Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball

Le Moyne Dolphins
2024–25 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team
University	Le Moyne College
First season	1948–49; 76 years ago
All-time record	1,082–837 (.564) through 2023–24 season
Athletic director	Mike Lindberg (interim)
Head coach	Nate Champion (5th season)
Conference	NEC
Location	DeWitt, New York
Arena	Le Moyne Events Center (capacity: 2,637)
Nickname	Dolphins (official) Unofficial The Green & Gold Heightsmen Nilandmen (1948–1973)
Student section	Mad Hatters (1976–1983)
Colors	Green and gold
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, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1973 MECC: 1984, 1988 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.

History

Birth of a program (1948–1958)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1948–1958)

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. 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. 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.

Le Moyne's first head coach and athletic director was Tommy Niland, 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.

During the first three years of its varsity basketball program, Le Moyne was led on the court by Don Savage. 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. More than 400 Le Moyne students made the trip to see the game. Savage had eight points in that game, while Dave Lozo had a game-high 18 for the Dolphin Cubs. Joe Boehm served as captain of that freshman team, which went 16–4 and was coached by Tommy Niland 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.

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). 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.

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

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. Le Moyne followed up by repeating as champions in Utica in 1951 and 1952.

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. Le Moyne finished third in the 1951 tournament and reached the quarterfinals in 1952.

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, 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.

Glory era (1958–1969)

First two NCAA tournament berths (1958–1960)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1958–1960)

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. The Dolphins reached the Sweet 16, where they lost at Saint Michael's 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. Lynch also earned honorable mention on the Catholic All-America team.

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. The 1959–60 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2011.

MECAA tournament title and an on-campus home (1960–1963)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1960–1963)

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

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. 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. 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.

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, 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.

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.

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

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.

Three straight NCAA tournament bids (1963–1966)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1963–1966)

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. Le Moyne met Youngstown State, ranked no. 6 nationally in the Associated Press College Division poll at the time, 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.

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.

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

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. The Dolphins won the tournament, and Gary DeYulia was named most valuable player.

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.

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.

The Dolphins won their second straight MECAA championship with a 4–1 league record and entered the NCAA tournament 18–3, including 3–0 against University Division opponents. However, Assumption executed a suffocating defensive effort, frustrating the Dolphins and kncoking them out of the tournament, 76–58. 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.

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. 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.

Gary DeYulia was named a 1965 ECAC first-team All-Star. He also received honorable mention for the 1965 Little All-America team. 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.

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.

For the second straight season, the Dolphins hosted NCAA tournament regional games in 1966. Le Moyne entered the tournament 14–5, including two wins against University Division opponents, but lost their first-round game to Philadelphia Textile, 83–61. Gary DeYulia led the Dolphins with 26 points. Le Moyne salvaged their consolation game against Potsdam State, 86–63. 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.

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. DeYulia finished his career with 1,212 points, second on Le Moyne' all-time scoring list.

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

A rebuilding year and two more NCAA tournament berths (1966–1969)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1966–1969)

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.

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.

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

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

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. 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.

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. Bob Bradley scored 24 points for the Dolphins and was named to the East Region all-tournament team. 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.

Coach Niland's final years (1969–1973)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1969–1973)

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

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. However, After a loss at Buffalo on February 21, dropped the Dolphins to 7–10 on the season, the team needed wins in its final four games to finish with a winning record. Victories over Ithaca, Saint Michael's, Cortland State, and Siena 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. The Dolphins rebounded from their losing season the previous year and finished 13–10.

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. 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.

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. 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, 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.

Tom Cooney takes the reins (1973–1979)

Main article: History of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball (1973–1979)

Le Moyne became a Division II institution, when the College Division was split in 1973.

New head coach Tom Cooney's inaugural recruiting class included 6'5" Pete Hogan and 6'7" John Lauer, both of whom would ultimately finish their careers in the top six among Le Moyne's all-time career scorers.

Tom Cooney earned his first head coaching victory in his second game at the helm, a 76–74 upset at Potsdam State on December 4, 1973. 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.

Senior co-captain Rick May became the ninth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and also became the first Le Moyne player to record 1,000 career rebounds during the 1973–74 season.

The Dolphins finished the 1973–74 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.

After starting the 1974–75 season 0–4 and 3–8, the Dolphins rebounded to finish 14–11 and earned three victories over Division I opponents.

Jene Grey, who would finish his career as Le Moyne's second leading career scorer and rebounder, made his collegiate debut in the 1975–76 season. The Dolphins started the campaign 0–4, before defeating Cortland State in December. Le Moyne did not win a road game until February, starting the season 0–7, and Cortland State was the Dolphins' victim again.

Depite the troubling start to the season, the Dolphins earned a home win against Gannon, ranked no. 4 in the NCAA Division II poll and defeated Division I Iona, their 60th all-time victory over a Division I/major program.

Junior Pete Hogan became the 10th Le Moyne player to surpass 1,000 career points during the 1975–76 season.

The Dolphins won their season finale, 81–77, over Siena on March 4, 1976, to even their record at 12–12. John Lauer had a double-double for the Le Moyne and became the 11th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. 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 their long-time archrival again until December 1987.

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

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. As Division I teams, it became impractical for St. Francis (NY) and Siena to remain in the MECAA. 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 three Division II teams and one Division III team. Therefore, the MECAA was dissolved, and Le Moyne began competing as an independent in the 1976–77 season. The Dolphins won seven MECAA championships in their 21 seasons in the league.

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. 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.

John Lauer, Pete Hogan and Jene Grey all missed time during the 1976–77 season due to injuries or illness. Nevertheless, the Dolphins went 4–0 against Division I opponents. The Dolphins were 12–6 in mid February and on the short list of teams under consideration for an NCAA tournament berth.

The Dolphins suffered a crushing loss at Buffalo State on February 19, that appeared to dash their hopes for an NCAA tournament bid. 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 the NCAA tournament selectors.

The Dolphins' originally scheduled game at Iona was cancelled, in order for the Gaels 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.

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.

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. 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 setback at Hartwick, which were ranked no. 8 in the NCAA Division II poll at the time.

After dropping their season opener at Boston College, 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, 1977. The schools had a three-year agreement to meet annually. Syracuse used their size and quickness advantages to defeat 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.

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 contests to finish the 1977–78 season 13–13. Jene Grey ranked 21st in Division II in scoring average and seventh in rebounds per game for the season.

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 his dislike for recruiting and the travel associated with it.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Dolphins entered their February 20, 1979 game at Hartwick, ranked no. 8 in the Division II poll, 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 with a ranked opponent represented a precious opportunity to impress NCAA tournament selectors. However, a 14–0 second–half Hartwick run put the game away for the Warriors. Jene Grey scored 27 points to lead the Dolphins. Despite the loss, Le Moyne remained under consideration for a tournament bid.

