against Hamilton and joined May on the all-tournament squad. John Lauer and John Ferraro were each held to 10 points in the final.^[153]

Freshman Pete Hogan scored 32 points, and Rick May grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Dolphins to an 84–77 home triumph over Saint Michael's on January 19, 1974,^[154] ending both their own six-game losing streak and the Purple Knights' six-game winning streak. Hogan started in place of freshman John Lauer, who missed his second straight game with a broken bone in his foot.^[155] Le Moyne improved to 6–7 on the season with the victory.

Pete Hogan continued to shine, filling in for the injured John Lauer, scoring 20 points in the Dolphins' 72–66 upset home victory over Hartwick on January 23. Le Moyne was also missing injured starting forward John Ferraro, who suffered a sprained ankle in the Saint Michael's game. Freshman Bob Burkhard started in his place and responded with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Rick May, who had recently become the ninth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, contributed nine points and 11 rebounds for the Dolphins, who evened their record at 7–7.^[156] Hartwick's loss cast doubt over their NCAA tournament hopes.^[157]

John Ferraro returned to the lineup in a 101–81 loss at Assumption on February 2.^[158] John Lauer was back in action and scored four points in a 58–54 win at Cortland State on February 6. Pete Hogan scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Dolphins. Rick May had nine points and 12 rebounds. Le Moyne improved their record to 8–9.^[159]

Freshman Pete Hogan, a graduate of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, just outside of Buffalo, New York, scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his return home to lead the Dolphins to a 103–97 victory at Buffalo on February 20. Rick May had a double-double for Le Moyne with 17 points and 17 boards. The Dolphins shot 53% from the floor, while holding the Bulls to a 43% clip.^[160] The win was the Dolphins' fourth in five games and improved their record to 11–10 on the season. This was Le Moyne's 55th all-time victory over a Division I/major program.

The Dolphins used a 17–0 first-half run to build a 31–12 lead in their February 23 home game against Iona. However, the Gaels battled their way back into the game and trailed by only eight points less than two minutes into the second half. With Le Moyne nursing a three-point edge, Bob Quirk hit a pair of free throws with nine seconds to play, putting away a 79–74 victory for the Dolphins. Quirk and John Ferraro scored 16 points each to lead Le Moyne.^[161][162] The Dolphins improved to 12–10 overall and completed their MECAA slate 2–3 with the win, their 56th all-time against a Division I/major program.

Rick May became the first Le Moyne player to record 1,000 career rebounds in the Dolphins' 105–75 home win over Clarkson on February 26. May had a double-double in the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Pete Hogan scored 22 points to lead Le Moyne, who shot 52% from the floor while holding the Golden Knights to 38% accuracy. The Dolphins led by only nine points at halftime but exploded for 62 second-half points to earn the blowout victory. All 12 players on Le Moyne's roster got into the scoring column. The Dolphins improved to 13–10 on the season, ensuring Tom Cooney of a winning record in his first year as head coach.^[163]

The Dolphins closed their season with a non-conference home game against NCAA tournament-bound Siena on March 2. The Indians were awarded a tournament bid despite being required by the ECAC to forfeit several wins, because they erroneously used an ineligible player. The selection committee noted that Siena self-reported the violation and had played well since the player was taken out of the lineup.^[164] The ineligible player did not appear in Siena's 101–79 home victory over Le Moyne on January 26. Senior co-captain Rick May had a double-double in his final collegiate game with 22 points and 17 rebounds, leading the Dolphins to an 87–81 triumph. He finished as Le Moyne's all-time leading career rebounder with 1,028. Bob Quirk, the Dolphins' other senior co-captain scored 18 points to close his career. Le Moyne finished the season 14–10 on a four-game winning streak and with victories in seven of their final eight games. The Dolphins were 4–5 against teams that secured bids to the 1974 NCAA Division II tournament and 2–2 versus Division I foes.^[165]

The Dolphins opened practice for the 1974–75 season on October 15. Co-captains Rick May, Le Moyne's all-time leading career rebounder, and Bob Quirk were both lost to graduation.^[166] The arrival of three high-profile freshmen was greatly anticipated. Mike Gehm, a 6'1" guard, Ed Kopp, a 6'5" center, and Steve Singer, a 6'3" forward, were decorated New York state high school stars who had all committed to Le Moyne in the spring.^[167] Seniors Bob Braunitzer and Tom Moody, juniors Brian O'Connor, John Ferraro and Gary Jackson and sophomores Pete Hogan, John Lauer and Bob Burkhard all returned to the team. Junior Frank Hojnacki and sophomore Jim Fletcher were added after successful seasons on the junior varsity team.^[168] The Dolphins also welcomed Dan Maycock, a 6'4" sophomore transfer frontcourt player, who was a Navy veteran and previously played at LSU.^[169] Dave Zalewski, a 5'11" sophomore, was added to the roster at the conclusion of the preseason.^[170] Gehm earned a spot on the varsity roster during the preseason, while Kopp and Singer were added to the junior varsity team.^[171]

The Dolphins hosted Canisius, featuring Larry Fogle, the top scorer in college basketball the previous season with an average of 33.4 points per game, on December 9, 1974. The Golden Griffins took control of the game early, building a 15-point lead with less than five minutes remaining in the first half. A burst that included three baskets by John Lauer cut the Dolphins' deficit to nine points at intermission. Le Moyne kept the game tight in the second half, and five straight points by Lauer gave the Dolphins a 49–48 lead with 3:46 remaining. After Canisius went back in front by a point, captain Bob Braunitzer's basket put Le Moyne ahead, 51–50, with 2:57 to play. The Golden Griffins responded with an 8–0 run, getting two basket each from Tim Stokes and Kenny Kee, to secure a 58–53 victory. The Dolphins held Fogle to 23 points, only 10 of which came after halftime, and 10 rebounds. Braunitzer scored 15 points to lead Le Moyne, and Lauer had a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. The loss dropped the Dolphins to 0–4 on the season.^[172]

John Lauer's double-double led the Dolphins to their first win of the season, a 66–57 triumph at Ithaca on December 11. Lauer scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Le Moyne hit their first seven shots from the floor and led by 14 points at halftime. Jim Fletcher's passing sparked the Dolphins' offense; he finished with four points and 11 rebounds. Starters Pete Hogan and Bob Burkhard were both out with injuries. After playing the earlier junior varsity game, freshman Ed Kopp was pressed into duty with Le Moyne shorthanded. He scored three points in the varsity game after getting 18 in the JV game.^[173]

The Dolphins built a 14-point lead with a 10–2 run early in the second half of the opener of their Christmas tournament game against Muhlenberg on December 27, and cruised to a 78–68 victory. Pete Hogan scored a game-high 23 points on 10-for-14 shooting for Le Moyne. The Dolphins played without starting guard Bob Braunitzer, who was out with the flu.^[174]

The following evening, Hartwick's guards outscored the Dolphins backcourt, 27–6, as Bob Braunitzer, still bothered by the flu, was limited to spot duty. The Warriors took the tournament title game, 69–57. Pete Hogan and John Lauer were named to the all-tournament team.^[175]

Bob Braunitzer scored 22 points to lead the Dolphins to a 65–58 win at Iona on January 14, 1975. Le Moyne's leading scorer, Pete Hogan, missed the game with the flu. The Gaels led by three points at halftime, before the Dolphins surged ahead. Steals by Braunitzer and John Ferraro in the final minute, both of which led to Dolphins baskets, put the game away for Le Moyne. The Dolphins improved to 3–7 with the win,^[176] their 57th all-time over a Division I/major program.

At midseason, WSYR reached an agreement with Le Moyne to broadcast three Dolphins home games in February 1975.^[177] Le Moyne's own radio station, WLMU, broadcast the Dolphins' season finale at Siena on March 1.^[178]

In a game that featured 16 lead changes and five ties, sophomore Dave Zalewski, who finished with 16 points, made the difference in overtime, going 6 for 6 from the free-throw line, leading the Dolphins to an 83–77 home victory over Buffalo. For the game, Le Moyne shot 17 for 20 from the charity stripe, while the Bulls were just 9 for 12. Zelewski got additional playing time, because Gary Jackson was out with a leg injury. John Lauer scored a game-high 26 points for Le Moyne. Dolphins head coach Tom Cooney missed the game with chicken pox. Junior varsity coach Fran Satalin stepped in for Cooney. The win was the fifth in six games, improving Le Moyne to 7–8 on the season.^[179] This was Le Moyne's 58th all-time victory over a Division I/major program.

The Dolphins defeated St. Francis (NY), 79–64, in a home game on February 15.^[180] After having started the season 3–8, this win was the Dolphins' fifth straight and ninth in 10 games, improving their record to 12–9 overall and 2–2 in MECAA play. This was Le Moyne's 59th all-time victory over a Division I/major program.

The Dolphins finished the 1974–75 season 14–11 overall and 2–3 MECAA play.

The Dolphins lost Tom Moody and their captain and biggest outside shooting threat, Bob Brauntizer, to graduation in 1975. Returning to the team were seniors John Ferraro, Gary Jackson and Frank Hojnacki, juniors Pete Hogan, John Lauer, Bob Burkhard, Jim Fletcher and Dave Zalewski and sophomore Mike Gehm.^[181][182] Ferraro was named team captain.^[183] Le Moyne added four freshmen to the varsity roster. Jene Grey, a heavily recruited 6'4" frontcourt player from Sidney High School, who averaged 23.7 point and 22 rebounds per game as a senior was thought to be the biggest prize.^[184][185] Tom Fletcher, a 6'5" Central New York Cities League all-star from Christian Brothers Academy, joined his brother Jim on the team.^[186] Mike Ruff, a 5'11" guard who averaged 12.3 assists per game in leading Fairport High School to a sectional championship was described by Dolphins head coach Tom Cooney as "the best passer I've seen in my seven years of scouting high school players."^[187] Guard Steve Nieves, who sat out his high school senior year with a blood clot in his thigh and attended Le Moyne part-time the previous academic year, was now enrolled full-time and set to play his freshman season.^[188]

Shortly after the season started, Le Moyne reached an agreement with WSEN-FM to broadcast seven Dolphins road games and three home contests. Tom Pipines provided the play-by-play for weekday games, and Jim Lowery handled the weekends. Color commentary was furnished by former Dolphin Tom Downey.^[189]

After starting the season 0–4, the Dolphins got a double-double from John Lauer and cruised to a 106–56 home win over Cortland State on December 13, 1975. Lauer scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Pete Hogan added 20 points for Le Moyne. The Dolphins shot 58% from the field while holding the Red Dragons to 34%.^[190]

The Dolphins opened their annual Christmas tournament with a 91–68 victory over Lincoln (PA) on December 29. John Lauer led the Dolphins with a game-high 33 points and 11 rebounds. Le Moyne shot 50% from the floor and held the Lions to a 32% clip. Twelve of the 13 Dolphins on the roster scored in the game. New NCAA rules limited the number of players a team could take to road games to 10. After the sixth Lincoln player fouled out with 1:45 remaining, the Lions had to play the remainder of the game with four players on the floor.^[191]

The following evening, the Dolphins won the tournament with an 81–69 victory over Bloomsburg State. John Lauer had another double-double with 13 points and 17 rebounds and was named the tournament most valuable player. Gary Jackson scored 14 points and was named to the all-tournament team. John Ferraro and Pete Hogan scored 15 points each for the Dolphins, and freshman Jene Grey added 10. Le Moyne shot 53% from the field while holding the Huskies to 44%. The Dolphins outrebounded Bloomsburg State, 42–35. Le Moyne improved to 3–4 on the season.^[192]

The Dolphins built a 10-point lead in the first eight and one-half minutes of their January 14, 1976 home game against Gannon, ranked no. 4 in the NCAA Division II poll.^[66]: 23 However, the Golden Knights immediately responded with a run to get back into the game. The teams exchanged the lead 14 times the rest of the way, and Gannon was ahead, 59–57, with 19 seconds to play. Gary Jackson and Bob Burkhard both missed shots to tie the game, and the ball went out of bounds with just one second remaining. John Ferraro inbounded the ball to John Lauer, whose turnaround jump shot beat the buzzer, sending the game to overtime. The Golden Knights went ahead, 65–62, with 1:08 to play in overtime. Ferraro responded with a jump shot that cut the lead to one point with 51 seconds left. After Gannon was called for travelling, the Dolphins found Pete Hogan for a 10-footer that gave them a 66–65 lead with 13 seconds left. The Golden Knights' failed to score in the closing seconds, and the Dolphins held on for the victory. Lauer had a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Dolphins improved to 4–5 overall and 1–2 in MECAA play.^[193] Lauer followed up his effort with 16 points and 10 rebounds in an 87–66 home win over Saint Michael's on January 17, and was named ECAC Division II player of the week.^[194]

After starting the season 0–7 on the road, the Dolphins broke through with a 72–59 win at Cortland State on February 12. John Lauer had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Le Moyne, who improved to 8–9 on the season.^[195]

The Dolphins held off a late charge by Iona on February 21, and survived with an 89–88 home victory. John Lauer led Le Moyne with 22 points.^[196] The win improved the Dolphins record to 9–11 on the season and was their 60th all-time versus a University Division/major program.

Pete Hogan scored a game-high 25 points and became the 10th Dolphins player to surpass 1,000 career points in Le Moyne's 99–74 home win over Clarkson on February 24.^[197]

The Dolphins won their season finale, 81–77, over Siena on March 4, to even their record at 12–12. Freshman Mike Ruff ran the offense with poise down the stretch in a tight game, and his pass to Jene Grey, another freshman, led to the clinching basket. A third freshman, Tom Fletcher, had a steal and a layup that gave the Dolphins a five-point lead with 2:11 to play. Grey, who finished with 19 points, scored Le Moyne's final five points of the game. Optimism abounded with the play of the three yearlings. John Lauer had a double-double for the Dolphins with 20 points and 12 rebounds and became the 11th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. Senior captain John Ferraro scored six points in his final collegiate game.^[198] This was Siena's final game as a Division II program. The Indians' move to Division I for the 1976–77 season meant Le Moyne would not play its long-time archrival again until December 1987.

John Lauer was named to the 1976 ECAC Division II all-conference team.^[199] Dolphins freshman Jene Grey received honorable mention.^[200] Lauer was also named second-team Division II All-New York State.^[201]

New rules that were effective for the 1976–77 season required Division I teams to schedule at least 75% of their games against Division I opponents. It was the anticipation of these rules that caused Iona to leave the MECAA after the 1973–74 season. As a Division I team, it became impractical for St. Francis (NY) to remain in the MECAA, since it would require scheduling games against each of the non-Division I members. Since Siena transitioned to Division I for the 1976–77 season, it left the MECAA as well. Also effective for the 1976–77 season was a rule requiring conferences that were members of the NCAA to either have all their members be part of the same NCAA division or to divide the conference in a manner to separate conference members by NCAA division. The remaining members of the MECAA were Le Moyne, Gannon and King's from Division II and Scranton from Division III. Although the MECAA had never been a member of the NCAA, having members in different NCAA divisions would make that impossible in the future. Therefore the MECAA was dissolved, and Le Moyne began competing as an independent in the 1976–77 season.

Despite Siena's move to Division I, there were plans for Siena to play at Le Moyne on January 15, 1977, and for the Dolphins to continue their series with their archrivals, reduced to one game per season. However, Siena notified Le Moyne in September 1976, that it would be unable to keep its commitment for that date. Le Moyne had no open dates on which a game with Siena could be scheduled.^[202] As a result, the two teams did not meet during the 1976–77 season, ending their annual series which started with the first varsity game Le Moyne played on December 7, 1948.

The Dolphins lost John Ferraro, Gary Jackson and Frank Hojnacki to graduation in 1976. Returning to the team were seniors John Lauer, Pete Hogan, Bob Burkhard, Jim Fletcher and Dave Zalewski, junior Mike Gehm and sophomores Jene Grey, Tom Fletcher, Mike Ruff and Steve Nieves. Moving up from junior varsity were sophomores Dan Fiaschetti, a 6'3" forward and Mike Chandler, a 6'1" guard. Newly recruited freshmen guards Dan Marquardt, who was 6'3", and Al Collins, who was 6'4", made the varsity squad.^[203] Collins was an all-Westchester County selection who averaged 21.8 points and 12 rebounds per game at Port Chester High School.^[204] Marquardt was a three-year starter at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park, New York, who averaged 29.6 points per game while shooting 58% from the floor as a senior.^[205] Lauer, known to his teammates as "Cakes", was named team captain.^[206] Bob Kawa, a player for the Dolphins from 1970 to 1973, joined head coach Tom Cooney's staff as an assistant.

Bob Burkhard, starting in place of Pete Hogan, who was expected to miss five to six weeks with a chipped bone in his right ankle, responded with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing a game-high 18 rebounds to lead the Dolphins to a 95–52 home victory over Potsdam State on December 7, 1976. Tom Fletcher scored a game-high 24 points for Le Moyne, and Jene Grey added 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Dolphins shot 56% from the field and outrebounded the Bears, 49–39. Le Moyne improved to 3–2 on the season. The Dolphins wore their road uniforms for the game, because Potsdam State had not yet received their own road uniforms and had only white togs available.^[207]

Jene Grey came down with shingles, and John Lauer was suffering from a bruised thigh prior to the Dolphins' December 11 game at Cortland State.^[208] Lauer played in the game, a 72–67 overtime loss, but he injured his foot in the first half.^[209] X-rays revealed a broken bone in Lauer's foot.^[210] The Dolphins were just at the start of a four-week break in their schedule, since they were not participating in a holiday tournament.^[211] When Le Moyne returned to action on January 8, 1977, Lauer and Pete Hogan were still unavailable, and Grey played only half of the game. The Dolphins lost, 65–61, at Saint Michael's, falling to 3–4 on the season.^[212]

Jene Grey, playing through double vision resulting from his recent bout with shingles, had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Dolphins to an 89–79 home victory over Boston College on January 12, 1977. Bob Burkhard scored a game-high 20 points, and Mike Ruff dished out six assists for Le Moyne. Pete Hogan saw limited duty, returning from a chipped bone in his ankle, and scored four points for the Dolphins.^[213] The win evened Le Moyne's record at 4–4 and was their 61st all-time victory over a Division I/major program.

At mid-season, WSEN-FM agreed to broadcast five Dolphins home games and three road contests during January and February 1977. Tom Pipines celled play-by-play for weekend games, and Jim Lowery was on duty for weeknights.^[214]

With Le Moyne short on manpower, Dolphin reserves Bob Burkhard and Jim Fletcher stepped up and led the Green and Gold to a 75–67 win at Ithaca on January 19. Burkhard had a game-high 25 points, and Fletcher had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. John Lauer made his return after missing more than a month with a broken bone in his foot but saw only limited action. Pete Hogan, in his third game back from a chipped bone in his ankle, was still not playing his full complement of minutes. Jene Grey and Al Collins were serving a one-game suspension for missing the team bus on the way home from Rochester following the previous game. The Dolphins improved to 6–4 with the win, their third straight.^[215]

Jene Grey had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs, and played stifling defense on Gerard Trapp of St. Francis (NY) to lead the Dolphins to a 74–66 home victory on January 22. Grey scored 17 of his points in the second half. Mike Ruff had seven assists for Le Moyne, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 7–4.^[216] This was Le Moyne's 62nd all-time win over a Division I/major program.

Jene Grey hit four clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds to cap his double-double and lead the Dolphins to a 61–58 win at Canisius on February 12. With Le Moyne nursing a three-point lead, Grey hit both ends of a one-and-one. Mike Hartnett's jump shot with 16 seconds to play cut the Golden Griffins' deficit to three points, and Dave Spiller stole the ensuing inbounds pass and scored to cut the lead to one. Grey, who was a 67% free-throw shooter on the season, canned two more free throws on a one-and-one with 12 seconds to go to ice the game. John Lauer scored a game-high 25 points for the Dolphins. Grey had 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. The win was Le Moyne's fourth straight over a six-day span and ninth in their last 11 games^[217] and gave them 63 all-time victories over Division I/major programs.

At 12–6 on the season, the Dolphins were on the short list of teams under consideration for an NCAA tournament berth in mid February.^[218][219]

The Dolphins overcame a six-point deficit with six minutes to play, tying their February 16 home game against Buffalo on a pair of free throws by Bob Burkhard with 1:09 to play, which were the last points scored in regulation. In overtime, Le Moyne used a 16–0 run to put the game away and cruised to a 97–87 victory. Jene Grey and John Lauer each had a double-double for Le Moyne. Grey scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Lauer had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Tom Fletcher scored 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting to lead the Dolphins and added four rebounds and six assists.^[220] The win gave the Dolphins a 4–0 record versus Division I opponents on the season and five straight wins against Division I teams going back to the previous season. This was Le Moyne's 64th all-time victory over a Division I/major program.

The Dolphins suffered a crushing loss, 72–70, at Buffalo State on February 19, that appeared to dash their hopes for an NCAA tournament bid. With the score tied at 68 in the closing minutes, freshman Al Collins, who finished with 14 points, was fouled driving to the basket and missed both free throws. Oleh Czmola scored a basket for the Bengals with 1:19 to play and then stole a Mike Ruff pass on Le Moyne's next possession. Freshman Bucky Strong hit a pair of free throws to extend Buffalo State's lead to four points. Collins hit from 20 feet to bring the Dolphins back within two points, and Jim Fletcher stole the ensuing inbounds pass. Tom Fletcher launched a 20-footer with seven seconds to go, but it fell short, and Buffalo State held on for the victory. John Lauer scored 16 points to lead the Dolphins, despite spending much of his time on the bench in foul trouble and nursing the foot he had injured earlier in the season. Buffalo State took advantage of the situation each time Lauer was not on the floor. The Bengals scored the first four points of the second half with Lauer on the bench after getting called for three first-half fouls.^[221] In contrast to the Dolphins' glittering results against Division I opponents, the loss dropped Le Moyne to 2–5 versus Division II foes with just three games remaining on their schedule, one at Division I Iona and two against Division III teams. The Dolphins' overall record stood at 13–7, and Le Moyne was running out of opportunities to impress NCAA tournament selectors, who had a meeting scheduled two days later. Nevertheless, three regions of the tournament were regarded as weak, and Le Moyne was highly respected due to the strength of its schedule. It remained possible for the Dolphins to get selected to play in the tournament and get sent to another region of the country.^[222]

The Dolphins kept their hopes for an NCAA tournament bid alive with a 90–72 home win over St. Lawrence on February 22. NCAA tournament selectors had met earlier that day but did not extend any new bids. John Lauer's double-double with 28 points on 11-for-16 shooting, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots led Le Moyne. Lauer fought his way through a sprained ankle. Dave Zalewski, pressed into duty after Mike Ruff got into foul trouble, came off the bench to score nine points on 4-for-6 shooting and notch four steals. The Dolphins shot 52% from the floor while holding the Saints to a 46% clip. The Dolphins' next game was originally scheduled at Iona on February 26. However, the Gaels cancelled the game in order to comply with the maximum game limit required to be eligible for the ECAC Metro tournament. Since the NCAA tournament selectors anticipated making a final decision on February 27, and the Dolphins would not play again until March 1, their 14–7 record would be the basis on which their fate rested.^[223][224]

The Dolphins were not selected to play in the 1977 NCAA tournament, much to the dismay of athletic director Tommy Niland who noted that Le Moyne had embarrassed one the teams that received a bid, alluding to Le Moyne's 11-point victory over Assumption. Niland also indicated that he believed the selection committee had failed to choose the 32 best Division II teams in the country. Instead, regional selectors protected teams within their region, resulting in teams with as many as 11 losses getting invitations.^[225]

The Dolphins won their season finale, 79–56, over Alfred on senior night at the Henninger Athletic Center. All five graduating seniors from head coach Tom Cooney's first recruiting class started the game for Le Moyne. John Lauer scored a game-high 19 points and finished his collegiate career fourth on Le Moyne's all-time scoring list. Pete Hogan had 10 points and finished as the sixth highest scorer in Dolphins history. Bob Burkhard scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Dave Zalewski scored eight points and Jim Fletcher added two.^[226] The Dolphins finished the 1976–77 season 15–7 and a perfect 11–0 at home. Six of Le Moyne's seven road losses, one of which was decided in overtime, were by five points or fewer. The only loss the Dolphins suffered by more than five points was a 13-point defeat at Hartwick, which was ranked no. 8 in the NCAA Division II poll at the time.

Practices for the Dolphins' 1977–78 season opened on October 15, 1977.^[227][228] Le Moyne lost John Lauer and Pete Hogan, two of the top six career scorers in program history, along with Bob Burkhard, Jim Fletcher and Dave Zalewski to graduation in 1977. Al Collins, who had a strong freshman season, was lost to academic ineligibility.^[229] Senior Mike Gehm, juniors Jene Grey, Tom Fletcher, Mike Ruff and Dan Fiaschetti all returned. Head coach Tom Cooney tried to replace the size the team lost in the frontcourt with freshman recruits and signed Vinnie Hay, a 6'9" center from Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Florida. Hay was afflicted by a collapsed lung before the start of his high school senior season and then was slow to recover from a virus, which limited his playing time.^[230] Cooney also signed Jim McDermott, a 6'4" all-star, who averaged 13.8 points and six rebounds per game as a senior at Liverpool High School^[231] and Frank Cooper, a 6'4" forward, who was named to the All-Western New York team as well as the All-Catholic Buffalo team after averaging 21.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on 56.2% shooting a senior at DeSales Catholic High School in Lockport, New York.^[232] Gehm and Grey were elected co-captains.^[233] Also added to the team were 6'3" senior Tim DiGioia, juniors Matt Wadach (6'1") and John Niland (5'10") and sophomores Jim Maney (6'0"), Marty Creary (6'2") and Chris Biehler (6'5").^[234] DiGioia was the leading scorer on the junior varsity team during both his freshman and sophomore years but was unable to play as a junior because of a broken ankle.^[235] Hay was placed on the junior varsity team at the end of preseason drills, leaving shooting guard Tom Fletcher as the Dolphins' tallest player at 6'5". McDermott and Cooper earned starting roles during the preseason drills. Collins got a job in a bakery, intending to enroll at Westchester Community College for the spring 1978 semester, hoping to improve his grades and return to Le Moyne. Cooney expected the size-challenged Dolphins to take advantage of their quickness in the front court and employ zone defense more frequently than in the previous season. Grey was hit by a car on campus while walking home in the dark after practice during the preseason and suffered a contusion on his leg, but he was expected to be available for the season opener.^[236][237]

After dropping their season opener, 90–70, at Boston College,^[238] the Dolphins turned their attention to their first-ever meeting with Syracuse, their neighbor only four miles away, who were ranked no. 12 in the AP Division I poll on December 2. The schools had a three-year agreement to meet annually.^[239] The Dolphins became the first visiting team to take a lead on the Orange's home court in the young season and had a 13–8 early advantage. However, Syracuse used their size and quickness to earn a 46–33 rebounding advantage and force 31 turnovers, and the Orange defeated Le Moyne, 90–62. Jene Grey scored 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots to lead the Dolphins. Mike Ruff scored five points and dished out six assists for Le Moyne. Tom Fletcher scored 11 points, and freshman Frank Cooper had 10 for the Dolphins.^[240][241]

The following evening, the Dolphins kept the consolation game of the Carrier Classic close for the first 10 minutes, but Rhode Island pulled away with a 12–2 run and defeated Le Moyne, 84–57. Jene Grey scored 23 points to lead the Dolphins and was named to the all-tournament team.^[242] Tom Fletcher added 19 points for Le Moyne.^[243]

Five games into the season, the Dolphins learned that starting point guard Mike Ruff, who had missed the previous three games with what was through to be a contusion on his right calf,^[243] may have suffered nerve damage in his foot and needed to see a specialist.^[244][245] Ruff was out of action for more than a month, returning in early January.

After starting their season with three losses to Division I opponents, the Dolphins evened their record at 3–3 with their third straight victory, all coming against Division III foes, when they won at Rochester, 80–67, on December 17. Jene Grey had a double-double for Le Moyne with 28 points on 13-for-26 shooting and 17 boards, his second straight 17-rebound performance. The Dolphins held the Yellowjackets to 35% shooting from the field while hitting 51% of their owns shots.^[246]

The Dolphins participated in the Pocono Classic, hosted by East Stroudsburg State, beating the hosts, 85–76, in overtime on January 25, 1978, before falling to Adelphi in the title game the following evening. Dolphins sophomore Jim Maney hit a layup with four seconds to play in regulation to send the East Stroudsburg State game to overtime. Jene Grey had 39 points and 36 rebounds in the two games and was named to the all-tournament team.^[247]

The Dolphins played a game that was as meaningful as a tilt with a Division III opponent can be, when they welcomed Scranton, ranked no. 1 in the Division III poll, to the Henninger Athletic Center on February 2, 1978. Junior Jene Grey had a double-double with 34 points and 17 rebounds, but he found himself in foul trouble at halftime, after having difficulty guarding Scranton's Division III All-American, Irvin Johnson, who scored 22 points in the opening stanza. Dolphins head coach Tom Cooney made a defensive switch during the intermission. He asked freshman Frank Cooper to guard Johnson in the second half, so he could keep Grey in the game. The strategy work, as Johnson was held scoreless the rest of the game. After Johnson fouled out with 3:26 to play, Scranton coach Bob Bessoir disputed the call and was charged with a technical foul. Grey hot both free throws to tie the score at 70. Seven seconds later, Grey was fouled and canned two more free throws to put Le Moyne ahead to stay. The Dolphins closed the game on an 11–4 run and won the game, 79–74. Cooper scored 10 points for Le Moyne, and another freshman, Jim McDermott, added 13. Dolphins junior Tom Fletcher had 14 points. Grey became the 12th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. The game featured a matchup of brothers. Scranton sophomore Bob Gehm scored four points, and his brother, Le Moyne senior Mike Gehm went scoreless. The Dolphins improved their record to 10–9 on the season.^[248]

The Dolphins' record reached its peak at 12–9 following a season-high five-game winning streak, but they lost four of their final five games to finish the 1977–78 season 13–13.^[249] Jene Grey ranked 21st in Division II in scoring average and seventh in rebounds per game for the season.^[250]

The Dolphins lost Mike Gehm and Tim DiGioia to graduation in 1978, but had four of their five regular starters return: seniors Jene Grey, Tom Fletcher and Mike Ruff and sophomore Jim McDermott. The previous season's fifth starter, sophomore Frank Cooper, fell out of a dormitory window during the offseason and suffered a severe back injury that would keep him out of action for the entire 1978–79 season.^[251] Other returning players were seniors Dan Fiaschetti and Matt Wadach and juniors Chris Biehler and Jim Maney. Grey and Fiaschetti were named co-captains. Sophomore Vinnie Hay was added to the team after playing junior varsity as a freshman. The Dolphins added much needed size with freshman Chris LaCombe, a 6'7" center from Peru High School, who averaged 12.5 points and 12 rebounds per game as a high school senior.^[252] Dave Hart, a 6'3" swingman, who averaged 23 points per game as a high school senior at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute also joined the team as a freshman.^[253] Mike McDermott, the freshman brother of Jim, was a 6'2" guard, regarded as an excellent leaper and shooter, whom head coach Tom Cooney expected could start in the frontcourt.^[254][255]

After starting the season 1–1, the Dolphins met Alfred on December 8, 1978, in the Max Ziel Classic, hosted by Oswego State. After building a 12-point lead in the first half, Le Moyne opened the second stanza with an 18–6 run to extend their lead to 53–29. The Saxons battled back but got no closer than nine points down in the final minute, and the Dolphins claimed a 78–67 victory. Jene Grey scored a game-high 27 points to lead Le Moyne. Tom Fletcher had 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.^[256]

The following evening, the Dolphins dominated host Oswego State, 118–53, to win the tournament title. Jene Grey was the tournament's most valuable player, and Tom Fletcher and Mike McDermott joined Grey on the all-tournament team. The 65-point margin of victory was the largest in the history of the Max Ziel Classic.^[257]

With the Dolphins record at 10–7 on February 11, 1979, head coach Tom Cooney informed his players that he was resigning effective at the end of the season. Cooney cited a desire to spend more time with his family and a dislike for recruiting and the travel associated with it. Cooney said he planned to move to Florida and enter the real estate business. Dolphins athletic director Tommy Niland said he hoped to select a new head coach by the end of the season and that assistant coaches Bob Kawa, who played for Niland during his last three seasons as head coach, and Mike Lee would be given first consideration. Lee was also head coach of the junior varsity team at the time.^{[258][259][260]}

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Dolphins entered their February 20 game at Hartwick, ranked no. 8 in the Division II poll,^[66]: 26 with a résumé that included a 12–7 record and a home win over Hartwick earlier in the season. With five games remaining on Le Moyne's schedule, this matchup represented a precious opportunity to impress NCAA tournament selectors.^[261] Trailing by eight points at intermission, the Dolphins got within four points on five separate times. A sudden Le Moyne scoring drought that lasted 5:11 and resulted in a 14–0 Hartwick run put the game away for the Warriors, who went on to an 85–61 victory. Jene Grey scored 27 points to lead the Dolphins.^[262] Despite the loss, Le Moyne remained under consideration for a tournament bid.^[263]

The Dolphins kept their postseason hopes alive with an 82–60 home win over Buffalo on February 22, improving their record to 13–8. Five minutes after the opening tip, with the score tied at 8, Le Moyne went on a 15–0 run and led by 27 points at halftime. In the final game of the season at the Henninger Athletic Center, the Dolphins started their five seniors: Jene Grey, Tom Fletcher, Mike Ruff, Dan Fiaschetti and Matt Wadach. Grey scored a game-high 22 points in his final appearance on campus. Fletcher had 12 points, Ruff scored 11, Fiaschetti had five and Wadach scored three. Regular starter Jim McDermott came off the bench to score 11 points.^[264]

Le Moyne improved to 14–8 with a 78–72 win at Rochester on February 24. Jim McDermott scored 25 points, including two on a ferocious dunk, to lead the Dolphins, and freshman Dave Hart added 21.^[265] Final NCAA tournament selections were due to be made three days later.