The Dolphins' final home game of the 1978–79 season was played on 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, the Orangemen surged and took control of the game, defeating the Dolphins, 92–60. Jene Grey had a game-high 28 points for Le Moyne, who fell to 14–9. 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.

The NCAA tournament selectors filled the final spots in the bracket on February 27, and the Dolphins did not receive a berth. The Dolphins lost their season finale, finishing 14–10. Jene Grey had game highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds 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.

An Orangeman leads the Green and Gold (1979–1983)

The coaching tenure of Mike Lee, a former three-year starter and captain of the Syracuse Orangemen, 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. 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. 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. John Leone, formerly head coach at Nottingham High School, was hired as an assistant coach.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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, 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. 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.

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.

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.

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. During the season, Galvin established himself as the starting point guard. Jim McDermott continued in his role as team captain for a second year. 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. 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.

The Dolphins lost their opening game in the Yellow Jacket Invitational, 79–67, to host Randolph–Macon on January 9, 1981. 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.

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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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, and Don Murcko, a 6'7" center. John Thompson, a 5'11" freshman guard, made the team as a walk-on. LaCombe and Galvin were named co-captains.

Le Moyne did not have a junior varsity team for the 1981–82 season. 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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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. Lee's contract was renewed for one more season.

Practices for the 1982–83 season commenced on October 15, 1982. 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, 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. Nowak and Miranda were named co-captains. 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.

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. 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. Murcko, Chestnut and Galvin were named to the all-tournament team. 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. 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.

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.

Even before the season ended, there was speculation as to whether Mike Lee would continue as the Dolphins' head coach. 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. 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.

John Beilein guides the Dolphins back to the NCAA tournament (1983–1992)

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.

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 MECC's 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.

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. All three players ultimately enrolled at Le Moyne.

Dolphins assistant coach Bob Kawa left Le Moyne to become the head coach at Onondaga Community College. 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.

Preseason practices for the 1983–84 season started on October 15, 1983. 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. Galvin, Leithead and Lassiter were named tri-captains.

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.

After a road win at Cortland State, 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

The Dolphins met Philadelphia Textile, ranked no. 16 in Division II, 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.

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.

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. 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. The Dolphins also added freshman walk-ons Dan Morley, a 6'3" guard, T.J. Purcell, a 6'1" guard, and Mike Palazzo. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Chestnut did not attend practice the following day. He returned to the team two days after the incident after a discussion with Beilein.

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. 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.

Le Moyne met Philadelphia Textile, ranked no. 17 in Division II, 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.

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. After starting the season 13–3, Le Moyne lost seen of their final 13 games to finish 19–10.

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.

Preseason practices for the 1985–86 campaign started on October 15, 1985, and included an open tryout. 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. 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 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. Freshman Mark Young, a 6'3" forward, made the team as a walk-on.

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. The following evening, the Dolphins lost the tournament final to Sacred Heart, 100–66. James Henderson scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne.

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. 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.

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. 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.

The Dolphins ended their three-game losing streak with an unexpected home victory over Gannon, ranked no. 4 in Division II, 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. Le Moyne later suspended Smolinski for one game for his actions.

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

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. 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, 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.

The following evening, Dolphins met top-seeded Gannon, ranked no. 12 in Division II, 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.

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. Pete Jerebko and Walter Hill were named 1986 second-team MECC All-Stars.

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. 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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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. The suspension lasted for two games.

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. 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.

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.

In a battle for first place in the MECC, the regular-season champion of which earned the right to host the conference tournament, the Dolphins fell, 79–65, at Gannon, ranked no. 11 in Division II, 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.

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.

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.

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. 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. 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.

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. 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 highest win total in program history.

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.

The Dolphins' season ended with a loss to MECC regular-season champion Gannon, ranked no. 4 in Division II, 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.

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

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. Joining Rauch were Andy Bechtle, a 6'5" forward from James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia and Matt Lucas, a 6'6+1⁄2" forward from Bellport High School on Long Island. 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. Sophomore walk-on Tim Smith, a 6'0" guard from Ridgewood, New Jersey was also added to the team. Jerebko and Hicks were named co-captains. After a three-year absence, cheerleaders returned to Le Moyne home games in 1987.

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. 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.

After more than 11 years since the last meeting between the teams, the Dolphins renewed their rivalry with Division I Siena on December 5. 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. Scott Hicks scored 12 points for Le Moyne, surpassing 1,000 points for his career.

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. 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.

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. 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.

The Dolphins avenged an early season loss, when they entertained Mansfield on January 18, 1988. A 16–0 run gave Le Moyne a 29–10 lead with 11:48 to play in the first half. At intermission, the Dolphins were up, 54–30. The Mountaineers were unable to challenge in the second half, and Le Moyne cruised to a 99–72 victory. The Dolphins suffocated Mansfield's smaller point guards with pressing defense and were able to easily shoot over them. Julius Edwards shot 7 for 8 from the floor and finished with 15 points. Pete Jerebko scored 29 points to lead Le Moyne, shooting 11 for 13 from the floor, including 7 for 9 from three-point range. The win was the sixth straight for the Dolphins and improved their record to 11–3.

After a win at Hamilton, the Dolphins were riding a seven-game winning streak as they prepared to host Gannon, ranked no. 9 in Division II, in a battle for first place in the MECC on January 23. In a game that featured 11 lead changes and 11 ties, the Dolphins led, 76–72, after Russell Barnes hit a 15-foot jump shot with 1:26 to play. The Golden Knights scored on an offensive rebound to cut the lead to two points with 1:01 remaining. Len Rauch missed the front end of a one-and-one with 31 seconds left, but Pete Jerebko grabbed the rebound for the Dolphins, who tried to run out the clock. However, Gannon's Roland Shannonhouse stole the ball from David Niland and went the length of the floor for a layup to send the game to overtime. After Jerebko found Julius Edwards for a layup to give Le Moyne an 82–81 lead with 1:17 remaining in overtime, the Dolphins' offense sputtered, while Gannon was 6 for 6 from the free-throw line. Le Moyne was down, 83–82, when Gannon stole the ball from Edwards and hit a pair of free throws with 25 seconds to play. The Golden Knights' lead swelled to five points, after Rauch's errant pass was stolen by Gannon's Mitch Smith, who hit two more free throws with 11 seconds left. Scott Hicks sank a three-pointer for Le Moyne at the buzzer, but Gannon escaped with an 87–85 victory. Rauch just missed a tripe-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he also committed six turnovers. Hicks led Le Moyne with 27 points, and Jerebko scored 22. Barnes had 18 points and eight assists. The Dolphins dropped to 12–4 overall and 3–1 in MECC play.