The Dolphins' final home game of the 1978–79 season was played February 26, at the Onondaga County War Memorial against Syracuse, ranked no. 6 in the AP Division I poll. After Le Moyne took an early 6–0 lead,^[265] the Orangemen surged and took control of the game, defeating the Dolphins, 92–60. Louis Orr scored 17 points and had 13 rebounds for Syracuse. Jene Grey had a game-high 28 points for Le Moyne, who fell to 14–9.^[266] During halftime, Le Moyne athletic director Tommy Niland announced that Mike Lee would take over as the Dolphins' head coach at the conclusion of the season.^[267]

The NCAA tournament selectors filled the final spots in the bracket on February 27, and the Dolphins did not receive a berth.^[268] The Dolphins lost their season finale, 72–69, at Cortland State on February 28. Jene Grey's jump shot with 20 seconds to play brought Le Moyne within two points, but the Red Dragons broke the Dolphins' press and scored a layup to put the game away. Grey had game-highs of 29 points and 13 boards to finish with career totals of 1,729 points and 969 rebounds, both second in program history. Tom Cooney finished his head coaching career 82–63, and Le Moyne ended their season with a 14–10 record.^[269]

The coaching tenure of Mike Lee, a former three-year starter and captain of the Syracuse Orangemen,^[270] began with the loss of five seniors to graduation: Jene Grey, Tom Fletcher, Mike Ruff, Dan Fiaschetti and Matt Wadach. Jim Maney was the only senior returning to the team. The starting duo of McDermott brothers, junior Jim and sophomore Mike, returned. Redshirt sophomore Frank Cooper, who missed the previous season with a severe back injury, and junior reserve Joe Fletcher were also back along with sophomores Dave Hart and Chris LaCombe. Dan Fletcher, a 6'2" sophomore, regarded by Lee as a good shooter and the team's best defensive player, was elevated from the junior varsity squad. Junior 6'5" transfer Danny Kempf had to wait until January, to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.^[271] New recruits included 6'4"forward Joe Nowak, a strong inside player, and 6'2" guard John Miranda. As a high school senior, Miranda's buzzer beater clinched the section championship for Newark High School, advancing them to the New York state tournament, where they were defeated by Nowak's Lackawanna High School.^[272] Two other freshmen, Dennis Fleming, a 5'10" guard, described by Lee as the team's best shooting backcourt player, and 6'8" Pete Constandy, a good outside shooter, also joined the team.^[273] John Leone, formerly head coach at Nottingham High School,^[274] was hired as an assistant coach.^[272]

Starting with the 1979–80 academic year, Le Moyne increased the number of athletic scholarships offered by the school (for all sports) from six to eight.^[275]

After opening the season with a blowout loss at Boston College, Mike Lee got his first win as head coach in dramatic fashion in the Dolphins home opener against Ithaca on December 4, 1979. With Le Moyne trailing by five points in the final minute, the Dolphins were inspired by the mocking hand-clapping of Ithaca guard George Piniella, which led to some shoving between Piniella and Jim McDermott. McDermott's brother, Mike, drove to the basket and scored with 16 seconds to play, cutting the Bombers' lead to three points. The Dolphins fouled Piniella, who missed the front end of a one-and-one two seconds later. Mike McDermott was fouled with 10 seconds on the clock and sank both free throws to bring Le Moyne within a point at 59–58. Piniella, who had become a villain in the eyes of Dolphin fans, was fouled again with seven seconds left. He hit the first shot but missed the second, and Dolphins freshman Joe Nowak was fouled collecting the rebound. Nowak hit the first free throw but missed the second. Mike McDermott collected the rebound and banked a soft fadeaway jump shot off the glass for a 61–60 Le Moyne victory. Mike McDermott scored eight points for the game, six of which came in the final 16 seconds. Jim McDermott and Dave Hart scored 14 points each to lead the Dolphins.^[276]

Dolphins head coach Mike Lee returned to his alma mater as Le Moyne met Syracuse, ranked no. 11 in the AP poll, in the opener of the Carrier Classic on December 7. Despite Jim McDermott's drive through the lane for a dunk on Roosevelt Bouie, the Orangemen easily handled the Dolphins, 107–61. Bouie and Louis Orr each scored 14 points to lead Syracuse. McDermott had a game-high 16 points for Le Moyne.^[277] The following evening, the Dolphins lost the consolation game to Hofstra, 75–64. McDermott and Dave Hart each scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne, and McDermott was named to the all-tournament team.^[278][279]

The Dolphins met Maryland Eastern Shore in the Loyola Tournament in Baltimore on January 3, 1980. After shooting poorly early in the game, Le Moyne got within three points in the final minute but were unable to force a turnover and committed a foul with one second to play. The Hawks hit their free throws to seal a 73–68 victory. Junior transfer Danny Kempf became eligible and made his season debut with a double double, scoring 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds. Mike McDermott had a game-high 20 points to lead the Dolphins.^[280] In the consolation game the following evening, the Dolphins let a five-point second-half lead slip away and missed four potential game-winning shots in the final 40 seconds, falling to Loyola Maryland, 62–61. Jim McDermott's basket in the final minute had put Le Moyne ahead, 61–60, but the Greyhounds raced down the floor and responded immediately with ago-ahead basket, before the Dolphins' scrambling finish came up short. Jim McDermott had a game-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Le Moyne and was named to the all-tournament team. Kempf had six points and eight rebounds for the Dolphins.^[281]

East Stroudsburg State avenged a road loss 11 days earlier, a game won by the Dolphins, 82–80, with a nine-point burst in the final minute capped by a 17-foot jumper from freshman Dennis Fleming with three seconds to play,^[282] when they won the opener of the Pocono Classic on their home floor, 88–76, on January 23. Mike McDermott and Dave Hart each scored 20 points to lead the Dolphins. Danny Kempf had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.^[283] The Dolphins fell to Hartwick, ranked no. 12 in Division II, 102–67 in the following evening's consolation game. Dave Hart scored 22 points to lead Le Moyne, which saw their record drop to 4–11.^[284]

Following the Dolphins' physical 70–66 home victory over Clarkson on February 12, police officers had to enter the court to separate the players, after a brawl broke out between the teams. The game featured 50 fouls, 25 assessed to each team. Dolphins freshman Joe Nowak was ejected in the first half for throwing the ball out of bounds toward a Clarkson player sitting on the bench. Clarkson's Andy Bright was ejected in the second half for his football-style tackle of Le Moyne's John Miranda. One Clarkson player confronted a Le Moyne priest during the melee. Both coaches expressed frustration at the quality of officiating. Dan Fletcher scored 13 points, all in the second half, for the Dolphins, who finished the game strong and erased an eight-point lead. Jim McDermott had 19 points to lead Le Moyne, which improved to 6–15 on the season.^[285]

Freshman John Miranda's layup at the buzzer sent the Dolphins' February 27 season finale at Cortland State into overtime with the score tied at 75. After the Dolphins scored first in the extra session, the Red Dragons took control and defeated Le Moyne 88–85. Jim McDermott scored 19 points to lead the Dolphins. The loss was the Le Moyne's fourth straight and dropped their record to 6–19, the worst in program history. The Dolphins were 0–11 on the road and 0–3 on neutral floors, the first time in program history Le Moyne was winless away from home. They had just four wins and five losses against Division III opponents and managed just two victories in 13 games with Division II foes.^[286]

Jim Maney was the only player the Dolphins lost to graduation in 1980. Leading scorer Jim McDermott returned for his senior season. Senior Danny Kempf, Le Moyne's leading rebounder in the 1979–80 season, left the team on the advice of his doctors due to blood clots in his right leg. Juniors Mike McDermott, Chris LaCombe and Dan Fletcher and sophomores John Miranda, Joe Nowak and Dennis Fleming all returned. Nowak was ineligible for the season's first five games as a penalty for playing in an unauthorized summer league. Junior Jim Grabowski, who saw a little varsity action the previous season but primarily played junior varsity, was added to the squad. Junior transfer Jim Morrissey made the team as a walk-on. Freshman Paul Galvin, a 5'11" guard, was expected to get playing time running the point. Other freshmen added to the team were Mark Prechtl, a 6'4" forward from Jamestown High School, and Mike Leithead, a 6'5" center from Philadelphia, both of whom head coach Mike Lee thought would see action immediately. A fourth freshman, Greg Martin, a 6'0" guard, tore cartilage in his knee in training camp, forcing him to miss the entire season.^[287][288] During the season, Galvin established himself as the starting point guard.^[289] Jim McDermott continued in his role as team captain for a second year.^[290] For the first time in program history, the Dolphins' 1980–81 schedule did not include any Division I opponents. Previously, Le Moyne had faced at least two top-tier foes in each season.

After starting the season 1–3, the Dolphins lost their opening game in the Assumption College Classic to host Assumption on December 12, 1980, 70–63. Le Moyne had a one-point lead with four minutes to play, but the Greyhounds closed the game on a 9–1 run to secure the victory. Freshman Mark Prechtl scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Dolphins.^[291] The Dolphins defeated Adelphi, 74–70, in the consolation game the following evening. Joe Nowak made his season debut, having finished serving his five-game suspension, and had 20 points and nine rebounds for Le Moyne.^[292][293]

The Dolphins lost their opening game in the Yellow Jacket Invitational, 79–67, to host Randolph–Macon on January 9, 1981.^[294] The following evening, Le Moyne lost the consolation game to Longwood, 96–75. Joe Nowak scored 24 points to lead the Dolphins, who fell to 2–6 on the season.^[295]

The Dolphins' 71–57 loss at Buffalo State on January 17, was called with just under 38 minutes having been played rather than the regulation 40. Joe Nowak got into a shoving match with a Bengals player, and both benches emptied. Le Moyne had 25 turnovers in the game and were never closer than 10 points down in the second half, prompting the officials to call the game early after the scuffle was broken up. Dan Fletcher scored 15 points to lead the Dolphins, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 2–9.^[296]

Head coach Mike Lee was criticized on campus for disparaging remarks he made to the news media about his team and for not accepting responsibility for the Dolphins' poor performance.^{[297][298][299]} Lee addressed these comments with the team and said that his quotes were taken out of context, since they were alluding to the state of the team in light of the absence of Chris LaCombe, who was injured at the time, and not to the team as a whole.^[300]

The Dolphins lost their 13th straight game, 65–54, at home against Cheyney State on February 9. Jim McDermott scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne, which dropped to 2–17 on the season.^[301] The following evening, Mike McDermott scored 13 points to lead the Dolphins to a 69–56 win at Clarkson, ending Le Moyne's longest losing streak in program history.^[302]

After starting 0–6, the Dolphins earned their first home victory of the season and first on their own court in one year and five days, when they defeated St. Lawrence, 76–61, on February 17. Jim McDermott scored 18 points to lead the Green and Gold. Le Moyne improved to 4–18 with the win.^[303][304]

The Dolphins salvaged the season finale in what was for the second straight season the worst campaign in program history, defeating Pratt at home, 85–69, on February 28. Jim McDermott, the team's only senior, scored 29 points in his final collegiate game to finish his career with 1,228 points, sixth best in Le Moyne's history. The Dolphins finished the season 5–21.^[305] They were 3–5 against Division III opponents and 2–16 versus Division II foes.

Practices for the 1981–82 season started on October 16, 1981. Captain Jim McDermott was the only player the Dolphins lost to graduation. Seniors Mike McDermott, Chris LaCombe and Dan Fletcher, juniors John Miranda and Joe Nowak and sophomores Paul Galvin, Mike Leithead and Mark Prechtl all returned. Nowak and Galvin shaved their heads during the preseason to the delight of head coach Mike Lee. Sophomore Jimmy Bova, a transfer from Potsdam State, satisfied the required NCAA waiting period and joined the team. New freshman recruits included Wright Lassiter, a 6'5" forward, Bobby Chestnut, a 6'2" guard who was an all-state forward as a senior at Corcoran High School,^[306][307] and Don Murcko, a 6'7" center.^[308] John Thompson, a 5'11" freshman guard, made the team as a walk-on.^[309][310] LaCombe and Galvin were named co-captains.^[311]

Le Moyne did not have a junior varsity team for the 1981–82 season.^[312] Athletic director Tommy Niland was disappointed that a JV team could not be formed, but he noted that during the third week of preseason practices, there were only four players present. Niland said Le Moyne would use the cost saving associated with not having a JV team to start a men's lacrosse team and a women's track team.^[313] Le Moyne had sponsored either a JV or a freshman team every season since the 1947–48 campaign.

Freshmen Wright Lassiter and Bobby Chestnut had an immediate impact, sparking a decisive 17–3 run in the second half of the Dolphins' November 20 home opener against East Stroudsburg State that swelled Le Moyne's tenuous two-point lead. The final seven points of the run came in only 17 seconds. Mike McDermott scored a fast-break basket off a Lasseter outlet pass. McDermott was fouled on the play and missed the free throw, but he collected the rebound and hit a jump shot. After the Warriors inbounded the ball, Paul Galvin stole it and passed to Chris LaCombe for a layup. LaCombe was fouled and hit the free throw for a 16-point lead with 12:03 to play. The Dolphins' lead grew as large as 21 points, and they won the game, 72–54, giving Mike Lee his first opening game victory as a head coach. Lassiter and Chestnut scored 10 points each. Sophomore transfer Jimmy Bova was hot at the start of the game, putting Le Moyne in the lead early, and finished with eight points. McDermott scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Dolphins.^[314]

Paul Galvin came up with a steal and hit a pair of free throws after getting fouled to extend Le Moyne's lead to four points with 1:30 to play in their opening round game at the Bridgeport Lions Club Classic on December 4. The Dolphins held on and defeated Bridgeport, 65–60, improving to 4–1 on the season. Le Moyne's freshmen continued their stellar play with Wright Lassiter and Bobby Chestnut scoring 13 points each and Don Murcko getting 10 markers. Mike McDermott scored a game-high 22 points for the Dolphins.^[315][316] The following evening, the Dolphins suffered a six-minute scoreless drought in the second half, and Sacred Heart won the tournament title game, 53–39. McDermott led Le Moyne with 16 points, and he and Galvin were named to the all-tournament team.^[317]

Mike McDermott scored 30 points to lead the Dolphins to an 83–80 overtime win at home over New Hampshire College on January 16, 1982. McDermott and Paul Galvin sparked a second-half run that helped Le Moyne build a 12-point lead. However, the Penmen got back into the game as the Dolphins tried to milk the clock. The Dolphins found themselves down by three points with 1:12 to play. Bobby Chestnut entered the game and immediately hit a jump shot to cut the deficit to one point. In the closing seconds, New Hampshire College missed a free throw that would have iced the game and then fumbled the rebound. John Miranda picked up the loose ball and found Chestnut streaking up the floor for a game-tying layup. After Le Moyne fell behind by four point early in overtime, McDermott's basket tightened the score. Miranda hit a pair of free throws with 42 seconds to play to put the Dolphins in front, 81–81. After Le Moyne got a stop on the defensive end, McDermott hit two more free throws with 7 seconds left to put the game out of reach. Chestnut finished the game with 10 points, and the Dolphins improved to 6–3 on the season.^[318]

A jump shot with four seconds to play by freshman Reggie Fowler gave Cortland State a 77–76 win over the visiting Dolphins on February 3. Le Moyne had a nine-point lead with 4:20 to play but collapsed down the stretch. Mike McDermott scored 18 points to lead the Dolphins, who lost their fourth straight game, all on the road, and saw their record drop to 7–8 on the season.^[319]

Mike McDermott scored 24 points to become the 14th player in program history to score 1,000 for his career in the Dolphins' February 10 home game against Bloomsburg State, ranked no. 11 in the Division II poll at the time.^[66]: 29 Le Moyne rallied from a nine-point deficit with 5:37 remaining to tie the score at 56, when McDermott's pass found Wright Lassiter, who completed a three-point play with 1:36 left. A Doug Greenholt layup with 49 seconds on the clock gave the Huskies a two-point lead. The Dolphins had four chances to tie the game, but Bobby Chestnut missed three jump shots, and Paul Galvin missed a putback of an offensive rebound. Jon Bardsley controlled the rebound of the fourth miss and dribbled through Le Moyne's trap before getting fouled with one second to go. Bradsley hit one free throw to give Bloomsburg State a 69–68 victory, dropping the Dolphins to 8–10 on the season.^[320]

The Dolphins lost their 1981–82 season finale, 71–56, at Adelphi on February 27, and finished the season 10–15, having lost 11 of their final 14 games. Seven of the losses were by four points or fewer with two of those coming in overtime. Don Murcko scored 13 points to lead Le Moyne. In their final collegiate games, Mike McDermott had six points, Chris LaCombe had five and Dan Fletcher scored three points. McDermott finished his career with 1,133 points, 11th on Le Moyne's all-time scoring list.^[321]

Head coach Mike Lee's contract expired at the end of the season, and Le Moyne athletic director indicated he and Lee would meet to discuss the future of the program. Le Moyne had been experiencing shrinking support from alumni, who were frustrated by the team's results. Le Moyne's new president, Rev. Frank R. Haig, S.J., had suggested to Niland that Lee's contract should be extended during the season, when the team was 5–3. However, Niland decided to wait until the season concluded.^[322] Lee's contract was renewed for one more season.^[323]

Practices for the 1982–83 season commenced on October 15, 1982.^[324] The Dolphins lost three players to graduation, including Mike McDermott, the 11th most prolific scorer in program history, co-captain Chris LaCombe and Dan Fletcher. Seniors John Miranda and Joe Nowak, juniors Paul Galvin, Jimmy Bova, Mark Prechtl and Mike Leithead and sophomores Wright Lassiter, Bobby Chestnut and Don Murcko all returned. Newly recruited freshmen were Erick Piscopo, a 5'11" guard from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, just outside of Buffalo, Terry Heller, a 6'5" forward from Whitney Point High School,^[325] Brent Loggins, a 6'7" forward, and Don Woodford, a 6'6" forward. Sophomore guard John Thompson quit the team to devote more time to his studies.^[326] Nowak and Miranda were named co-captains.^[327] After a two-year absence, Bob Kawa returned as an assistant coach, replacing head coach Mike Lee's brother Jimmy, who left to become the head coach at Christian Brothers Academy.^[328]

In the opening round of the Industrial Basketball Tournament on December 11, 1982, the Dolphins trailed Central Connecticut most of the way, until Jim Bova's 20-foot jump shot gave them a 63–61 lead with four minutes to play. Wright Lassiter and Paul Galvin protected Le Moyne's lead by combining to hit five free throws in the final minute, and the Dolphins held on for a 72–68 victory. Don Murcko led Le Moyne with 21 points and eight rebounds. Galvin had 15 points and seven assists.^[329] The following afternoon, Bobby Chestnut scored 20 points, 14 in the second half, to lead the Dolphins to a 67–57 victory over host Hartwick in the tournament final. Lassiter had eight points and 15 rebounds for Le Moyne, and Don Murcko added 16 points, all in the second half.^[330] Murcko, Chestnut and Galvin were named to the all-tournament team.^[331] The win improved the Dolphins' record to 4–2 on the season.

Dolphins starting center Don Murcko suffered a separated shoulder and shattered ligaments and tendons in his right knee, which required reconstructive surgery, when he was thrown from his girlfriend's car following an accident on January 10, 1983.^[332] Murcko was expected to be out of action for as long as eight months. Freshmen Brent Loggins and Don Woodford split time filling in for Murcko in Le Moyne's first game after the accident, a 69–66 home loss to Quinnipiac in which the team appeared distracted on January 15, dropping Le Moyne's record to 5–4.^[333]

Mark Prechtl made his second career start, and his early hot shooting, scoring all 12 of his points in the first 10 minutes, helped the Dolphins build a 20–12 lead over Hamilton, which entered the game ranked no. 1 in Division III, on January 26. Le Moyne's defense frustrated the Continentals, who were playing without their injured starting point guard, Kevin Hayden, limiting them to just 32% shooting from the floor, while the Dolphins succeeded at a 49% clip. Don Woodford and Brent Loggins, sharing the load of filling in for the injured Dolphins center, Don Murcko, clogged the lane on the defensive end, holding Hamilton center Mark Burnham to just three points, seven fewer than his average. Woodford and Loggins combined for 12 points and seven rebounds. The Dolphins closed the first half on a 15–3 run and claimed a 39–18 lead at intermission. Bobby Chestnut scored 14 points to lead Le Moyne, and Wright Lassiter added nine points and 10 rebounds in the Dolphins' 75–54 victory. Le Moyne ended their five-game losing streak, two of the losses having been suffered at the hands of Division III teams, and improved to 6–7 on the season.^[334][335]

Even before the season ended, there was speculation as to whether Mike Lee would continue as the Dolphins' head coach.^[336][337] The Dolphins entered their season finale 12–12 with a chance at a winning record. Le Moyne hosted Adelphi, which desperately needed a win to keep their slim hopes for a bid to the NCAA tournament alive, in the Dolphins' season finale. Bobby Chestnut scored 16 point to lead Le Moyne, and Paul Galvin's pair of free throws with five seconds to play iced a 62–60 Dolphins victory. Immediately after the game, Le Moyne announced the Lee would not seek renewal of his contract. Assistant coach Bob Kawa was considered a likely candidate for the job.^[338] However, athletic director Tommy Niland indicated two days later, that if Kawa had an inside track to the job, he would have already been hired. Nevertheless, he said Kawa was under consideration. Niland also said that after 10 year away, he missed coaching and had not ruled out returning to the sideline. Lee had left without telling his team or even Kawa that he was resigning. Le Moyne formed a search committee for a new head coach and was accepting applications for the position.^[339]

After a month-long search, Le Moyne hired John Beilein as the Dolphins' new head coach to replace Mike Lee. Beilein had been the head coach at Division III Nazareth the previous season and posted a 20–6 record. Prior to his one year at Nazareth, Beilein had coached Erie Community College for four years. Beilein was the nephew of Le Moyne athletic director Tommy Niland, who insisted that his candidacy for the job had been judged independently. Beilein was also known to Le Moyne president Rev. Frank R. Haig, S.J., who was president of Wheeling College while Beilein was a student there. Le Moyne received about 50 applications for the job and conducted interviews with seven candidates. Beilein's initial contract term was three years.^{[340][341][342]}

The Dolphins became one of six charter members of the Mideast Collegiate Conference (MECC) in 1983, and remained a member of that conference, until it dissolved in 1991. The league did not play a full round-robin schedule during its inaugural season, but there were plans to do so starting with the 1984–85 campaign. The MECC staged postseason championship tournaments, but the winner did not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament until 1986. The MECCs other five charter members were Adelphi, Gannon, Philadelphia Textile, Saint Michael's and St. John Fisher. Le Moyne athletic director Tommy Niland was the MECC's first president.^[343]

At the time John Beilein was hired as head coach, the Dolphins had three verbal commitments from recruits, Jim Walser, Bill Smolinski and James Henderson, and Beilein wanted to bring all of them into the program.^[344] All three players ultimately enrolled at Le Moyne.^[345]

Dolphins assistant coach Bob Kawa left Le Moyne to become the head coach at Onondaga Community College.^[346] The Dolphins hired Tony Smarrelli and Mike Cordovano as new assistant coaches. Smarrelli had been head coach at Nottingham High School, where his teams made deep runs in the state tournament in each of his four seasons, winning once. Cordovano was 21–4 the previous season as head coach at Bishop Turner High School.^[347]

Preseason practices for the 1983–84 season started on October 15, 1983.^[345] The Dolphins lost co-captains Joe Nowak and John Miranda to graduation. Seniors Paul Galvin, Mark Prechtl, Jimmy Bova and Mike Leithead, juniors Bobby Chestnut and Wright Lassiter and sophomores Brent Loggins, Erick Piscopo and Terry Heller all returned. Junior Don Murcko was not sufficiently recovered from a knee injury he suffered in a January 1983 car accident and missed the entire season. Four freshmen were added to the team. James Henderson, 6'7", from Linton High School was expected to be the starting center. Bill Smolinski from Solvay High School became the team's tallest player at 6'10". Jim Walser was a 6'3" swingman who played at nearby Bishop Ludden. Walter Hill was a quick 5'10" guard from Gonzaga in Washington, D.C.^[343][348] Galvin, Leithead and Lassiter were named tri-captains.^[349]

In John Beileins's debut as Le Moyne's head coach, the Dolphins overcame a first-half deficit and won at Oswego State, 76–58, on November 18. Bobby Chestnut scored 17 points to lead the Dolphins. Freshman James Henderson scored 10 points, grabbed a team-high six rebounds and blocked three shots.^[350]

After a road win at Cortland State,^[351] the Dolphins were beaten by Assumption, 76–57, in the opening game of the New Hampshire College Basketball Tournament on November 27. James Henderson scored a game-high 18 points for Le Moyne.^[352] The Dolphins defeated Plymouth State in the third-place game the following evening. Henderson scored 25 points to lead Le Moyne. Wright Lassiter and freshman Jim Walser had eight rebounds each. Lassiter added 10 points, and Walser scored seven. The Dolphins improved to 3–1 on the season.^[353]

After the score was tied at halftime, the Dolphins pulled away from Ithaca in their December 1 home opener, beating the Bombers, 69–50. Bobby Chestnut, James Henderson and Paul Galvin each scored 12 points to lead Le Moyne. After Ithaca guard Tony Jackson scored 14 first-half points, Chestnut defended him in the second half, holding him to only four markers. Henderson and Wright Lassiter each had five rebounds, and Paul Galvin dished out 10 assists. The Dolphins improved their record to 4–1.^[354]

Le Moyne hosted the Matt's Premium Classic in January 1984, the first in-season tournament played at the Henninger Athletic Center since the 1975 Le Moyne Christmas Invitational. The Dolphins entered their opening round game 6–2, having not played for a month due to exam and semester breaks. With Wright Lassiter on the bench with four fouls in the second half, Le Moyne went on a 10–2 run, keyed by two transition baskets by Erick Piscopo, that gave them a 12-point lead. The Dolphins went on to defeat Concordia (NY), 78–61. Bobby Chestnut and James Henderson each scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne. Henderson shot 8-for-9 from the floor while Chestnut was good on four of five attempts. Despite his foul trouble, Lassiter grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and added eight points. Paul Galvin had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. Piscopo finished with six points.^[355]

The following evening, Mansfield won the tournament title, beating Le Moyne, 85–58. Wright Lassiter had a double-double for the Dolphins with 13 points and 10 rebounds. James Henderson also scored 13 points for Le Moyne. Henderson and Bobby Chestnut were named to the all-tournament team. The loss dropped the Dolphins to 7–3.^[356]

The Dolphins hosted Gannon in their first MECC game on January 28, and Jimmy Bova scored 20 points, shooting 8 for 15 from the floor, to lead them to a 55–50 wire-to-wire victory. Le Moyne built double-digit leads in each half and allowed them to shrink to three points. However, the Dolphins responded with Bova's outside shooting and the strong inside game of James Henderson and Wright Lassiter, who finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Le Moyne improved to 11–5 with the win.^[357]

The Dolphins established themselves as contenders for an NCAA tournament berth with a 72–70 home victory over Philadelphia Textile, ranked no. 12 in Division II,^[66]: 31 on February 4. Le Moyne used an aggressive interior defense, getting seven blocked shots from James Henderson, Bill Smolinski and Wright Lassiter, to build a 13-point lead with 10 minutes to play. However, fouls began to mount. Henderson fouled out with 4:27 on the clock. Lassiter drew his fourth foul with two and a half minutes to play. Philadelphia Textile took advantage, hitting 23 of 24 second-half free throws and pressing on the defensive end to get back into the game. Free throws in the final minute by Paul Galvin and Lassiter kept the Dolphins from falling behind, but Philadelphia Textile tied the game at 70 with 24 seconds to go. Jimmy Bova's 15-foot jump shot with three seconds left put Le Moyne back into the lead and secured the victory. The Dolphins' fifth straight win improved their record to 14–5 overall and 3–0 in MECC play.^[358]

The Dolphins completed a perfect 5–0 MECC season, winning their regular-season finale, 64–55, at home over Saint Michael's on February 25. The Purple Knights made a late charge, cutting Le Moyne's 15-point lead to six with less than three minutes to play. However, senior Paul Galvin, who appeared distracted much of the night, after learning his parents had been in a car accident, hit four clutch free throws that iced the game. Galvin finished with 10 points. Senior Jimmy Bova, playing his final collegiate home game, shot 4 for 12 from the floor and finished with eight points. Wright Lassiter scored 14 points to lead the Dolphins, who improved to 19–7 overall and kept their hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament alive. Although the MECC tournament winner was not entitled to an automatic bid, it was widely thought that at least one MECC team would likely receive an invitation.^[359]

The top-seeded Dolphins led their March 2 MECC semifinal game against Adelphi at the Hammermill Center by eight points at halftime but allowed their lead to slip away, falling behind on a three-point play by Steve Pollack, who finished with a game-high 24 points, with 50 seconds to play. The Panthers held on for a 58–57 victory, likely extinguishing Le Moyne's NCAA tournament hopes. Paul Galvin scored 22 points to lead the Dolphins, and Jimmy Bova finished with 17.^[360]

The Dolphins met Philadelphia Textile, ranked no. 16 in Division II,^[66]: 31 the following evening, one day before the final at-large selections for the NCAA tournament were to be announced. With the score tied at 38 midway through the second half, the Dolphins seized control, closing the game on a 36–22 run over the final 9:56, to claim third-place in the MECC tournament with a 74–60 victory. James Henderson scored 23 points to lead the Dolphins, and Bobby Chestnut finished with 20.^[361]

Despite the win over a ranked opponent in their final game, the Dolphins were not selected for the 1984 NCAA tournament. However, their 20–7 overall mark set a new program record for wins in a season, and they were the inaugural MECC regular-season champions with an undefeated 5–0 record.^[362]

Preseason practices for the 1984–85 season began on October 15, 1984. Paul Galvin, Jimmy Bova, Mark Leithead and Mark Prechtl were all lost to graduation. Seniors Bobby Chestnut and Wright Lassiter, juniors Erick Piscopo and Terry Heller and sophomores James Henderson, Bill Smolinski, Walter Hill and Jim Walser all returned. Senior Don Murcko, who had not played in 22 months since suffering a serious knee injury in a car accident, was back with the team. Immediately after the accident, doctors had expected Murcko, the team's leading scorer at the time, would never play basketball again. Although Murcko was back with the team, his injuries substantially reduced his mobility and leaping ability.^[363] Head coach John Beilein signed the top two freshman recruits on his wish list. Scott Hicks, a 6'4" swingman, averaged 20 points per game over his final two seasons at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School and was the Tri-Valley League most valuable player as a senior. Pete Jerebko, a 6'5" swingman, averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior at Depew High School.^[364] The Dolphins also added freshman walk-ons Dan Morley, a 6'3" guard, T.J. Purcell, a 6'1" guard, and Mike Palazzo.^[365] Le Moyne had planned to add junior transfer Brian Betelak, who averaged 28 points and 14 rebounds per game the previous season at Onondaga Community College. However, Betelak was one English credit short of graduating an ineligible to play under NCAA rules. Betelak planned to earn the needed credit and hoped to enroll at Le Moyne in the fall of 1985, and play for the Dolphins as a senior. Chestnut and Lassiter were named co-captains.^[366]

Le Moyne opened their season on November 16, at the Keene State Classic, defeating Mercy, 82–69. Four Dolphins scored in double figures, led by Wright Lassiter, who had 18 points.^[367] The following evening, James Henderson scored 17 points and was named the tournament's most valuable player, leading Le Moyne to a 50–42 victory over West Chester in the tournament final.^[368]

After starting the season 6–0, the Dolphins suffered a 62–52 loss at Seton Hall on December 8. Although le Moyne outrebounded the Pirates, 35–28, the Dolphins were doomed by their 31 turnovers and lack of a balanced scoring attack. James Henderson scored a game-high 22 points for Le Moyne, but Pete Jerebko was limited to eight points, Wright Lassiter scored seven points and Bobby Chestnut managed only five, all three players held below their averages.^[369] This was the Dolphins' 15th consecutive loss against a Division I opponent.

In their opening game of the Matt's Premium Classic on January 4, 1985, the Dolphins trailed Queens by seven points with 11 minutes remaining, when Erick Piscopo came off the bench to run the point. The work of Piscopo, including two steals, and Wright Lassiter, with a blocked shot, on the defensive end sparked a 12–2 run that put Le Moyne ahead. Lassiter scored off a lob pass from Piscopo to tie the game. The Dolphins then surged into the lead on the next Queens possession, after Piscopo stole the ball and took it the length of the floor for a basket and converted a free throw for a three-point play. Le Moyne controlled the remainder of the game, earning a 56–50 victory. Bobby Chestnut scored 16 points to lead the Dolphins. Lassiter had 11 points and team-high seven rebounds. Piscopo finished with nine points and three assists; the fast-break basket that gave Le Moyne the lead was his only field goal of the game.^[370][371]

The following evening, the Dolphins closed the first half against Clarion on a 9–2 run to tie the score at 30 at intermission and survived a challenge after the break to win their tournament with a 65–55 victory. Le Moyne trailed, 50–45, with nine minutes to play in the second half, when Wright Lassiter scored all 12 points in a 12–0 run that put the Dolphins back in control of the game. Lassiter's 22 points and solid interior defense earned him the tournament's most valuable player award. Bobby Chestnut scored 14 points in the final and joined Lassiter on the all-tournament team. Le Moyne improved to 8–2 on the season.^[372][373]

The Dolphins battled back from a 12-point deficit with 10 minutes to play and from seven points down in the final minute to send their January 11 home game against Philadelphia Textile to overtime on a jump shot by Pete Jerebko with two seconds to play. Wright Lassiter fouled out with 3:33 to play in the second overtime, and the Rams seized control of the game from there, defeating Le Moyne, 78–75. Philadelphia Textile attempted 49 free throws, making 38 of them, while Le Moyne was only 7 for 8 from the line. The smaller Rams outrebounded the Dolphins, 42–29. Le Moyne made 34 field goals, while Philadelphia Textile had only 20. Lassiter had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Dolphins and passed the 1,000 career points mark. Bobby Chestnut also scored 17 points. Jerebko finished with eight points for Le Moyne, who fell to 9–3 overall and 2–2 in MECC play.^[374][375]

The Dolphins were leading their January 26 game at Adelphi, 46–45, with 10 minutes to play, when a Panthers player inbounded the ball off James Henderson's groin. A bench-clearing melee ensued resulting in the ejection of Adelphi's Jeff Fisher and Le Moyne's Walter Hill. A series of technical free throws resulted in the Dolphins holding a 50–47 lead. Le Moyne's offense sputtered after losing their starting point guard, and Adelphi defeated the Dolphins, 68–60. Bobby Chestnut scored a game-high 19 points for Le Moyne, which entered the game having won four straight and seven of their previous eight games but dropped to 13–4 overall and 2–3 in MECC play, tied with Adelphi for fourth place in the league.^[376]

The following afternoon, Bobby Chestnut scored 10 points to surpass 1,000 points for his career, but the Dolphins lost at C.W. Post, 74–62. Wright Lassiter scored 15 points to lead Le Moyne.^[377][378]

In a game between teams tied for third place in the MECC and crucial for the Dolphins' NCAA tournament hopes, Le Moyne was down by 12 points with 15 minutes to play at St. John Fisher on February 13. The Dolphins battled back and tied the game on Bobby Chestnut's 17-foot jump shot with 17 seconds remaining. After falling behind again, Wright Lassiter's bank shot in the closing seconds of overtime rescued Le Moyne and sent the game to a second extra session. However, with Le Moyne protecting a one-point lead, Gurnal Jones hot both ends of a one-and-one with 10 seconds remaining, and the Cardinals defeated the Dolphins, 69–68, in double overtime. Lassiter scored 17 points to lead Le Moyne, which fell to 15–8 overall and 4–5 in MECC play.^[379]