Freshman Len Rauch became the first Le Moyne player to record an official triple-double (since assists became a permanent official NCAA statistic in the 1983–84 season) in a 91–67 home win over Adelphi on February 6. Rauch finished with 18 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. Pete Jerebko scored 28 points, shooting 6 for 8 from three-point range, to lead the Dolphins, who improved to 16–4 overall and 5–1 in MECC play with their fourth straight win. A few days later, Le Moyne learned that sophomore walk-on Tim Smith would miss the rest of the season, because of a detached retina in his right eye.

Following a 78–71 road win at Philadelphia Textile, which improved the Dolphins' record to 17–4 overall and 6–1 in MECC play, Le Moyne was ranked no. 16 in the NCAA Division II poll on February 15. It was the Dolphins' first appearance in a major poll since finishing the 1964–65 season no. 14 in the United Press International (UPI) small college coaches' poll.

The Dolphins overcame a 10-point second-half deficit and earned an 82–81 road win at Mercyhurst on February 26, clinching at least a share of the MECC regular-season title. With nine minutes to play, Le Moyne went on a 15–5 run to tie the score at 70. A baseline jump shot b Scott Hicks gave the Dolphins an 80–78 lead with 40 seconds remaining. The Lakers regained the lead with a three-point basket, but Le Moyne pushed the ball up the floor without calling a timeout, and Russell Barned was fouled. Barnes hit both ends of a one-and-one with six seconds left to secure the victory, which improved the no. 14-ranked Dolphins to 21–4 overall and 8–1 in MECC play.

The following evening, the Dolphins fell at Gannon, 77–66, giving the Golden Knights, ranked no. 12, the top seed in the MECC tournament and the right to host. Both teams finished 8–2 in league play, but Gannon's head-to-head sweep of the Dolphins gave them the tiebreaker. Le Moyne led by as many as six points in the first half, but Gannon's man-to-man defense forced the Dolphins' shooting to turn cold. Despite fouling out in the second half, Len Rauch scored 23 points to lead the Dolphins, who fell to 21–5 overall.

Scott Hicks hit a jump shot from the right side of the free-throw line with two seconds to play, and the second-seeded Dolphins escaped with a 73–72 victory over no. 3 seed Philadelphia Textile in their MECC semifinal game on March 4. Le Moyne took an early 17–4 lead, before the Rams cut the deficit to four points at halftime. Philadelphia Textile surged ahead in the second half, and the Dolphins trailed, 69–65, with three minutes to play. A three-point basket by Julius Edwards and a free throw by Len Rauch completing a three-point play gave Le Moyne a 71–69 lead, but the Rams responded with a three-point basket by Tom Barton to reclaim the lead, 72–71. After an empty possession, the Dolphins fouled Doug Lukinuk with 27 seconds left, and he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Hicks snatched the rebound, and Le Moyne called a timeout. Le Moyne got the ball to Len Rauch, whose driving layup was blocked. Pete Jerebko recovered the ball at the top of the key and found Hicks for the game winner. Edwards scored 21 points to lead the Dolphins. Rauch had a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The following evening, the 18th-ranked Dolphins met no. 13 Gannon in a matchup of the conference regular-season co-champions for the MECC tournament title in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,000 on the Golden Knights' home floor. Early in the game, Le Moyne took what would prove to be the largest lead either team would have at 12–6. After Gannon pulled within a point at 15–14, neither team would lead by more than four points the rest of the way. The Golden Knights took their first lead, 42–40, with 15:56 to play. The Dolphins trailed, 63–61, in the closing seconds, and Len Rauch was fouled with no time showing on the game clock. The freshman hit both free throws to send the game to overtime. Scott Hicks hit a reverse layup to give the Dolphins a 69–67 lead with 1:10 remaining in the extra session. After an empty possession for Gannon, the Golden Knights fouled Rauch with nine seconds to go, and he hit both free throws to secure the win and the MECC's automatic bid to the 1988 NCAA tournament, Le Moyne's first tournament appearance in 19 years. Pete Jerebko scored 23 points to lead the Dolphins and claim the tournament's most valuable player award. Hicks finished the game with 19 points, and Rauch had 12; both players were named to the all-tournament team. Russell Barnes had eight points and 10 assists for Le Moyne, who improved to 23–5 on the season.

The MECC champion Dolphins were seeded no. 3 in the East Region of the NCAA tournament. Joining Le Moyne were no. 1 seed California (PA), champions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), no. 2 seed Gannon and no. 4 seed Kutztown, an at-large team from the PSAC. Gannon made a successful bid of $28,593 for the right to host the regional. Le Moyne bid $3,925, and California and Kutztown each bid $3,925. To avoid first-round games between teams from the same conference, the NCAA granted permission for the no. 1 seed to play the no. 3 seed and the no. 2 seed to play the no. 4 seed in the regional semifinals.

California (PA) used an up-tempo offense fueled by a quick man-to-man defense that forced 13 Le Moyne first-half turnovers to build a 10-point halftime lead in the regional semifinal on March 11. The Vulcans opened the second-half with an 8–0 run, putting the Dolphins 18 points down. However, the Dolphins found their shooting touch and battled back to cut the deficit to 85–76. A late 10–2 run sparked by a pair of Pete Jerebko three-pointers and four points from Scott Hicks brought Le Moyne within a single point at 87–86 with 1:20 to play. California worked the clock, and the Dolphins forced a miss, but the Vulcans got an offensive rebound. A pair of free throws extended the Vulcans' lead to 89–86 with 32 seconds remaining. Julius Edwards responded for Le Moyne with a 15 footer from the baseline with 16 seconds to go. Le Moyne pressed the ensuing inbounds play, forcing California to call a timeout. The Vulcans got the ball to Darryl Norfleet, who was fouled and hit both ends of the one-and-one to give California a 91–88 with eight seconds left. The Dolphins got the ball to Jerebko at the top of the key, but he was double teamed and passed to Hicks, who put up a three-pointer that was off the mark. The Vulcans grabbed the rebound and held on for the win. Len Rauch had a double-double for Le Moyne with 24 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the floor, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Jerebko had 16 points, seven boards and seven assists. David Niland had seven assists off the bench. Hicks finished with 21 points.

The following evening, the Dolphins rebounded to defeat Kutztown, 89–81, and finish third in the region. Le Moyne had an 81–74 lead, when Kutztown went on a 5–0 run to cut their deficit to two points. Russell Barnes scored a basket to extend the Dolphins' lead to four points. After the Golden Bears got within two points again, Le Moyne closed the game on a 6–0 run sparked by a three-point play by Barnes and capped by a putback of an offensive rebound by Len Rauch. Despite spending much time on the bench in the first half after getting called for a technical foul, Rauch finished with 16 points. Pete Jerebko scored 28 points to lead the Dolphins in his final collegiate game. Jerebko finished his career with 1,740 points, second on Le Moyne's all-time scoring list. Scott Hicks had 22 points in his college career coda and was named to the all-regional tournament team. Le Moyne finished the season 24–6 overall.

The team's 24 wins were the most in program history up to that point. John Beilein was named 1988 MECC coach of the year. Pete Jerebko was selected as MECC player of the year and senior of the year. Len Rauch was MECC freshman of the year. Scott Hicks joined Jerebko on all-MECC first team. Rauch was second-team all-MECC. The 1987–88 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2017.

The Dolphins lost senior co-captains Scott Hicks and Pete Jerebko to graduation in 1988. Seniors Dave Niland and Steve Lauer, juniors Russell Barnes, Jim Cunningham and Paul Rooney and sophomores Len Rauch, Julius Edwards, Andy Bechtle and Matt Lucas all returned. Freshman Bob Piddock, a 6'4" forward from South Jefferson High School in Adams, New York, was Le Moyne's top recruit. Two walk-on freshman guards made the team: Jeffrey Heller, 6'2", and John Peyrebrune, 5'10". Tom Herhusky, a 6'2" point guard, transferred from St. Lawrence to Le Moyne during the offseason, but he was required to sit out the 1988–89 season by NCAA rules. Herhusky graduated a year earlier than Piddock, but the two were high school teammates, and Herhusky said he wanted to be reunited with Piddock. He also cited Le Moyne's academic offerings and the availability of an athletic scholarship as reasons for the transfer. Niland and Lauer were named co-captains. Jim Emery was hired as an assistant coach in October 1988. Emery had been an assistant at George Mason since 1985, and had previously been Dolphins head coach John Beilein's assistant at Nazareth in 1982.

The Dolphins opened their 1988–89 season with a 73–70 overtime loss to Belmont Abbey in the Randolph–Macon Tournament, which was actually a multi-team showcase event despite its name, on November 18. After getting into foul trouble early, Len Rauch led Le Moyne with 16 points. The following evening, the Dolphins lost to host Randolph–Macon, 60–53. Rauch score 13 points to lead Le Moyne.

On December 3, Siena visited Le Moyne for the first time since March 4, 1976. Despite a 26-point and 13-rebound performance by Len Rauch, Siena overwhelmed the Dolphins, 91–52, dropping Le Moyne's record to 1–3 on the season.

The Dolphins hosted the 1988 New York Coca-Cola Classic and seized control of their opening-round game against defending ECAC Division II tournament champion Dowling early, cruising to an 84–70 victory on December 9. Len Rauch had a double-double to lead Le Moyne with 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Russell Barnes had 15 points and nine assists, and Julius Edwards added 17 points. In the championship game the following evening, the Dolphins failed to score until five minutes had elapsed and fell behind early. A late first-half rally sparked by Dave Niland cut Cheyney's halftime lead to six points. However, the Wolves scored the first 10 points of the second half and led 45–28 with 15 minutes to play. The Dolphins' comeback began with a Rauch layup following an offensive rebounds. Le Moyne then began forcing turnovers, blocking shots, controlling the boards and hitting shots of their own. When Paul Rooney hot a pair of free throws with 1:12 remaining, the Dolphins had a 63–61 lead and were on a 35–16 run over 14 minutes. Cheyney responded with a three-point play to regain the lead. Rauch was fouled on Le Moyne's final possession with 12 seconds to play, and he hit both free throws. The Wolves' final desperation heave fell short, and the Dolphins had a 65–64 victory and the tournament title. The win improved the Dolphins' record to 4–3 on the season.

Russell Barnes scored 18 points and freshman Bob Piddock added 12 to lead the Dolphins to an 81–70 victory over American International in the opening round of the Doc Jacobs Classic on December 29. The following evening, Le Moyne fell 14 points behind host Saint Michael's in the first half before closing the gap to just six points at intermission. In the second half, the Purple Knights built none-point leads on six separate occasions, only to see the Dolphins respond and tie the score each time. Trailing by nine points, 74–65, a seventh time with three minutes to play, Le Moyne mounted a final charge. Paul Rooney hit a three-pointer and Len Rauch completed a three point play to cut the lead to three points. After a stop on the defensive end, the Dolphins moved within a point, when Rooney scored from the paint with 1:02 to play. After the Dolphins got another stop, Rauch was called for an offensive foul. Le Moyne forced a turnover, when the Saint Michael's lost the ball out of bounds. Russell Barnes was poised to take the final shot, but he was stripped from behind by Greg Thomas, who dribbled out the clock and preserved a 74–73 win for the Purple Knights. Rauch had 17 points and nine rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team.

The Dolphins lost their fifth straight game, when they fell at home to Philadelphia Textile, 73–60, on January 14, 1989, dropping to 5–8 overall and 0–4 in MECC play. Len Rauch scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds but continued his recent erratic play. Le Moyne guards Russell Barnes, Julius Edwards and Dave Niland combined for only 13 points. The Dolphins led, 48–46, with 9:18 to play but were outscored, 27–12, down the stretch. Two days later, Rauch scored 30 points, and the Dolphins erased an eight-point second-half deficit with a 17–4 run, winning, 80–79, at Mansfield.

Len Rauch had a triple-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in the Dolphins' 96–80 home romp over Adelphi on January 27. Le Moyne used runs of 15–0 and 14–0 to build a 24-point lead late in the first half. Sophomore Andy Bechtle made his first collegiate start as the Dolphins' power forward and scored 10 points in the first 7+1⁄2 minutes of the game, finishing with 12 markers. Freshman Bob Piddock led Le Moyne with 18 points, seven of them coming during the Dolphins' 14–0 first-half burst. Le Moyne's 2-3 zone defense limited the Panthers to 35% shooting from the floor in the first half. Adelphi applied a pressing defense late in the second half, forcing Le Moyne turnovers and pulling within nine points at 83–74 with 1:54 to play, but the Panthers got no closer. The win improved the Dolphins' record to 9–9 overall and 2–4 in MECC play.

The Dolphins' man-to-man defense generated transition opportunities, and Le Moyne claimed a 26–12 lead midway through the first half of their January 31 home game against Gannon, ranked no. 12 in Division II. The Golden Knights used their size advantage to cut Le Moyne's lead to four points in the second half, but the Dolphins responded with an 18–9 run that put them ahead, 66–53, with 8:35 to play. Le Moyne stopped driving to the basket and tried to milk the clock, but the Dolphins went cold from the perimeter. They had only one field goal over the final 5:45 of the game. That basket was scored by Russell Barnes with 15 seconds remaining and gave the Dolphins an 85–79 lead, icing the game. Barnes and Len Rauch each had a double-double for Le Moyne. Barnes finished with 10 points and 10 assists. Rauch scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Julius Edwards guarded Gannon's leading scorer, Chris Hollan, holding him to just 5-for-12 shooting from the floor, and scored 25 points to lead the Dolphins, who improved to 10–9 overall and 3–4 in MECC play.