After being left out of the starting lineup for being 10 minutes late and playing only three and a half minutes, senior co-captain Bobby Chestnut walked out of the Henninger Athletic Center after a halftime argument with head coach John Beilein on February 20. The Dolphins got 19 points and five assists from freshman Scott Hicks and defeated St. Lawrence, 82–72. James Henderson scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Le Moyne, which improved to 16–9 on the season.^[380] Chestnut did not attend practice the following day.^[381] He returned to the team two days after the incident after a discussion with Beilein.^[382]

The Dolphins finished the regular season with a 4–6 record in MECC play, tied for fourth place, and were the no. 4 seed in the conference tournament, winning the tiebreaker because of a superior overall record.^[383] Le Moyne hosted Adelphi in the MEC quarterfinals on February 26. Led by their senior co-captains, Wright Lassiter and Bobby Chestnut, playing their final collegiate home game, the Dolphins raced out to an early lead and cruised to an 85–69 victory. Lassiter scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Chestnut had 12 points and dished out six assists. Sophomore James Henderson had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Don Murcko played four minutes, scoring one point, and left the court to a standing ovation.^[384]

Le Moyne met Philadelphia Textile, ranked no. 17 in Division II,^[66]: 32 in the MECC semifinals on March 1, at the Hammermill Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Dolphins got off to a hot start and built an eight-point lead in the first half but were plagued by turnovers and trailed by two points at intermission. The Rams surged ahead and led by 14 points with less than nine minutes to play, before a furious Le Moyne comeback got them within two points with 1:51 remaining. Philadelphia Textile ran down the clock from there until the Dolphins fouled with eight seconds to play. Both free throws were good, extending the lead to four points, and Le Moyne fell, 65–62. Freshman Scott Hicks scored 18 points to lead the Dolphins. Wright Lassiter finished with only six points on 2-for-14 shooting from the floor. James Henderson spent much of the game in foul trouble and managed only two points and two rebounds, fouling out with 11:45 to play. Bobby Chestnut scored 16 points for Le Moyne.^[385][386]

The Dolphins ended their season with an 89–88 victory over St. John Fisher in the third-place game of the MECC tournament on March 2. Bobby Chestnut scored 26 points in his final collegiate game. Fellow senior co-captain Wright Lassiter added 22. Le Moyne had an 11-point halftime lead, but 12 second-half turnovers allowed the Cardinals to get back into the game. The Dolphins led, 87–86, with three seconds remaining, when Chestnut hit a pair of free throws to ice the game.^[387] After starting the season 13–3, Le Moyne lost seen of their final 13 games to finish 19–10.^[388]

Wright Lassiter and Bobby Chestnut were named second-team All-MECC for the 1984–85 season. Lassiter was the league's leading rebounder at 9.7 per game. Pete Jerebko was named the MECC's all-freshmen team. He was second in the conference in field-goal percentage at 61.9%, trailing teammate James Henderson, who hit at a 62.1% clip.^[389]

Preseason practices for the 1985–86 campaign started on October 15, 1985, and included an open tryout.^[390] Head coach John Beilein was partial to walk-ons, because he had been one himself as a freshman at Wheeling. By his senior season, he was team captain.^[391] Le Moyne lost co-captains Wright Lassiter and Bobby Chestnut, both of whom were 1,000-point scorers, to graduation in 1985. Don Murcko, whose academic progress was slowed by a January 1983 car accident, remained enrolled at Le Moyne^[392] but no longer played basketball. Seniors Erick Piscopo and Terry Heller, juniors James Henderson, Bill Smolinski and Walter Hill and sophomores Scott Hicks, Pete Jerebko, Dan Morley and T.J. Purcell all returned. Transfer senior Brian Betelak, a 6'6" forward, graduated from Onondaga Community College, and satisfied the NCAA rules for junior college transfers. The Dolphins added three freshman recruits. David Niland, a 5'10" guard who was Beilein's cousin and nephew of Le Moyne athletic director Tommy Niland, scored over 1,000 points and averaged seven assists per game during his career at Williamsville South High School. Phil Allen, a 6'6" forward, planned to join former Bishop Ludden teammate Jim Walser with the Dolphins, but Walser did not make the preseason cut. Allen averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game as a high school senior. Steve Lauer, a 6'6" forward, averaged 19 points and 15 rebounds per game as a senior at John S. Burke Catholic High School.^{[393][394][395]} Freshman Mark Young, a 6'3" forward, made the team as a walk-on.^[396]

The Dolphins opened their season with an 85–84 victory over host Mansfield in the First Citizens Classic on November 22. James Henderson's layup with one second remaining provided the winning margin, as Le Moyne erased a seven-point deficit with 1:12 to play. Henderson finished with 21 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Pete Jerebko scored 22 points to lead Le Moyne.^[397] The following evening, the Dolphins lost the tournament final to Sacred Heart, 100–66.^[398] James Henderson scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne.^[399]

In a game that doubled as a MECC contest and an opening round tilt of the Le Moyne–Matt's Premium Classic, the Dolphins dominated Pace, 83–48, on December 13. Pete Jerebko scored 21 points to lead Le Moyne.^[400] The Dolphins defeated Slippery Rock in the tournament final, 74–67, to take the title. Le Moyne improved to 6–2 on the season with their fourth straight win.

The pain in James Henderson's left leg forced him to leave the Dolphins' January 11, 1986 game at Philadelphia Textile. Brian Betelak responded with a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Terry Heller's basket with 12 seconds to play gave Le Moyne a 60–58 victory. The Dolphins improved to 7–3 overall and 2–1 in MECC play. After the game, it was learned that Henderson had a stress fracture in his leg and would be out of the lineup for at least a month.^[401]

Starting point guard Walter Hill was stricken with mononucleosis before the Dolphins' January 25 game at Adelphi. His 10-foot buzzer-beater had sent Le Moyne's previous game at Hamilton to overtime, where the Dolphins succumbed, 73–63.^[402] It was Le Moyne's first loss to a Division III team since February 1983, after 20 straight wins. Playing without Hill and the injured James Henderson, the Dolphins lost their next two games on the road by four points each at Adelphi and Quinnipiac and fell to 9–7 overall and 2–3 in MECC play. Pete Jerebko scored 25 points against Quinnipiac for Le Moyne.^[403][404]

The Dolphins ended their three-game losing streak with an unexpected home victory over Gannon, ranked no. 4 in Division II,^[66]: 33 on January 29. Senior Erick Piscopo scored 18 points, 14 in the second half, on 8-for-8 shooting from the floor, stepping in for freshman David Niland, who was running the point in place of the ill Walter Hill, after Niland was ejected. With 5:17 to play in the first half, Niland shoved a Gannon player. Gannon's David Morris ran toward Niland, but Le Moyne's Bill Smolinski intercepted him and grabbed him by the throat. Morris then punched Smolinski, and the two were separated. After five minutes of pushing and shoving, Niland and Morris were ejected. Following the final buzzer of the Dolphins' 90–86 victory, Smolinski punched Morris near the Gannon bench, and another melee ensued, lasting several minutes and stretching from the visitors' bench to the locker room entrance. Pete Jerebko had a double-double for the Dolphins with 17 points and 13 rebounds and also added nine assists and three blocked shots. The Dolphins improved to 10–7 overall and 3–3 in MECC play.^[405] Le Moyne later suspended Smolinski for one game for his actions.^[406]

James Henderson surpassed the 1,000 career points mark in the Dolphins' 89–65 loss at Mercyhurst on February 14.^[407]

The Dolphins lost their fourth straight game and fell below .500 for the first time during the head coaching tenure of Jon Beilein after a 77–72 overtime loss at St. Lawrence on February 18. Le Moyne led by six points with less than two minutes remaining in regulation but missed the front ends of two one-and-ones, allowing the Saints back into the game. Pete Jerebko scored a game-high 22 points for the Dolphins, who fell to 12–13 on the season.^[408] The loss was Le Moyne's third of the season against a Division III opponent.

After ending the regular season with an 80–68 home victory over Union,^[407] the Dolphins entered the 1986 MECC tournament in Erie, Pennsylvania 13–13 overall and 4–6 in league play, having finished fourth in the conference. Le Moyne defeated Pace, 69–68, in overtime in their quarterfinal game on February 27. The Dolphins had a two-point lead late in regulation, but Erick Piscopo missed a pair of free throws with 33 seconds to play, and the Setters tied the game with 21 seconds on the clock. Pete Jerebko missed a 25-foot jump shot at the buzzer. In overtime, Pace led by three points with 1:12 on the clock. Scott Hicks hit a 20-foot jump shot with 40 seconds to play, and the Dolphins fouled. James Henderson rebounded the miss of the front end of the one-and-one, and Hicks found Walter Hill for a jump shot from the top of the key with one second to play that gave Le Moyne the victory. Jerebko had 20 points and seven rebounds, and Henderson had 15 points and seven boards for the Dolphins.^[409]

The following evening, Dolphins met top-seeded Gannon, ranked no. 12 in Division II,^[66]: 33 on the Golden Knights' home floor in the semifinals. Gannon's strong play inside forced Le Moyne to shoot from the perimeter, and the Dolphins were outrebounded, 47–34. Pete Jerebko and James Henderson teamed up for 15 first-half points before the Golden Knights' defense tightened. Brian Betelak scored 12 second-half points, but Gannon's eight-point halftime lead swelled, and they defeated the Dolphins, 84–66. Jerebko finished with 16 points to lead Le Moyne.^[410]

The Dolphins squandered an eight-point halftime lead in the MECC third-place game and fell to Saint Michael's, 68–66, finishing the season 14–15.^[411] Pete Jerebko and Walter Hill were named 1986 second-team MECC All-Stars.^[412]

Preseason practices for the 1986–87 campaign began on October 15, 1986. The players had been engaged in a weight training and running program since September 8. The Dolphins lost leading rebounder Brian Betelak, Terry Heller and Erick Piscopo to graduation in 1986. Seniors James Henderson, Walter Hill and Bill Smolinski, juniors Pete Jerebko and Scott Hicks and sophomores Phil Allen, Steve Lauer and David Niland all returned. Le Moyne recruited three freshmen: Russell Barnes, a 6'0" point guard, Paul Rooney, a 6'3" guard, and Dan Carrow, a 6'7" forward.^[413] All-New York State guard Julius Edwards from Corcoran High School also enrolled at Le Moyne as a freshman, but he redshirted to focus on his academics.^[414] Also new to the team were Michael Johnston and 6'3" freshman walk-on Jim Cunningham. Assistant coach Tony Smarrelli left Le Moyne to become the head coach at Bishop Grimes High School. He was replaced by James Sigona, who had served as an assistant the previous season at Division III national champion Potsdam State.^[415]

The Dolphins opened their season on November 21, at the Edinboro Walker Brothers Classic with a 73–52 victory over Saginaw Valley State. The three-point field goal was added to college basketball this season, and Pete Jerebko had three of them, the only triples Le Moyne scored in the opener. Jerebko finished with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. The Dolphins began to pull away from the Cardinals midway through the first half and led by eight points at intermission. Their lead grew as large as 24 points in the second half. James Henderson scored 21 points to lead Le Moyne and, his legs appeared healthy after being slowed by both tendonitis and a stress fracture during the previous season.^[416] The following evening, the Dolphins led Edinboro, 52–47, with 6:08 to play, when the Fighting Scots went on an 8–0 run to pull ahead. Le Moyne recovered, and, with the game tied in the closing seconds, Jose Davis hit an 18-footer at the buzzer to give Edinboro a 67–65 win and the tournament title. Henderson had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Dolphins.^[417]

The Dolphins hosted Bloomfield in the opening round of the Le Moyne–Coca-Cola Classic on December 12. Le Moyne seized control of the game early and cruised to a 78–56 victory. Scott Hicks scored a game-high 19 points off the bench to lead the Dolphins.^[418] The following evening, the Dolphins erased a 10-point second-half lead against Mount St. Mary's and took a one-point lead on Scott Hicks's jump shot with 16 seconds to play. However, James Henderson was called for goaltending on a shot by tournament most valuable player Paul Edwards. After Pete Jerebko's shot bounded off the rim at the buzzer, the Mountaineers had a 75–74 victory and the tournament title. Hicks and Henderson, who scored 25 points for the Dolphins in the final, were named to the all-tournament team. Le Moyne dropped to 4–4 on the season.^[419][420]

Head coach John Beilein suspended backup center Bill Smolinski indefinitely on December 26, for off-court conduct that violated team training rules. Beilein would not specifically describe the conduct and said the suspension would definitely not last the remainder of the season.^[421] The suspension lasted for two games.^[422]

The Dolphins defeated Bowdoin, 81–75, in the opener of the Bentley College Holiday Festival on December 28. Walter Hill canned both ends of a one-and-one with 25 seconds to play to put the game away. James Henderson scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Le Moyne.^[423] The following evening, Scott Hicks scored 21 points and pulled down eight boards to lead the Dolphins to an 83–79 victory over host Bentley in the tournament final. James Henderson scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the final and was named tournament most valuable player. Walter Hill had 13 points and six assists, joining Henderson on the all-tournament team. Le Moyne improved to 6–4 on the season.^[424]

Scot Hicks had 22 points and five steals and hit four key free throws in the final 23 seconds to lead the Dolphins to an 81–77 home victory over Philadelphia Textile on January 28, 1987. The Dolphins led by as many as 10 points in the second half but allowed the lead to slip away, falling behind, 75–74, with 2:23 to play. Russell Barnes hit a free throw with 2:15 left to tie the game, but his second attempt missed. A minute later, a fast-break layup by Barnes put Le Moyne back in front with 52 seconds remaining. The Dolphins rebounded missed shots on the next two Rams' possessions, and Hicks was fouled each time. Although Le Moyne shot poorly (16 for 27) from the charity stripe, Hicks hit both ends of one-and-ones on his two final opportunities to ice the game. James Henderson had 19 points and five rebounds for the Dolphins, and Pete Jerebko scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high nine boards. The win was the seventh straight for Le Moyne, which improved to 14–5 overall and 4–1 in MECC play.^[425]

In a battle for first place in the MECC, the regular-season champion of which earned the right to host the conference tournament,^[426] the Dolphins fell, 79–65, at Gannon, ranked no. 11 in Division II,^[66]: 34 on January 31. Le Moyne was outrebounded, 47–30, and shot only 4 for 11 from the free-throw line. Walter Hill scored 14 points to lead the Dolphins.^[427]

Pete Jerebko scored 14 points and became the 20th player in program history with 1,000 career points in the Dolphins' 97–82 loss at St. Michael's on February 7. Scott Hicks led Le Moyne with 17 points. The Dolphins fell to 15–7 overall and 4–3 in MECC play, dropping to fourth place in the league.^[428]

The Dolphins moved into second place in the MECC, which would give them a bye in the conference tournament quarterfinals, with an 81–78 win at Philadelphia Textile on February 18. Walter Hill scored 27 points and shot 7 for 8 from three-point range to lead Le Moyne. The Dolphins built a comfortable second-half lead but had to hold off a late comeback by the Rams to secure the victory. Scott Hicks, who finished with 16 points, hot a pair of free throws with 13 seconds to play to put the game away. James Henderson had a double-double for Le Moyne with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The win was the fourth straight for the Dolphins and the 12th in their previous 14 games, improving their record to 19–7 overall and 6–3 in MECC play.^[429][430]

The Dolphins missed an opportunity to clinch the no. 2 seed in the MECC tournament in their regular-season finale, when they lost at home, 65–63, to Gannon, ranked no. 7 in Division II.^[66]: 34 Le Moyne trailed by eight points with 6:33 remaining and used an 11–3 run to tie the score. John Bowen scored after grabbing an offensive rebound, the second of the possession for Gannon, to give the Golden Knights a 64–62 lead with 20 seconds to play. James Henderson was the fouled; his missed the first shot and made the second with three seconds on the clock. Gannon hit another free throw with two seconds remaining, and the Dolphins were unable to get off a shot at the buzzer. Henderson and Pete Jerebko each had a double-double for Le Moyne. Henderson scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jerebko finished with 14 points and 10 boards.^[431] The following day, Saint Michael's won, 64–61, at Adelphi to tie the Dolphins for second place with a 6–4 league record. Saint Michael's won the tiebreaker for the no. 2 seed, because they split the two games with Le Moyne, both teams were swept by first-place Gannon, and Saint Michael's was 2–0 versus fourth-place Pace, while the Dolphins split their games with the Setters.^[432]

The Dolphins met last-place Adelphi in the MECC quarterfinals at the Hammermill Center in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 26. Adelphi's program was mired in a recruiting scandal that broke 10 days earlier, resulting in the indefinite suspension of their head coach, and assistant and their starting point guard.^[433] Le Moyne got double-doubles from both Pete Jerebko and James Henderson and defeated the Panthers, 68–62. Henderson scored a game-high 16 points and collected 11 rebounds. Jerebko finished with 15 points, all coming on five three-point field goals, and grabbed a game-high 12 caroms. Sophomore reserve Steve Lauer played a key role, coming off the bench in the first half for Scott Hicks, who was in foul trouble and scoring seven points. Hicks returned to the floor in the second half and finished with 12 points. The victory improved the Dolphins to 20–8 on the season, matching the largest win total in program history.^[434]