The Dolphins dropped a critical decision at home against Pace, 79–78 in double overtime, on February 4. The Setters started the game slowly, having arrived only 20 minutes before tip-off, after spending five hours in a Burger King while mechanical trouble with their bus from Buffalo was addressed. The Dolphins quickly built a seven-point lead in less than nine minutes, and they extended that lead to 12 points with 15 minutes remaining. Pace's offense heated up from there, and the Setters took their first lead of the game with six minutes to play. The Dolphins led, 61–59, in the final minute, but the Setters tied the score on a pair of free throws. Julius Edwards fired a long jump shot at the buzzer that was off the mark. The Dolphins led by as many as five points in the first overtime period, but Pace battled back and tied the score in the closing minute. Russell Barnes attempted a three-pointer that was off the mark at the buzzer, sending the game to a second overtime. Le Moyne was protecting a one-point lead, when Rodney Reese hit an off-balance jump shot with two seconds on the clock to win the game for Pace. A win would have put the Dolphins into a three-way tie with Adelphi and Pace for third place in the MECC. The third- and fourth-place finishers were to play their MECC tournament quarterfinal games at home. Instead, Le Moyne was fifth in the league standings at 3–5, and Pace had earned the tiebreaker advantage over the Dolphins by sweeping the season series.

After 18 straight losses versus Division I opponents, a streak that began in 1977, Le Moyne got 22 points from Andy Bechtle and overcame a five-point deficit with just over 10 minutes to play to defeat Army, 77–70, on February 7, at West Point. The win was Le Moyne's 65th all-time over a Division I/major program.

Len Rauch had a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, leading the Dolphins to their fifth straight win, 94–73, over Buffalo on February 22. The victory was Le Moyne's 10th in their last 12 games, improving their record to 15–10 overall and 6–5 in MECC play, tied for fourth place with Adelphi. The Dolphins still had a chance at the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the MECC quarterfinals. Seniors Dave Niland and Steve Lauer left the floor in their final regular-season home game to a rousing ovation with 57 seconds remaining.

Entering their regular-season finale at Philadelphia Textile, ranked no. 16 in Division II, on February 25, the Dolphins would be assured of home-court advantage for the MECC tournament quarterfinals with a win and a Buffalo win over last-place Mercyhurst. A Gannon win over Adelphi the following day would also have give the Dolphins the fourth seed in the MECC tournament. The regular-season champion Rams built a 12-point lead in the game's first 12 minutes, and Le Moyne never got closer than five points down the rest of the way, and Philadelphia Textile cruised to an 86–61 victory. Len Rauch scored 17 points to lead Le Moyne. The following day, Adelphi defeated Gannon, 79–76, clinching the third seed in the MECC tournament and sealing Le Moyne into the fifth seed.

The Dolphins were dominated in their MECC quarterfinal game at Pace, losing 79–61 on March 4. Andy Bechtle scored 13 points to lead Le Moyne. The Dolphins finished the 1988–89 season 15–12.

Len Rauch was named 1989 MECC sophomore of the year. Rauch was also named to the Division II All-East team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The Dolphins lost Dave Niland and Steve Lauer to graduation in 1989, but all five starters returned. Seniors Russell Barnes, Paul Rooney and Jim Cunningham, juniors Len Rauch, Julius Edwards, Andy Bechtle and Matt Lucas and sophomores Bob Piddock and John Peyrebrune were all back for the 1989–90 season. Redshirt sophomore Tom Herhusky, a 6'2" point guard, who sat out the previous sason after transferring from St. Lawrence, became eligible. John Haas, a 6'1" guard from Christian Brothers Academy was added to the team. Haas had played center as a high school senior before moving to point guard, because his coach thought he was the team's best ball handler. Haas had earned all-state recognition in football and had the opportunity to play receiver at Holy Cross. Le Moyne head coach John Beilein described Haas as an A student, who was likely to improve after concentrating on basketball. Haas averaged 21.2 points per game as a high school senior. Chris Bucholtz, a 6'5" forward from Frontier Central High School, also joined the team. Buchholtz was a first-team All-Western New York player who averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game as a high school senior. Walk-on John Scanlon made the team. Cunningham, who had originally made the team as a walk-on freshman, was named team captain for his senior season.

The 1989–90 season was the last under the leadership of Tommy Niland, Le Moyne's athletic director since 1947, and the head basketball coach for the program's first 25 varsity seasons. By September 1989, a search was underway for a replacement for Niland, who announced he would retire at the end of June 1990. By early December, Niland's expected retirement date was moved up to February 1990.

The Dolphins opened their season at the First Citizens Classic in Mansfield, Pennsylvania against Clarion on November 17. Le Moyne trailed, 55–44, with 10 minutes to play, when Tom Herhusky sparked a 21–11 run to close the game, but the Dolphins came up short, falling to the Golden Eagles, 66–65. Herhusky scored 12 points to lead Le Moyne but missed a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining, sealing Clarion's victory. Julius Edwards scored 20 points to lead the Dolphins to a 78–55 victory over Queens in the consolation game the following evening.

The Dolphins hosted the opening round of the Coca-Cola Classic on December 8, and used a man-to-man defense to hold Davis & Elkins to just 12 second-half points, while exploding for 49 points of their own in an 87–34 victory. Le Moyne held the Senators to 21% shooting from the floor, and junior reserve forward Andy Bechtle drew three charging fouls on Davis & Elkins players in the first half, demonstrating how closely the Dolphins were guarding. Len Rauch had 19 points, 18 rebounds and four assists, team highs in all three categories for Le Moyne. The following evening, the Dolphins were nursing a four-point lead with seven minutes to play, when they went on a 9–0 run to break open the championship game against Sacred Heart. The Pioneers battled back and got within six points at 78–72 with 25 seconds to play, but the Dolphins won the game, 80–72. Rauch scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists and was the tournament most valuable player. Julius Edwards scored 21 points to lead the Le Moyne and joined Rauch on the all-tournament team. The win was the Dolphins' sixth straight, improving their record to 6–1 on the season.

The Dolphins dropped an 84–66 decision to West Chester in the opening round of the Bentley College Holiday Festival on December 28. Len Rauch scored 13 points to lead Le Moyne. The following evening, Julius Edwards and Tom Herhusky each scored 13 points to lead the Dolphins to a 72–63 victory over Queens in the consolation game.

Scott Hicks era

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, 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, the Dolphins suffered a 30-point loss in the first round at the hands of Franklin Pierce. 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.

Dave Paulsen era

Le Moyne followed up their 1997 NCAA tournament appearance with a 20–8 season in 1997–98, under first-year head coach Dave Paulsen. Their 14–6 conference record was good enough for a share of the NE10 regular-season crown. The Dolphins' season ended with a loss to Assumption in the conference tournament semifinals. 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.

Steve Evans era

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. 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, 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.

Coach Patrick Beilein leads Dolphins to three straight NCAA tournaments

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.

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, 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. For his efforts, Beilein was named 2017 NE10 coach of the year.

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, won the NE10 Southwest Division title, had the best conference record of any NE10 team, won the conference tournament 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 NE10 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.

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.

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. Nevertheless, Le Moyne's 18–10 record 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. 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. After the season, Beirlein left Le Moyne to become the head coach at Division I Niagara.

Nate Champion era

Nate Champion, a Le Moyne alumnus, was hired as the new head coach in 2019. 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. The 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reclassification to Division I

Main article: 2023–24 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team

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. 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.

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

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. 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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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, and he was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team.

Season-by-season results

For complete season-by-season results, see List of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball seasons.

Coaches

See also: List of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball head coaches

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.

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 (326) at the school.

Patrick Beilein has the highest winning percentage among Le Moyne head coaches with a 77–41 (.653) record over four seasons from 2015 to 2019.

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

Postseason results

NCAA Division II

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

National Catholic Invitational Tournament

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

Utica Optimist Club Invitational Tournament

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

NCAA tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the Division II tournament with the 1988 edition.

Years →	'88	'96	'97	'14	'17	'18	'19	'20
Seeds →	3	5	6	6	1	1	3	5

Between 1958 and 1987, 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. By the 1980s, the four teams in each region, including the top seed, each submitted competing bids to the NCAA for the right to host, which meant the fourth-seeded team in the region could be selected to play at home. In addition, teams generally 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. The Section A winner had the right to host the regional final, 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.

Games against higher-division opponents

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	0−1
January 29, 1949	at Siena	Loss, 53−31	0−2
December 14, 1949	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 50−48	0−3
December 16, 1949	St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 78−68	0−4
January 13, 1950	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 51−44	0−5
February 18, 1950	John Carroll	Win, 78−67	1−5
November 23, 1950	at Siena	Loss, 70−682OT	1−6
November 29, 1950	at Niagara	Loss, 86−61	1−7
December 2, 1950	at Seton Hall	Loss, 63−53	1−8
December 5, 1950	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 56−47	1−9
December 30, 1950	Siena	Win, 53−47	2−9
March 14, 1951	at #18 Siena†	Win, 57−53	3−9
March 16, 1951	St. Francis (NY)‡	Loss, 84−66	3−10
November 22, 1951	at Siena	Loss, 62−41	3−11
December 5, 1951	at Seton Hall	Loss, 55−48	3−12
December 7, 1951	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 56−51	3−13
December 15, 1951	at #15 Villanova	Loss, 59−48	3−14
January 18, 1952	#11 Siena	Win, 53−51	4−14
January 28, 1952	Manhattan	Loss, 79−71	4−15
February 1, 1952	Boston College	Loss, 74−58	4−16
February 26, 1952	at Canisius	Loss, 74−58	4−17
March 17, 1952	St. Francis (NY)††	Loss, 75−61	4−18
November 27, 1952	at Siena	Loss, 53−49	4−19
December 13, 1952	at Niagara	Loss, 70−67	4−20
December 19, 1952	John Carroll	Win, 72−65	5−20
December 30, 1952	Loyola of Los Angeles	Win, 79−74	6−20
January 3, 1953	at #2 Seton Hall	Loss, 75−52	6−21
January 10, 1953	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 67−56	6−22
January 23, 1953	#20 Manhattan	Loss, 63−57	6−23
January 26, 1953	Georgetown	Loss, 89−67	6−24
January 30, 1953	Boston College	Win, 64−59	7−24
February 24, 1953	Siena	Win, 68−65	8−24
February 28, 1953	at Villanova	Loss, 62−57	8−25
December 2, 1953	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 67−57	8−26
December 5, 1953	at Siena	Win, 60−40	9−26
December 12, 1953	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 58−52	9−27
January 29, 1954	Manhattan	Loss, 67−63	9−28
February 5, 1954	Boston College	Win, 77−63	10−28
February 22, 1954	at Villanova	Loss, 62−48	10−29
March 6, 1954	Siena	Loss, 63−55	10−30
December 7, 1954	at #8 Niagara	Loss, 81−57	10−31
December 11, 1954	#20 Western Kentucky State	Win, 77−75	11−31
January 1, 1955	at Siena	Win, 64−60	12−31
January 7, 1955	Saint Joseph's	Win, 94−83	13−31
January 28, 1955	Manhattan	Loss, 72−65	13−32
January 31, 1955	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 58−52	13−33
February 4, 1955	Boston College‡‡	Win, 82−73	14−33
February 22, 1955	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 73−69OT	14−34
February 26, 1955	at Villanova	Loss, 73−44	14−35
March 5, 1955	Siena	Win, 78−62	15−35
December 1, 1955	at Siena	Win 78−71	16−35
December 21, 1955	Iona†††	Win, 93−70	17−35
January 4, 1956	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 80−70	17−36
January 10, 1956	at Niagara	Loss, 81−72	17−37
February 3, 1956	Boston College‡‡‡	Win, 92−76	18−37
February 4, 1956	Manhattan	Loss, 94−72	18−38
February 17, 1956	Iona	Win, 90−82	19−38
February 22, 1956	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 81−61	19−39
March 2, 1956	Siena	Win, 82−59	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 1989–90 season are shown in the table below.