After leading for most of the first half, the Dolphins surrendered a 13–2 run to Saint Michael's and trailed by eight points at intermission in their MECC semifinal game. Le Moyne shot only 33% from the floor for the game and fell, 64–50, likely ending their hopes for an NCAA tournament berth. James Henderson scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for the Dolphins. Walter Hill scored 15 points to lead Le Moyne, but he shot only 6 for 15 from the field.^[435]

The Dolphins' season ended with a loss to MECC regular-season champion Gannon, ranked no. 4 in Division II,^[66]: 34 in the conference tournament third-place game. Playing on their home floor after getting upset by Philadelphia Textile in the semifinals, the Golden Knights fell 11 points behind Le Moyne early before an extended run gave them a nine-point lead early in the second half. The Dolphins responded with a 9–0 run to tie the score at 49 with 10 minutes to play. However, Gannon finished strong, defeating Le Moyne, 76–65. Scott Hicks scored a game-high 19 points for the Dolphins, and Pete Jerebko finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.^[436]

Scott Hicks and Walter Hill were named 1987 first-team all-MECC. James Henderson was named to the second team.^[437]

The Dolphins lost Walter Hill, James Henderson and Bill Smolinski to graduation in 1987. Seniors Scott Hicks and Pete Jerebko, juniors David Niland and Steve Lauer, sophomores Russell Barnes, Jim Cunningham and Paul Rooney and redshirt freshman Julius Edwards all returned for the 1987–88 season. Le Moyne's most prized freshman recruit was 6'6" fourth-team all-state center Len Rauch from Bishop Ludden. Rauch averaged 17.3 points per game as a high school senior, and his team reached the state final.^[438] Joining Rauch were Andy Bechtle, a 6'5" forward from James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia and Matthew Lucas, a 6'6+1⁄2" forward from Bellport High School on Long Island.^[439] Bechtle averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds as a high school senior, and Lucas scored 12 points and had 12 boards and six blocked shots per game.^[440] Sophomore Tim Smith, a 6'0" guard from Ridgewood, New Jersey was also added to the team.^[441] Jerebko and Hicks were named co-captains.^[442][443] After a three-year absence, cheerleaders returned to Le Moyne home games in 1987.^[444]

After leading by three points at intermission, the Dolphins opened the second half of their November 20, 1987 semifinal of the First Citizens Classic at Mansfield University against Kean with a 20–5 run and cruised to a 91–73 victory. Pete Jerebko scored 12 of Le Moyne's 20 points during the decisive spurt and finished with a game-high 33 points. Scott Hicks had a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for the Dolphins, who won their season opener for the seventh straight year.^[445] The following evening, in the tournament final, the Dolphins squandered a five-point lead in the closing minutes and lost to host Mansfield, 80–79. Jerebko scored 19 points to lead Le Moyne.^[446]

After more than 11 years since the last meeting between the teams, the Dolphins renewed their rivalry with Division I Siena on December 5.^[447] The Indians raced to an early 12-point lead, but Le Moyne responded with a run to tie the game with a minute to play before the break. Siena scored six points in the final minute of the half to take a 45–39 lead at intermission. The Dolphins remained within striking distance and had a chance to tie the game in the final minute, but Pete Jerebko's three-point attempt was off the mark, and Le Moyne suffered a difficult road loss, 75–70. Freshman Len Rauch led the Dolphins with 25 points and 14 rebounds.^[448] Scott Hicks scored 12 points for Le Moyne, surpassing 1,000 points for his career.^[446][449]

The Dolphins overcame a lethargic first half and defeated Southampton, 87–77, in the semifinal of the Le Moyne–Coca-Cola Classic on December 11. Scott Hicks scored 21 points to lead Le Moyne. Pete Jerebko and Len Rach each had a double-double. Jerebko finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Rauch added 10 points and 11 boards. Daryl Cambrelen had a game-high 33 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in a losing effort for the Colonials.^[450][451] In the tournament final the following evening, the Dolphins went on a 27–8 extended run in the first half, led by 22 points and the break and never allowed Keene State to get closer than 16 points down in the second half, cruising to a 92–60 victory and the tournament title. Pete Jerebko and Russell Barnes each scored 20 points for Le Moyne, and Jerebko was named the tournament's most valuable player. Barnes and Scott Hicks were named to the all-tournament team. Julius Edwards was the primary defender on Steve Kaufman, who had shot 8 for 9 from three-point range for the Owls in their semifinal game, and held him to just five points.^[452]

The Dolphins fell to Millersville, 85–74, in the semifinals of the Mount St. Mary's Holiday Tournament on December 28. Le Moyne trailed, 75–73, but Dolphin turnovers in the final two minutes allowed the Marauders to pull away for the win. Julius Edwards and Pete Jerebko each scored 18 points to lead Le Moyne.^[453] The following evening, the Dolphins went on a 31–17 run to erase a 13-point second half deficit and defeat Lock Haven, 78–75, and claim third place in the tournament. Sophomore walk-on Jim Cunningham hot a pair of free throws in the final minute to extend Le Moyne's lead to three points. John Jekot's potential game-tying three-pointer bounded off the rim at the buzzer. Cunningham was pressed into duty, because Pete Jerebko was ejected after committing a flagrant foul with 17:43 to play. Scott Hicks scored 28 points to lead the Dolphins, who improved to 6–3 on the season.^[454][455]

As MECC tournament champions in 1988, Le Moyne returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 19 years with a 23–5 regular-season record.^[456][457] After suffering a first-round loss to California (PA), the Dolphins rebounded to defeat Kutztown and finish third in the region.^[67]: 29 The 24 wins were the most in program history up to that point. The 1987–88 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2017.^[458]

After playing the 1991–92 season as an independent, Le Moyne joined the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 1992. Led by head coach Scott Hicks,^[457] a Le Moyne alumnus whose playing career spanned 1984 to 1988, the Dolphins won the NECC tournament in 1996, their final season in the league, and that earned them a berth in the NCAA tournament, where they were seeded 5th in the Northeast Region. Although they entered the tournament with a 24–5 record,^[456] the Dolphins suffered a 30-point loss in the first round at the hands of Franklin Pierce.^[67]: 29 The 24 wins matched the highest total in program history, previously achieved in 1987–88.

In 1996, the Dolphins joined the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10), where they remained until beginning reclassification to Division I as a member of the NEC in 2023. During their 26 seasons over a span of 27 years in the NE10 (the 2020–21 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Le Moyne won four regular-season conference championships and two conference tournaments.

Despite a losing record in their first NE10 season, Le Moyne won the conference tournament and advanced to the 1997 NCAA tournament, their second straight appearance. The Dolphins lost in the first round to Saint Rose.^[67]: 30

Le Moyne followed up their 1997 NCAA tournament appearance with a 20–8 season in 1997–98, under first-year head coach Dave Paulsen.^[457] Their 14–6 conference record was good enough for a share of the NE10 regular-season crown.^[456] The Dolphins' season ended with a loss to Assumption in the conference tournament semifinals.^[459] Le Moyne had finished in a three-way tie for first place with Assumption and Stonehill, who was upset in the tournament quarterfinals. Assumption won the conference tournament and was the only NE10 team selected to play in the 1998 NCAA tournament.

Although it was an exhibition game, the Dolphins nevertheless attracted national attention when they defeated Syracuse at the Carrier Dome on November 3, 2009. Syracuse was ranked no. 25 in the preseason AP poll at the time. However, Christopher Johnson's three-pointer with 8.3 seconds remaining gave Division II Le Moyne an 82–79 road victory over a Division I national power.^[460] Syracuse had finished the previous season 28–10, ranked no. 13 in Division I, and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Once the season started, the Orange recovered. They were 2009–10 Big East Conference regular-season champions and reached the Sweet 16 of the 2010 NCAA tournament.

Despite an exit from the 2014 NE10 tournament in the semifinals,^[459] Le Moyne received and at-large NCAA tournament bid. As the 6th seed in the East Region, the Dolphins were defeated by Saint Anselm. Le Moyne finished the 2013–14 season 17–12.^[456]

Patrick Beilein, son of John Beilein, who coached the Dolphins from 1983 to 1992, took the head coaching reins in 2015. After a losing record in his first season, Beilein produced an era of success for Le Moyne basketball with three straight NCAA tournament appearances. Beilein made his debut as the Dolphins' head coach in an exhibition game against Michigan, coached by his father, at the Crisler Center. More than 70 members of the Beilein clan traveled from around the country to attend the game, which Michigan won, 74–52.^[461]

In 2016–17, the Dolphins won the NE10 Southwest Division title and had the best regular-season record in the entire conference. Despite being upset in the NE10 tournament semifinals,^[459] Le Moyne's 22–6 record was good enough to secure an at-large berth as the no. 1 seed in the East Region of the NCAA tournament, hosting the first three rounds. However, the Dolphins suffered a first-round loss to Merrimack, 72–68, in overtime in front of the home crowd.^[462] For his efforts, Beilein was named 2017 NE10 coach of the year.^[463]

Le Moyne's 2017–18 season was perhaps the best in program history by all measures. They achieved a new high in wins with 27,^[456] won the NE10 Southwest Division title, had the best conference record of any NE10 team, won the conference tournament^[459] and secured a no. 1 seed and hosting rights at the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight. The Dolphins were an astounding 18–2 in conference play and entered the NE tournament with a 21–6 record and blitzed their way to the title. They defeated Stonehill by 39 points in the quarterfinals and topped Merrimack, 83–55, in the semifinals. The title game was a 69–63 victory over Northeast Division champion Saint Anselm. Le Moyne's Isaiah Eisendorf was named tournament MVP. Coach Beilein collected his second straight NE10 coach of the year award.^[459]

Playing at home in the NCAA tournament, Le Moyne scored victories over Jefferson, Saint Rose and Bloomfield. The Elite Eight was held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the Dolphins fell to West Texas A&M, 87–73. Entering the NCAA tournament, Le Moyne was ranked no. 24 nationally in the season's final Division II coaches poll.^{[66]: 92 [464]}

Le Moyne won another NE10 Southwest Division title in 2018–19. The Dolphins were upset at home in the conference tournament semifinals by Merrimack, 84–77, in overtime.^[459] Nevertheless, Le Moyne's 18–10 record^[456] earned them the no. 3 seed in the East Region at the NCAA tournament. The Dolphins were matched up in the first round with St. Thomas Aquinas, coached by former Le Moyne assistant coach, Tobin Anderson.^[465] After the Dolphins built a 19-point lead, the Spartans staged a furious comeback to earn a 61–59 victory and eliminate Le Moyne from the tournament.^[466] After the season, Beirlein left Le Moyne to become the head coach at Division I Niagara.^[467]

Nate Champion, a Le Moyne alumnus, was hired as the new head coach in 2019.^[468][469] The Dolphins won their fourth straight NE10 Southwest Division title and had the best NE10 regular-season conference record in Champion's first season. Le Moyne bowed out at home in the NE10 tournament quarterfinals to New Haven, 75–73. Champion was named NE10 coach of the year, the third straight season the award has been won by a Le Moyne coach.^[459] The 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2022, Le Moyne College president Linda LeMura revealed that the school had hired a consultant to assess the feasibility of reclassifying to Division I and had begun internal discussions regarding the potential impact.^[470] In September 2022, a social media post of a sports journalist indicated that the decision to move to Division I had been made, but no official announcement would come from Le Moyne, until it had officially been invited to join a conference.^[471]

On May 10, 2023, Le Moyne announced that the school would begin a transition to Division I, joining the Northeast Conference (NEC).^[472] The Dolphins officially became a Division I program and a member of the NEC on July 1.^[473]

As a team transitioning from Division II, Le Moyne will not be eligible to participate in the NCAA Division I tournament until 2028, since there is a required four-year transition period. However, effective for the 2023–24 academic year, NEC teams transitioning from Division II became eligible to participate in the NEC tournament during the entirety of their transition periods.^[474] Prior to the conference's rule change, NEC teams were eligible for the conference tournament only during their third and fourth transition years. As a result, Le Moyne became eligible for the 2024 NEC tournament. The top eight finishers in the nine-team NEC participated in the 2024 conference tournament.

Darrick Jones Jr. hit a three-pointer from the top of the key early in the Dolphins' season opener at Georgetown for Le Moyne's first points scored as a Division I program on November 7, 2023. Ball State transfer Kaiyem Cleary led the Dolphins with 11 points, all in the second half, and seven rebounds. Georgetown used a 9–2 run to take a 12–5 lead early in the game. The Hoyas extended the lead with an 8–0 run that made the score 20–7. After a brief flurry led by Jones, Trent Mosquera and Mike DePersia got the Dolphins within single digits at 28–19, the Hoyas closed the first half with a 19–4 run that gave them a 47–23 halftime lead on their way to a 94–57 victory. Jones and Luke Sutherland each contributed nine points for Le Moyne in the losing cause.^{[475][476][477]}

Le Moyne used first-half runs of 16–2 and 20–2 to build a 47–15 lead and never looked back on their way to a 105–46 victory, their first as a Division I program, over Division III SUNY Canton in their 2023–24 home opener on November 13, 2023. Five Dolphins had double-figure scoring games led by Kaiyem Cleary with 21 points, Nate McClure with 16, Darrick Jones Jr. with 13 and freshman AJ Dancler with 12. Redshirt freshman Nate Fouts made his collegiate debut and scored 11 points with three assists and two blocked shots. Cleary shot 8 for 10 from the field, while adding seven rebounds and two steals in just 16 minutes. McClure hit six of his seven shots, including 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range. Dancler grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. The Dolphins shot 32 for 37 on two-point field goals for the game, including 15 for 16 in the first half.^[478][479]

Le Moyne recorded its first victory over a Division I opponent as a Division I program, an 80–70 win at Cal State Northridge on November 21, 2023, in their opening game of the Golden State Hoops Jam, a multi-team event sponsored by Pacific. Luke Sutherland led the Dolphins with 24 points and five rebounds. Le Moyne started five graduate students for the first time in the program's history, and they responded by sprinting to an 11–4 lead to start the game, with early scoring from Sutherland, Nate McClure (12 points, four rebounds and three steals for the game) and Isaiah Salter. After Le Moyne fell behind, 15–12, Mike DePersia (eight points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals for the game) sparked a 19–2 run with a pull-up jump shot. The Matadors could not get closer than three points behind the rest of the way. The Dolphins closed out the game with strong free-throw shooting, finishing the game 31 for 34 from the charity stripe.^{[480][481][482]}

Kaiyem Cleary scored 43 points on January 27, 2024, to break Le Moyne's single-game individual scoring record, first set on January 7, 1955,^[483][484] and the Dolphins cruised to an 87–74 victory over LIU. Cleary's 43 points were the most scored by a player in regulation and the third most scored by a player in a single game up to that point in the Division I season. Cleary was 14 for 25 from the floor, including 6 for 10 from beyond the arc, and shot 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. He also led Le Moyne in rebounds with seven and had a pair of blocked shots. Despite shooting 0 for 6 from three-point range, Luke Sutherland scored 16 points and added five rebounds for the Dolphins. With Le Moyne trailing, 46–45, early in the second half, Cleary scored 13 points over six and a half minutes to spark a decisive 20–4 run that put the Dolphins ahead, 65–50.^{[485][486][487]}

Kaiyem Cleary scored with 45 seconds left in regulation to tie up Le Moyne's home game with Central Connecticut on February 15. After the Blue Devils took a one-point lead in overtime, the Dolphins scored the final six points of the extra session, including a baseline jump shot by Cleary with 1:24 to play that gave Le Moyne the lead for good. Cleary finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Freshman AJ Dancler had 13 points, four of them in overtime, three assists, two rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench for the Dolphins. With the win, Le Moyne clinched a berth in the NEC tournament.^{[488][489][490]}

The Dolphins recognized former players to celebrate their 75th season and earned a 75–67 victory over Stonehill on February 17. Luke Sutherland led the way for Le Moyne with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Kaiyem Cleary had 14 points and seven rebounds. The Dolphins led the game by 12 points at halftime and were in front, 58–45, when the Skyhawks went on a 13–0 run to tie the game at 58. Once the game was tied, neither team scored for nearly three minutes, until Cleary broke Le Moyne's 7:51 scoring drought with a drive to the basket and then converted the free throw to complete a three-point play. Sutherland followed with a basket from the lane to give the Dolphins a five-point lead. Leading 65–62, Le Moyne got five points from Nate McClure to key a 7–0 run and extend their lead to 10 points with 1:02 to play.^[491][492]

Entering the final day of the regular season, Le Moyne had the opportunity to earn the no. 4 seed in the NEC tournament and home-court advantage in the NEC quarterfinals with a win. If the Dolphins were to lose, the no. 4 seed would go to the winner of the regular-season finale between Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner scheduled for the same day.^[493]

Le Moyne claimed the no. 4 seed in the NEC tournament and home-court advantage in the NEC quarterfinals with a 74–58 win at Saint Francis on March 2. Luke Sutherland led the Dolphins with 22 points, shooting 8 for 10 from the field and 3 for 4 from beyond the arc, seven rebounds, a career-high eight assists, two blocked shots and one steal. After the Red Flash took a 3–0 lead, Le Moyne went on a 10–0 run, keyed by five points from Nate McClure, and led the rest of the way. After a Saint Francis run cut the Dolphins lead to 25–24, the Dolphins answered with an 11–4 run, getting five of their points from Darrick Jones Jr., to reassert control. A late flurry by the Red Flash cut the Le Moyne lead to 39–34 at the break. The Dolphins scored the first nine points of the second half to build a 14-point lead. However, Le Moyne had a 5:10 scoring drought during which Saint Francis had only four points but cut the lead to nine with 8:47 remaining. Saint Francis continued to creep closer and found themselves trailing 60–52 with 6:33 to play. The Dolphins extinguished any hopes for a comeback with a 14–0 run over a span of 3:42 and led by 22 points with 2:34 on the clock.^[494][495]

Kaiyem Cleary was named first-team All-NEC. Luke Sutherland was named to the all-conference second team.^[496]

Powered by Luke Sutherland's 22 points, Le Moyne cruised to an 82–61 wire-to-wire victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in the program's Division I postseason debut on March 6. The Dolphins opened the game with three three-pointers to take a 9–0 lead just 1:45 into the contest. The Knights settled down, and Le Moyne was up, 42–34, at intermission. Leading 46–40 in the second half, the Dolphins went on an 11–0 run over 2:09 to take a 57–40 lead with 15:42 remaining. Fairleigh Dickinson got no closer than 12 points behind the rest of the way. Darrick Jones Jr. scored 17 points for Le Moyne.^{[497][498][499]}

After Le Moyne jumped out to an early 13–4 lead in the NEC semifinals on March 9, Merrimack's defense got the Warriors back into the game, and a 19–3 run in the later part of the first half helped them build a 28–20 lead at intermission. The Dolphins cut the deficit to three with 14:47 to play on a put-back by Kaiyem Cleary. The teams traded three-pointers over the next three minutes, until Samba Diallo's layups on consecutive possessions extended Merrimack's lead to seven points. The Dolphins responded with a 6–2 run to get within three points at 40–37 with 8:14 to play. An 8–2 Warriors run gave them a nine-point lead with 6:45 on the clock, but Le Moyne responded with a pair of three-pointers by Luke Sutherland to pull within three again with 5:42 to play. After each team had two empty possessions over the next two minutes, Bryan Etumnu was fouled on a layup and completed the three-point play, sparking a 9–2 Merrimack run that put the game away. The Warriors' 61–51 victory ended the Dolphins' inaugural Division I season. Sutherland had 23 points and eight rebounds for Le Moyne,^{[500][501][502]} and he was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team.^[503]

There have been nine head coaches in the history of Le Moyne men's basketball. The program has played 1,919 games across 75 seasons from the program's inaugural 1948–49 campaign through the end of the 2023–24 season.^[457]

Tommy Niland had the longest tenure at Le Moyne, coaching for 25 seasons, and is the all-time leader in games coached (536) and wins at the school (326).