Date	Opponent	Result	Le Moyne record
December 1, 1956	at Siena	Win, 74–41	1−0
January 3, 1957	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 82–62	1−1
January 19, 1957	Siena	Win, 68–59	2−1
February 2, 1957	Manhattan	Loss, 81–71	2−2
February 9, 1957	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 77–71	3−2
February 16, 1957	at Iona	Loss, 76–72	3−3
February 20, 1957	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 69–61	3−4
December 10, 1957	at St. Bonaventure	Loss, 58–46	3−5
December 21, 1957	at Siena	Loss, 78–72	3−6
December 27, 1957	Saint Francis (PA)†	Loss, 70–51	3−7
February 5, 1958	St. Bonaventure	Loss, 65–50	3−8
February 14, 1958	Iona	Win, 64–44	4−8
February 22, 1958	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 86–73	4−9
March 1, 1958	Siena	Win, 58–50	5−9
March 5, 1958	at Saint Joseph's	Loss, 69–68	5−10
December 1, 1958	at Villanova	Loss, 83–67	5−11
December 20, 1958	at Siena	Win, 66–65OT	6−11
January 31, 1959	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 74–61	7−11
February 14, 1959	at Iona	Loss, 58–54	7−12
February 28, 1959	Siena	Win, 60–59	8−12
December 7, 1959	at Siena	Win, 60–46	9−12
December 12, 1959	at Niagara	Loss, 62–57	9−13
February 5, 1960	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 77–66	10−13
February 13, 1960	Iona	Win, 59–44	11−13
February 27, 1960	Siena	Win, 61–48	12−13
December 28, 1960	Iona‡	Win, 90–60	13−13
January 28, 1961	at Iona	Loss, 68–63	13−14
February 23, 1961	at Providence	Loss, 80–50	13−15
January 27, 1962	Iona	Win, 61–58OT	14−15
February 5, 1962	Providence	Loss, 53–46	14−16
February 10, 1962	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 73–69	15−16
January 20, 1963	at Niagara	Loss, 68–54	15−17
February 2, 1963	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 65–64OT	16−17
February 9, 1963	at Iona	Loss, 57–51	16−18
December 7, 1963	at Niagara	Loss, 66–53	16−19
January 11, 1964	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 58–54	17−19
February 1, 1964	Iona	Win, 74–56	18−19
January 9, 1965	at Iona	Win, 67–64	19−19
January 27, 1965	Saint Peter's	Win, 75–55	20−19
February 6, 1965	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 53–46	21−19
January 29, 1966	Iona	Win, 83–71	22−19
February 4, 1966	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 92–72	22−20
February 5, 1966	at St. Francis (NY)	Win, 75–71OT	23−20
December 28, 1966	Maine	Win, 85–74	24−20
December 29, 1966	Iona	Loss, 59–45	24−21
January 4, 1967	Saint Peter's	Loss, 87–73	24−22
January 28, 1967	at Iona	Loss, 65–48	24−23
February 11, 1967	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 73–62	25−23
December 7, 1967	Iona	Loss, 58–57	25−24
December 28, 1967	Vermont	Win, 95–72	26−24
December 29, 1967	Bucknell	Win, 78–74OT	27−24
January 5, 1968	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 114–75	27−25
January 6, 1968	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 72–64	27−26
January 25, 1968	Boston College	Loss, 90–61	27−27
December 3, 1968	Saint Peter's	Win, 81–80	28−27
December 5, 1968	at Boston College	Loss, 86–66	28−28
January 4, 1969	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 80–75	29−28
January 30, 1969	at Iona	Loss, 68–59	29−29
December 20, 1969	Boston College	Loss, 75–56	29−30
January 2, 1970	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 105–83	29−31
January 3, 1970	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 90–69	29−32
February 14, 1970	Iona	Loss, 89–81	29−33
December 5, 1970	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 68–62	30−33
December 16, 1970	at Boston College	Loss, 105–68	30−34
December 30, 1970	Lafayette	Loss, 89–75	30−35
January 30, 1971	at Iona	Loss, 67–65	30−36
February 16, 1971	Saint Peter's	Loss, 85–53	30−37
December 4, 1971	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 85–79	30−38
December 18, 1971	Boston College	Loss, 81–67	30−39
December 29, 1971	New Hampshire	Win, 61–58	31−39
February 9, 1972	at Saint Peter's	Loss, 103–82	31−40
February 26, 1972	Iona	Win, 90–883OT	32−40
January 17, 1973	at Iona	Win, 60–58	33−40
February 6, 1973	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 83–76	34−40
February 20, 1973	at Boston College	Loss, 88–68	34−41
January 3, 1974	Boston College	Loss, 94–75	34−42
January 5, 1974	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 95–76	34−43
February 20, 1974	at Buffalo	Win, 103–97	35−43
February 23, 1974	Iona	Win, 79–74	36−43
December 4, 1974	at Boston College	Loss, 113–66	36−44
December 9, 1974	Canisius	Loss, 56–53	36−45
January 14, 1975	at Iona	Win, 65–58	37−45
February 5, 1975	Buffalo	Win, 83–77OT	38−45
February 15, 1975	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 79–64	39−45
December 3, 1975	at Boston College	Loss, 87–72	39−46
February 4, 1976	at Buffalo	Loss, 86–75	39−47
February 14, 1976	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 76–66	39−48
February 21, 1976	Iona	Win, 89–88	40−48
January 12, 1977	Boston College	Win, 89–79	41−48
January 22, 1977	St. Francis (NY)	Win, 74–66	42−48
February 12, 1977	at Canisius	Win, 61–58	43−48
February 16, 1977	Buffalo	Win, 97–87OT	44−48
November 27, 1977	at Boston College	Loss, 90–70	44−49
December 2, 1977	at #12 Syracuse	Loss, 90–62	44−50
December 3, 1977	Rhode Island††	Loss, 84–57	44−51
January 21, 1978	at St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 86–72	44−52
December 3, 1978	Boston College	Loss, 83–70	44−53
January 13, 1979	St. Francis (NY)	Loss, 87–78	44−54
February 26, 1979	#6 Syracuse‡‡	Loss, 92–60	44−55
December 2, 1979	at Boston College	Loss, 86–57	44−56
December 7, 1979	at #11 Syracuse	Loss, 107–61	44−57
December 8, 1979	Hofstra††	Loss, 75–64	44−58
December 8, 1981	at Utica	Loss, 53–49	44−59
February 2, 1983	Utica	Loss, 60–59OT	44−60
December 10, 1983	at Seton Hall	Loss, 87–76	44−61
February 20, 1984	at Utica	Loss, 55–50	44−62
December 8, 1984	at Seton Hall	Loss, 62–52	44−63
December 7, 1985	at Seton Hall	Loss, 74–39	44−64
December 5, 1987	at Siena	Loss, 75–70	44−65
December 3, 1988	Siena	Loss, 91–52	44−66
February 7, 1989	at Army	Win, 77–70	45−66
February 26, 1990	at Siena	Loss, 90–76	45−67
Home	31−20
Road	13−44
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

Rivalry with Siena

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. 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. The rivalry was acknowledged by Siena shortly after the teams began playing, 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, 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.

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.

Despite the heated rivalry between the two schools, when Siena head coach Dan Cunha resigned after the 1959–60 season, 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. Cunha withdrew his resignation in July 1960, and was 1961 MECAA coach of the year.

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. The behavior of the Le Moyne players and fans in connection with the melee was criticized in Siena's school newspaper.

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

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. 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.

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:

In-season tournaments hosted by Le Moyne

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 through 1989, were branded as the Coca-Cola Classic. The brackets below show the results of these tournament games.