The current head coach is Nate Champion, who played for the Dolphins from 2010 to 2014.

During their time in NCAA Division II, the Dolphins were selected to play in the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament 14 times. They had a combined record of 7–18.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1959	Regional Semifinals	Williams	W 72–66
	Sweet 16	Saint Michael's	L 70–71
1960	Regional Semifinals	St. Anselm	L 75–108
	Regional Third Place	Assumption	L 68–94
1964	Regional Semifinals	Youngstown State	W 64–53
	Sweet 16	Akron	L 38–62
1965	Regional Semifinals	Assumption	L 58–76
	Regional Third Place	Hartwick	L 68–70
1966	First Round	Philadelphia Textile	L 61–83
	Regional Consolation	Potsdam State	W 86–63
1968	First Round	Buffalo State	L 66–83
	Regional Consolation	Northeastern	L 54–67
1969	Regional Semifinals	Montclair State	L 75–79
	Regional Third Place	Albany State (NY)	L 70–71
1988	Regional Semifinals	California (PA)	L 88–91
	Regional Third Place	Kutztown	W 89–81
1996	First Round	Franklin Pierce	L 53–83
1997	First Round	Saint Rose	L 76–92
2014	First Round	Saint Anselm	L 62–73
2017	First Round	Merrimack	L 68–72OT
2018	First Round	Jefferson	W 75–57
	Regional Semifinals	Saint Rose	W 67–63
	Sweet 16	Bloomfield	W 75–59
	Elite Eight	West Texas A&M	L 73–87
2019	First Round	St. Thomas Aquinas	L 59–61

The Dolphins participated in the National Catholic Invitational Tournament twice. They had a combined record of 4–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1951	First Round	Saint Michael's	W 95–57
	Quarterfinals	Siena	W 57–53
	Semifinals	St. Francis (NY)	L 66–84
	Third Place	Mount St. Mary's	W 63–61
1952	First Round	Providence	W 67–63
	Quarterfinals	St. Francis (NY)	L 61–75

The Dolphins participated in the Utica Optimist Club Invitational Tournament three times. They had a combined record of 6–0, winning the tournament each time they participated.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1950	Semifinals	Brockport State	W 67–60
	Final	Utica	W 59–57
1951	Semifinals	Utica	W 86–69
	Final	Hartwick	W 86–65
1952	Semifinals	Utica	W 72–42
	Final	Hartwick	W 72–61

The NCAA began seeding the Division II tournament with the 1989 edition.

Years →	'96	'97	'14	'17	'18	'19	'20
Seeds →	5	6	6	1	1	3	5[g]

Between 1958 and 1988, the NCAA chose eight or nine schools as hosts for the College Division/Division II regionals. These teams played their regional semifinal games and (if they won) their regional final (Sweet 16) games at home during years the tournament included 32 teams. In some years, there were 36 teams with seven regions having four teams and one region having eight teams. In eight-team regions, the host school might have played as many as three tournament games at home, if it was designated as being in the section given home-court advantage for the regional final. A host school effectively had the privileges of what would later be identified as a no. 1 seed. However, factors such as availability and quality of facilities, expected fan support and travel arrangements entered into the choice of a host school. In addition, teams played in regions that reflected the locations of the schools. Therefore, if the two best teams in the College Division or Division II were near each other, it is likely only one of them would be selected to host. Thus, the hosts were not necessarily the top eight teams. Nevertheless, Le Moyne was one of the eight host schools for the 1965 and 1969 NCAA tournaments.

The 1966 NCAA tournament included 36 schools, four more than the previous season. Seven of the eight regions had four teams as had previously been the norm. The Northeast Region had eight teams divided into two sections. Le Moyne was selected to host the four games in Section B of the Northeast Region. However, as of the time Le Moyne was chosen as a host, the Dolphins had not yet been extended a bid to play in the tournament. Le Moyne agreed to host regardless of whether it was participating.^[99] The Section A winner had the right to host the regional final,^[504][505] which means Le Moyne, which ultimately did receive a tournament bid, would have played the regional final on the road had they advanced that far. This effectively conferred upon Le Moyne the rights and privileges of a no. 2 seed within the region. However, since Le Moyne was in an eight-team region, it would have needed to win one more game than all 28 teams in four-team regions to reach the national quarterfinals, which makes the extra game similar to a play-in game such as the First Four in the present-day Division I tournament.

Starting with Le Moyne's inaugural 1948–49 season through the end of the 1955–56 season, the final season before the NCAA split into the University Division and the College Division, the Dolphins were classified by the Associated Press (AP) as a small-college (non-major) program. During that time, Le Moyne played 59 games against major programs, as classified by the AP. The results of such games are shown in the table below.

Date	Opponent	Result	Le Moyne record
December 7, 1948	Siena	Loss, 41−39[4]	0−1
January 29, 1949	at Siena	Loss, 53−31[506]	0−2
December 14, 1949	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 50−48[507]	0−3
December 16, 1949	St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 78−68[508]	0−4
January 13, 1950	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 51−44[509]	0−5
February 18, 1950	John Carroll	Win, 78−67[510]	1−5
November 23, 1950	at Siena	Loss, 70−682OT[511]	1−6
November 29, 1950	at Niagara	Loss, 86−61[512]	1−7
December 2, 1950	at Seton Hall	Loss, 63−53[513]	1−8
December 5, 1950	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 56−47[514]	1−9
December 30, 1950	Siena	Win, 53−47[515]	2−9
March 14, 1951	at #18 Siena†	Win, 57−53[31]	3−9
March 16, 1951	St. Francis (NY)‡	Loss, 84−66[516]	3−10
November 22, 1951	at Siena	Loss, 62−41[517]	3−11
December 5, 1951	at Seton Hall	Loss, 55−48[518]	3−12
December 7, 1951	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 56−51[519]	3−13
December 15, 1951	at #15 Villanova	Loss, 59−48[520]	3−14
January 18, 1952	#11 Siena	Win, 53−51[521]	4−14
January 28, 1952	Manhattan	Loss, 79−71[522]	4−15
February 1, 1952	Boston College	Loss, 74−58[523]	4−16
February 26, 1952	at Canisius	Loss, 74−58[524]	4−17
March 17, 1952	St. Francis (NY)††	Loss, 75−61[525]	4−18
November 27, 1952	at Siena	Loss, 53−49[526]	4−19
December 13, 1952	at Niagara	Loss, 70−67[527]	4−20
December 19, 1952	John Carroll	Win, 72−65[528]	5−20
December 30, 1952	Loyola of Los Angeles	Win, 79−74[529]	6−20
January 3, 1953	at #2 Seton Hall	Loss, 75−52[530]	6−21
January 10, 1953	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 67−56[531]	6−22
January 23, 1953	#20 Manhattan	Loss, 63−57[532]	6−23
January 26, 1953	Georgetown	Loss, 89−67[533]	6−24
January 30, 1953	Boston College	Win, 64−59[534]	7−24
February 24, 1953	Siena	Win, 68−65[535]	8−24
February 28, 1953	at Villanova	Loss, 62−57[536]	8−25
December 2, 1953	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 67−57[537]	8−26
December 5, 1953	at Siena	Win, 60−40[538]	9−26
December 12, 1953	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 58−52[539]	9−27
January 29, 1954	Manhattan	Loss, 67−63[540]	9−28
February 5, 1954	Boston College	Win, 77−63[541]	10−28
February 22, 1954	at Villanova	Loss, 62−48[542]	10−29
March 6, 1954	Siena	Loss, 63−55[543]	10−30
December 7, 1954	at #8 Niagara	Loss, 81−57[544]	10−31
December 11, 1954	#20 Western Kentucky State	Win, 77−75[545]	11−31
January 1, 1955	at Siena	Win, 64−60[546]	12−31
January 7, 1955	Saint Joseph's	Win, 94−83[484]	13−31
January 28, 1955	Manhattan	Loss, 72−65[547]	13−32
January 31, 1955	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 58−52[548]	13−33
February 4, 1955	Boston College‡‡	Win, 82−73[549]	14−33
February 22, 1955	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 73−69OT[550]	14−34
February 26, 1955	at Villanova	Loss, 73−44[551]	14−35
March 5, 1955	Siena	Win, 78−62[552]	15−35
December 1, 1955	at Siena	Win 78−71[553]	16−35
December 21, 1955	Iona†††	Win, 93−70[554]	17−35
January 4, 1956	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 80−70[555]	17−36
January 10, 1956	at Niagara	Loss, 81−72[556]	17−37
February 3, 1956	Boston College‡‡‡	Win, 92−76[557]	18−37
February 4, 1956	Manhattan	Loss, 94−72[558]	18−38
February 17, 1956	Iona	Win, 90−82[559]	19−38
February 22, 1956	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 81−61[560]	19−39
March 2, 1956	Siena	Win, 82−59[561]	20−39
Home	13−14
Road	4−23
Neutral	3−2
Ranked opponents * Home * Road	3–4 2–1 1–3
(#) Ranking per AP major-program poll † National Catholic Invitational Tournament quarterfinal played on Siena's home court ‡ National Catholic Invitational Tournament semifinal played in Albany, New York †† National Catholic Invitational Tournament quarterfinal played in Troy, New York ‡‡ Game played in Rochester, New York ††† Game played in Quantico, Virginia ‡‡‡ Game played in Auburn, New York

On several occasions, the Dolphins, playing as a College Division or Division II team, recorded victories over University Division or Division I teams. Le Moyne played 58 such games, going 29–29, and won at least one in each of their first 13 seasons as a College Division program, beginning with the NCAA's split into divisions for the 1956–57 season through the end of the 1968–69 season. Details of games played against Division I/University Division opponents through the end of the 1987–88 season are shown in the table below.

Date	Opponent	Result	Le Moyne record
December 1, 1956	at Siena	Win, 74–41[562]	1−0
January 3, 1957	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 82–62[563]	1−1
January 19, 1957	Siena	Win, 68–59[564]	2−1
February 2, 1957	Manhattan	Loss, 81–71[565]	2−2
February 9, 1957	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 77–71[566]	3−2
February 16, 1957	at Iona	Loss, 76–72[567]	3−3
February 20, 1957	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 69–61[568]	3−4
December 10, 1957	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 58–46[569]	3−5
December 21, 1957	at Siena	Loss, 78–72[570]	3−6
December 27, 1957	Saint Francis (PA)†	Loss, 70–51[571]	3−7
February 5, 1958	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 65–50[572]	3−8
February 14, 1958	Iona	Win, 64–44[573]	4−8
February 22, 1958	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 86–73[574]	4−9
March 1, 1958	Siena	Win, 58–50[575]	5−9
March 5, 1958	at Saint Joseph's	Loss, 69–68[576]	5−10
December 1, 1958	at Villanova	Loss, 83–67[577]	5−11
December 20, 1958	at Siena	Win, 66–65OT[578]	6−11
January 31, 1959	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 74–61[579]	7−11
February 14, 1959	at Iona	Loss, 58–54[580]	7−12
February 28, 1959	Siena	Win, 60–59[581]	8−12
December 7, 1959	at Siena	Win, 60–46[582]	9−12
December 12, 1959	at Niagara	Loss, 62–57[583]	9−13
February 5, 1960	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 77–66[584]	10−13
February 13, 1960	Iona	Win, 59–44[585]	11−13
February 27, 1960	Siena	Win, 61–48[586]	12−13
December 28, 1960	Iona‡	Win, 90–60[47]	13−13
January 28, 1961	at Iona	Loss, 68–63[587]	13−14
February 23, 1961	at Providence	Loss, 80–50[588]	13−15
January 27, 1962	Iona	Win, 61–58OT[589]	14−15
February 5, 1962	Providence	Loss, 53–46[590]	14−16
February 10, 1962	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 73–69[591]	15−16
January 20, 1963	at Niagara	Loss, 68–54[592]	15−17
February 2, 1963	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 65–64OT[593]	16−17
February 9, 1963	at Iona	Loss, 57–51[594]	16−18
December 7, 1963	at Niagara	Loss, 66–53[595]	16−19
January 11, 1964	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 58–54[63]	17−19
February 1, 1964	Iona	Win, 74–56[65]	18−19
January 9, 1965	at Iona	Win, 67–64[85]	19−19
January 27, 1965	Saint Peter's	Win, 75–55[86]	20−19
February 6, 1965	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 53–46[87]	21−19
January 29, 1966	Iona	Win, 83–71[102]	22−19
February 4, 1966	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 92–72[596]	22−20
February 5, 1966	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 75–71OT[103]	23−20
December 28, 1966	Maine	Win, 85–74[597]	24−20
December 29, 1966	Iona	Loss, 59–45[598]	24−21
January 4, 1967	Saint Peter's	Loss, 87–73[599]	24−22
January 28, 1967	at Iona	Loss, 65–48[600]	24−23
February 11, 1967	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 73–62[601]	25−23
December 7, 1967	Iona	Loss, 58–57[602]	25−24
December 28, 1967	Vermont	Win, 95–72[603]	26−24
December 29, 1967	Bucknell	Win, 78–74OT[604]	27−24
January 5, 1968	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 114–75[605]	27−25
January 6, 1968	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 72–64[606]	27−26
January 25, 1968	Boston College	Loss, 90–61[607]	27−27
December 3, 1968	Saint Peter's	Win, 81–80[608]	28−27
December 5, 1968	at Boston College	Loss, 86–66[609]	28−28
January 4, 1969	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 80–75[610]	29−28
January 30, 1969	at Iona	Loss, 68–59[118]	29−29
December 20, 1969	Boston College	Loss, 75–56[611]	29−30
January 2, 1970	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 105–83[612]	29−31
January 3, 1970	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 90–69[613]	29−32
February 14, 1970	Iona	Loss, 89–81[614]	29−33
December 5, 1970	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 68–62[615]	30−33
December 16, 1970	at Boston College	Loss, 105–68[616]	30−34
December 30, 1970	Lafayette	Loss, 89–75[617]	30−35
January 30, 1971	at Iona	Loss, 67–65[618]	30−36
February 16, 1971	Saint Peter's	Loss, 85–53[619]	30−37
December 4, 1971	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 85–79[620]	30−38
December 18, 1971	Boston College	Loss, 81–67[621]	30−39
December 29, 1971	New Hampshire	Win, 61–58[622]	31−39
February 9, 1972	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 103–82[623]	31−40
February 26, 1972	Iona	Win, 90–883OT[624]	32−40
January 17, 1973	at Iona	Win, 60–58[625]	33−40
February 6, 1973	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 83–76[141]	34−40
February 20, 1973	at Boston College	Loss, 88–68[626]	34−41
January 3, 1974	Boston College	Loss, 94–75[627]	34−42
January 5, 1974	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 95–76[628]	34−43
February 20, 1974	at Buffalo	Win, 103–97[160]	35−43
February 23, 1974	Iona	Win, 79–74[161]	36−43
December 4, 1974	at Boston College	Loss, 113–66[629]	36−44
December 9, 1974	Canisius	Loss, 56–53[172]	36−45
January 14, 1975	at Iona	Win, 65–58[176]	37−45
February 5, 1975	Buffalo	Win, 83–77OT[179]	38−45
February 15, 1975	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 79–64[180]	39−45
December 3, 1975	at Boston College	Loss, 87–72[630]	39−46
February 4, 1976	at Buffalo	Loss, 86–75[631]	39−47
February 14, 1976	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 76–66[632]	39−48
February 21, 1976	Iona	Win, 89–88[196]	40−48
January 12, 1977	Boston College	Win, 89–79[213]	41−48
January 22, 1977	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 74–66[216]	42−48
February 12, 1977	at Canisius	Win, 61–58[217]	43−48
February 16, 1977	Buffalo	Win, 97–87OT[220]	44−48
November 27, 1977	at Boston College	Loss, 90–70[238]	44−49
December 2, 1977	at #12 Syracuse	Loss, 90–62[240]	44−50
December 3, 1977	Rhode Island††	Loss, 84–57[243]	44−51
January 21, 1978	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 86–72[247]	44−52
December 3, 1978	Boston College	Loss, 83–70[633]	44−53
January 13, 1979	St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 87–78[634]	44−54
February 26, 1979	#6 Syracuse‡‡	Loss, 92–60[266]	44−55
December 2, 1979	at Boston College	Loss, 86–57[635]	44−56
December 7, 1979	at #11 Syracuse	Loss, 107–61[277]	44−57
December 8, 1979	Hofstra††	Loss, 75–64[278]	44−58
December 8, 1981	at Utica	Loss, 53–49[636]	44−59
February 2, 1983	Utica	Loss, 60–59OT[637]	44−60
December 10, 1983	at Seton Hall	Loss, 87–76[638]	44−61
February 20, 1984	at Utica	Loss, 55–50[639]	44−62
December 8, 1984	at Seton Hall	Loss, 62–52[369]	44−63
December 7, 1985	at Seton Hall	Loss, 74–39[640]	44−64
December 5, 1987	at Siena	Loss, 75–70[448]	44−65
Home	31−19
Road	12−43
Neutral	1−3
Ranked opponents * Home * Road	0–3 0–1 0–2
(#) Ranking per AP Division I poll † Game played in Latrobe, Pennsylvania ‡ Game played in Jersey City, New Jersey †† Game played on neutral floor in Syracuse, New York ‡‡ Le Moyne home game played at Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, New York

Before the Dolphins had ever played a varsity basketball game, Siena was identified as Le Moyne's chief rival. "BEAT SIENA!" was the front-page headline of the school newspaper on November 24, 1948, 13 days before the Dolphins' inaugural varsity game, scheduled to be played at home against Siena.^[6] A pep rally was held the night before the game and attended by the team, the head coach, the athletic director and, of course, the cheerleaders. Those organizing the rally had someone dressed as an Indian, Siena's team nickname at the time, appear to be tossed into the bonfire and burned.^[7] The rivalry was acknowledged by Siena shortly after the teams began playing,^[641] perhaps, in part, because the teams met in the 1951 National Catholic Invitational Tournament (NCIT).

Siena won the first-ever matchup, 41–39, on December 7, 1948,^[5] and went on to take the first five games between the teams, the fourth and fifth of which went to overtime, before Le Moyne broke through with a win at home followed by another victory in the NCIT, which was played on Siena's home court.

On March 5, 1955, in Syracuse, a fistfight between Le Moyne's Dan Cavellier and Siena's Tim Hill with two minutes to play in the game between the two teams resulted in the ejection of both players.^[552][642]

In preparation for the Dolphins' December 1, 1956 season opener at Siena, a 20-car motorcade from Syracuse to Albany was organized to transport Le Moyne supporters to the game, and plans were made to have a Le Moyne cheerleader dressed as a deceased Siena Indian and carried into the arena in a funeral procession with the pep band playing a dirge.^[643]

Despite the heated rivalry between the two schools, when Siena head coach Dan Cunha resigned after the 1959–60 season,^[644] Le Moyne head coach Tommy Niland remarked that he regarded Cunha as a very good friend who was a fine coach and would be hard to replace.^[645] Cunha withdrew his resignation in July 1960,^[646] and was 1961 MECAA coach of the year.^[647]

After Le Moyne's Gary DeYulia felt he was unnecessarily shoved out of bounds in the NCAA tournament-bound Dolphins' regular-season finale in DeWitt against Siena on February 28, 1965, a brief melee broke out between the rival teams, and a Siena player was promptly slammed to the floor by a Dolphin. It appeared it might spread into the stands where the Siena fans were sitting, but cooler heads quickly prevailed.^[648] The behavior of the Le Moyne players and fans in connection with the melee was criticized in Siena's school newspaper.^[649]

After 21 seasons as Siena's head basketball coach, Dan Cunha resigned for a second time in July 1965.^[650] Four months later, Cunha was hired as Le Moyne's new dean of men, a position with no athletic duties.^[651]

In 1976, Siena reclassified to Division I, while Le Moyne remained a Division II program. Despite Siena's move, there were plans for Siena to play at Le Moyne on January 15, 1977, and for the Dolphins to continue their series with their archrivals, reduced to one game per season. However, Siena notified Le Moyne in September 1976, that it would be unable to keep its commitment for that date. Le Moyne had no open dates on which a game with Siena could be scheduled.^[202] As a result, the two teams did not meet during the 1976–77 season, ending their annual series which started in the 1948–49 season, with the first varsity game Le Moyne ever played. The teams did not meet again for 11 years. Le Moyne and Siena played one game annually between the 1987–88 and 1992–93 seasons, and Siena won all six of those contests. Le Moyne's 2023 reclassification to Division I creates the possibility that this rivalry may be rekindled. It has been 31 years since the teams last met in an official game. The Dolphins defeated Siena, 73–71, in an exhibition game in November 2017, at Loudonville.^[652][653]

Le Moyne–Siena

Sport	Men's Basketball
Location	Upstate New York
Teams	Le Moyne Dolphins Siena Saints
First meeting	December 7, 1948 Siena 41, Le Moyne 39
Latest meeting	December 28, 1992 Siena 83, Le Moyne 56
Statistics
Meetings total	62
All-time series	Le Moyne leads, 39–23
Largest victory	Siena, 91–52 (December 3, 1988)
Longest win streak	Le Moyne, 8 (March 1, 1958 - December 9, 1961)
Current win streak	Siena, 6

Le Moyne victories

Siena victories

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	December 7, 1948	Syracuse	Siena	41–39
2	January 29, 1949	Loudonville	Siena	53–31
3	November 24, 1949	Albany	Siena	46–31
4	February 15, 1950	Syracuse	Siena	60–56OT
5	November 23, 1950	Albany	Siena	70–682OT
6	December 30, 1950	Syracuse	Le Moyne	53–47
7	March 14, 1951	Albany†	Le Moyne	57–53
8	November 22, 1951	Albany	Siena	62–41
9	January 18, 1952	Syracuse	Le Moyne	53–51
10	November 27, 1952	Albany	Siena	53–49
11	February 24, 1953	Syracuse	Le Moyne	68–65
12	December 5, 1953	Albany	Le Moyne	60–40
13	March 6, 1954	Syracuse	Siena	63–55
14	January 1, 1955	Albany	Le Moyne	64–60
15	March 5, 1955	Syracuse	Le Moyne	78–62
16	December 1, 1955	Albany	Le Moyne	78–71
17	March 2, 1956	Syracuse	Le Moyne	82–59
18	December 1, 1956	Albany	Le Moyne	74–41
19	January 19, 1957	Syracuse	Le Moyne	68–59
20	December 21, 1957	Albany	Siena	78–72
21	March 1, 1958	Syracuse	Le Moyne	58–50
22	December 20, 1958	Albany	Le Moyne	66–65OT
23	February 28, 1959	Syracuse	Le Moyne	60–59
24	December 7, 1959	Albany	Le Moyne	60–46
25	February 27, 1960	Syracuse	Le Moyne	61–48
26	December 10, 1960	Loudonville	Le Moyne	49–45
27	February 25, 1961	Syracuse	Le Moyne	48–45
28	December 9, 1961	Loudonville	Le Moyne	56–48
29	February 24, 1962	Syracuse	Siena	64–57
30	December 1, 1962	DeWitt	Le Moyne	43–41
31	February 16, 1963	Loudonville	Siena	50–49
32	February 8, 1964	Loudonville	Le Moyne	54–46
33	January 30, 1965	Loudonville	Le Moyne	70–65
34	February 28, 1965	DeWitt	Le Moyne	58–48
35	January 8, 1966	Loudonville	Le Moyne	85–74
36	March 5, 1966	DeWitt	Le Moyne	88–72
37	January 14, 1967	Loudonville	Le Moyne	65–63
38	March 4, 1967	DeWitt	Siena	61–60
39	December 16, 1967	Loudonville	Le Moyne	101–89
40	March 2, 1968	DeWitt	Le Moyne	82–70
41	December 19, 1968	DeWitt	Le Moyne	92–73
42	March 1, 1969	Loudonville	Le Moyne	85–74
43	January 21, 1970	Loudonville	Le Moyne	87–74
44	March 7, 1970	DeWitt	Le Moyne	84–77
45	January 20, 1971	DeWitt	Le Moyne	82–57
46	March 6, 1971	Albany	Siena	77–72
47	January 29, 1972	Loudonville	Le Moyne	72–67
48	March 4, 1972	DeWitt	Le Moyne	74–70
49	January 27, 1973	DeWitt	Le Moyne	87–72
50	March 3, 1973	Albany	Siena	65–61
51	January 26, 1974	Albany	Siena	101–79
52	March 2, 1974	DeWitt	Le Moyne	87–81
53	January 25, 1975	DeWitt	Le Moyne	73–67
54	March 1, 1975	Loudonville	Siena	92–74
55	January 24, 1976	Loudonville	Siena	79–68
56	March 4, 1976	DeWitt	Le Moyne	81–77
57	December 5, 1987	Loudonville	Siena	75–70
58	December 3, 1988	DeWitt	Siena	91–52
59	February 26, 1990	Loudonville	Siena	90–76
60	February 14, 1991	DeWitt	Siena	88–75
61	December 4, 1991	Loudonville	Siena	81–62
62	December 28, 1992	Loudonville	Siena	83–56
Series: Le Moyne leads 39–23
† = National Catholic Invitational Tournament Source:[654]

In 1964, Le Moyne began hosting an annual four-team Christmas invitational tournament. It was held each December through 1975, except for 1972. Le Moyne hosted tournaments in January 1984 and January and December 1985, branded as the Matt's Premium Classic for sponsorship reasons. Tournaments hosted by Le Moyne in December 1986 and 1987, were branded as the Coca-Cola Classic. The brackets below show the results of these tournament games.

References: ^[79][655]

	Semifinals December 29				Championship December 30
	Le Moyne	81
	Oswego State	64
					Le Moyne	68
					Saint Michael's	66
	Buffalo	86
	Saint Michael's	93			Third Place
					Oswego State	59
					Buffalo	88

Gary DeYulia of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

References: ^[656][657]

	Semifinals December 29				Championship December 30
	Le Moyne	84
	Kenyon	73
					Le Moyne	53
					Hartwick	52
	Hartwick	81
	Southwest Texas State	63			Third Place
					Kenyon	72
					Southwest Texas State	97

Dan Parham of Hartwick was named most valuable player.

References: ^[597][598]

	Semifinals December 28				Championship December 29
	Le Moyne	85
	Maine	74
					Le Moyne	45
					Iona	59
	Iona	66
	Lafayette	58			Third Place
					Maine	67
					Lafayette	62

Bob La Russo of Iona was named most valuable player.

The All-Tournament team selected by members of the media covering the tournament included:

• Bob La Russo, Iona
• Bob McMahon, Iona
• Gerry McDermott, Le Moyne
• Terry Carr, Maine
• Bob Kiriloff, Lafayette

References: ^[604][603]

	Semifinals December 28				Championship December 29
	Le Moyne	95
	Vermont	74
					Le Moyne	78OT
					Bucknell	74
	Bucknell	84
	St. Francis (NY)	81			Third Place
					Vermont	66
					St. Francis (NY)	72

Gerry McDermott of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

The All-Tournament team selected by members of the media covering the tournament included:

• Gerry McDermott, Le Moyne
• Ed Farver, Bucknell
• Tom Schneider, Bucknell
• Doug Smith, St. Francis (NY)
• Dave Lapointe, Vermont

References: ^[658]

	Semifinals December 27				Championship December 28
	Le Moyne	101
	Steubenville	81
					Le Moyne	81
					Wagner	91
	Wagner	67
	Saint Michael's	62			Third Place
					Steubenville	43
					Saint Michael's	62

Ray Hodge of Wagner was named most valuable player.

The tournament All-Star team selected by members of the media covering the tournament included:

• Ray Hodge, Wagner
• Bill Wolfe, Wagner
• Chuck Brady, Le Moyne
• Jay Cody, Saint Michael's
• Pat Mulligan, Steubenville

References: ^[659][660]

	Semifinals December 29				Championship December 30
	Le Moyne	69
	Albany State (GA)	82
					Albany State (GA)	83
					Assumption	99
	Assumption	107
	Hartwick	91			Third Place
					Le Moyne	103
					Hartwick	79

Jake Jones of Assumption was named most valuable player.

The tournament All-Star team selected by members of the media covering the tournament included:

• Jake Jones, Assumption
• Sam Small, Assumption
• Serge DeBari, Assumption
• Clarence Ellis, Albany State (GA)
• Phil Harlow, Le Moyne

References: ^[661][617]

	Semifinals December 29				Championship December 30
	Le Moyne	78
	Hobart	71
					Le Moyne	75
					Lafayette	89
	Lafayette	86
	Boston University	61			Third Place
					Hobart	57
					Boston University	63

Tracy Tripucka of Lafayette was named most valuable player.

The tournament All-Star team selected by members of the media covering the tournament included:

• Tracy Tripucka, Lafayette
• Ron Moyer, Lafayette
• Jay Mottola, Lafayette
• Phil Harlow, Le Moyne
• Dan Brandt, Le Moyne

References: ^[662][622]

	Semifinals December 28				Championship December 29
	Le Moyne	95
	Alfred	56
					Le Moyne	61
					New Hampshire	58
	New Hampshire	60
	Ohio Wesleyan	57			Third Place
					Alfred	51
					Ohio Wesleyan	75

Phil Harlow of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

The tournament All-Star team selected by members of the media covering the tournament included:

• Phil Harlow, Le Moyne
• Rick May, Le Moyne
• Dave Pemberton, New Hampshire
• Erie Feragne, New Hampshire
• Jackie Brown, Ohio Wesleyan

References: ^[152][153]

	Semifinals December 28				Championship December 29
	Le Moyne	95
	Hamilton	68
					Le Moyne	74
					Potsdam State	78
	Potsdam State	72
	Catholic	62			Third Place
					Hamilton	78
					Catholic	90

Ted Bence of Potsdam State was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• Ted Bence, Potsdam State
• Mike Deane, Potsdam State
• Bob Braunitzer, Le Moyne
• Rick May, Le Moyne
• Mark Badger, Hamilton

References: ^[174][175]

	Semifinals December 27				Championship December 28
	Le Moyne	78
	Muhlenberg	68
					Le Moyne	57
					Hartwick	69
	Hartwick	100
	Saint Michael's	70			Third Place
					Muhlenberg	86
					Saint Michael's	92

Reggie Rothwell of Hartwick was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• Reggie Rothwell, Hartwick
• Bill Martin, Hartwick
• Pete Hogan, Le Moyne
• John Lauer, Le Moyne
• Ken Johnson, Saint Michael's

References: ^[191][192]

	Semifinals December 29				Championship December 30
	Le Moyne	91
	Lincoln (PA)	68
					Le Moyne	81
					Bloomsburg State	69
	Bloomsburg State	90
	Quinnipiac	80			Third Place
					Lincoln (PA)	69
					Quinnipiac	74

John Lauer of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• John Lauer, Le Moyne
• Gary Jackson, Le Moyne
• Jerry Radocha, Bloomsburg State
• Harold Driver, Quinnipiac
• Isaac Cahoe, Lincoln (PA)

References: ^[355][356]

	Semifinals January 10				Championship January 11
	Le Moyne	78
	Concordia (NY)	61
					Le Moyne	58
					Mansfield	85
	Mansfield	56
	C.W. Post	55			Third Place
					Concordia (NY)	70
					C.W. Post	79

Craig Cooley of Mansfield was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• Craig Cooley, Mansfield
• Gerard Conyers, Mansfield
• James Henderson, Le Moyne
• Bobby Chestnut, Le Moyne
• Mike Clark, C.W. Post
• Keith Brown, Concordia (NY)

References: ^[370][372]

	Semifinals January 4				Championship January 5
	Le Moyne	56
	Queens	50
					Le Moyne	65
					Clarion	55
	Clarion	61
	Quinnipiac	57			Third Place
					Queens	64
					Quinnipiac	63

Wright Lassiter of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

References: ^[400]

	Semifinals December 13				Championship December 14
	Le Moyne	83
	Pace	48
					Le Moyne	74
					Slippery Rock	67
	Slippery Rock	75
	C.W. Post	64			Third Place
					Pace	57
					C.W. Post	81

References: ^{[418][419][663]}

	Semifinals December 12				Championship December 13
	Le Moyne	78
	Bloomfield	56
					Le Moyne	74
					Mount St. Mary's	75
	Mount St. Mary's	95
	Lock Haven	90			Third Place
					Bloomfield	59
					Lock Haven	82

Paul Edwards of Mount St. Mary's was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• Paul Edwards, Mount St. Mary's
• Mark Scallion, Mount St. Mary's
• John Moore, Mount St. Mary's
• James Henderson, Le Moyne
• Scott Hicks, Le Moyne
• Jeff Null, Lock Haven

References: ^[450][452]

	Semifinals December 11				Championship December 12