1964

References:

	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.

1965

References:

	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.

1966

References:

	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

1967

References:

	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

1968

References:

	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

1969

References:

	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

1970

References:

	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

1971

References:

	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

1973

References:

	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

1974

References:

	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

1975

References:

	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)

1984

References:

	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)

January 1985

References:

	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.

December 1985

References:

	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

1986

References:

	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

1987

References:

	Semifinals December 11				Championship December 12
	Le Moyne	87
	Southampton	77
					Le Moyne	92
					Keene State	60
	Keene State	91
	Mansfield	84			Third Place
					Southampton	56
					Mansfield	85

Pete Jerebko of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• Pete Jerebko, Le Moyne
• Scott Hicks, Le Moyne
• Russell Barnes, Le Moyne
• Steve Kaufman, Keene State
• Garrett Broderick, Mansfield
• Daryl Cambrelen, Southampton

1988

References:

	Semifinals December 9				Championship December 10
	Le Moyne	84
	Dowling	70
					Le Moyne	65
					Cheyney	64
	Cheyney	69
	Lowell	52			Third Place
					Dowling	71
					Lowell	90

1989

References:

	Semifinals December 8				Championship December 9
	Le Moyne	87
	Davis & Elkins	34
					Le Moyne	80
					Sacred Heart	72
	Sacred Heart	83
	California (PA)	67			Third Place
					Davis & Elkins	79
					California (PA)	100

Len Rauch of Le Moyne was named most valuable player.

The all-tournament team included:

• Len Rauch, Le Moyne
• Julius Edwards, Le Moyne
• Todd Williams, Sacred Heart
• Sean Williams, Sacred Heart
• Timmy Brown, California (PA)

Honorees

Le Moyne has 39 men's basketball players, coaches and contributors honored in the Le Moyne Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition, two of Le Moyne's teams have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Honored players

Name	Years	Awards and achievements
Joe Boehm	1947–51	Captain of inaugural 1947–48 freshman team; served as the first arena announcer in the Le Moyne Events Center from 1962 through at least 1976
John Caveny	1959–62	Captain of the 1961–62 team, 1961 MECAA All-Star Second Team
Tom Cooney	1961–64	1964 Le Moyne College Athlete of the Year; co-captain and starting point guard on 1964 NCAA tournament team at 5'8"; head coach from 1973 to 1979
Gary DeYulia	1963–66	All-MECAA, All-ECAC, First Team Catholic College All-American, Honorable Mention College All-American, played in three NCAA tournaments
Bob Dietz	1953–56	Scored 1,085 career points
Tom Downey	1967–70	All-ECAC; starting point guard on 1968 and 1969 NCAA tournament teams; captain of 1969–70 team
Laurence Ekperigin	2006–10	Le Moyne's career scoring and rebounding leader with 1,966 points and 1,171 rebounds; the only Le Moyne player named first team all-conference in three consecutive seasons
Tom Fletcher	1975–79	Excellent ball handler, who averaged almost 10 points and four rebounds per game; also pitched for Le Moyne's baseball team
Paul Galvin	1980–84	Le Moyne's all-time leader in career assists with 602
Jene Grey	1975–79	1,729 points and 969 rebounds for his career, both of which ranked him second in program history at the time his collegiate career ended; co-captain during both his junior and senior seasons
Don Guido	1968–69	Elected primarily for his accomplishments in baseball; played varsity basketball as a sophomore on the 1969 NCAA tournament team
Phil Harlow	1969–73	Regarded by many as the best player in program history; team captain for three years; ended his career as the program's all-time leading career scorer; scored 41 points on February 18, 1971, to match the program's single-game record; second-team New York State College Division All-Star in 1971 and 1972 1972 ECAC Division II All-Star; named first-team District II All-Star by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. honorable mention for the College Division All-New York State team
James Henderson	1983–87	1,554 points, 722 rebounds and 118 blocked shots for his career
Scott Hicks	1984–88	1988 Rev. John J. O'Brien Award for Le Moyne College Male Athlete of the Year, All-MECC, All-Northeast Region, Co-Captain, had 1,470 points, 627 rebounds, 320 assists and 178 steals for his career, head coach from 1992 to 1997
Billy Jenkins	1950–53	Scored 1,063 points in three varsity seasons
Pete Jerebko	1984–88	1988 MECC Player of the Year, co-captain of 1987–88 team, 1,736 points, 731 rebounds and 117 steals for his career
Dick Kenyon	1952–56	1,378 career points in four varsity seasons
Wright Lassiter	1981–85	1985 Rev. J.J. O'Brien Male Senior Athlete Achievement Award, 1,260 points and 895 rebounds for his career
John Lauer	1973–77	Quiet leader who was also a prolific scorer and rebounder; known to his teammates as "Cakes", was team captain as a senior in 1976–77; finished his career as the program's fourth all-time career scorer
Dave Lozo	1947–51	Scored 1,100 points for his career
Dick Lynch	1957–60	1,150 career points
Ronnie Mack	1954–57	1956–57 team captain; 1957 Le Moyne College Athlete of the Year
Rick May	1970–74	Left the program as its all-time leading rebounder with 1,028, scored 1,224 points for his career, averaged a double-double over his career
Mike Montesano	1991–95	1995 Division II All-American, scored 1,759 points for his career, set program single-season point scoring record with 646 in 1994–95
Tom Mullen	1963–66	Played in two NCAA tournaments, 1965 and 1966 All-MECAA, led Le Moyne in rebounding 1964–65 and 1965–66, MECAA leading scorer in 1965–66, 1966 ECAC All-Star
Dick Myers	1961–64	Starter on 1964 NCAA tournament team
Flagan Prince	2001–03	2003 All-NE10 First Team, 2003 NABC All-America Honorable Mention, led team in scoring and rebounding in both of his seasons
Len Rauch	1987–91	1991 MECC Player of the Year, four-time All-MECC Team, career totals of 1,876 points, 1,151 rebounds and 509 assists
Dick Reddington	1956–57	Le Moyne College Athletic Achievement Award; elected primarily for his accomplishments as goalkeeper on the soccer team from 1956–59; appeared in games for the varsity basketball team as a sophomore, when the team was shorthanded due to injuries
Don Savage	1947–51	Three years as varsity team captain, including the 1950–51 team that had a historic turnaround from an 0–5 start to capture third place in the National Catholic Invitational Tournament, Le Moyne's first significant postseason appearance
Bill Stanley	1959–62	1961 MECAA All-Star, averaged over 10 rebounds per game at 6'2"
Adam Stockwell	1992–96	Captain and leading scorer for 1995–96 team that went to NCAA tournament, Division II All-America Honorable Mention, averaged 21.1 points and 5.6 rebounds for his senior season
John Tomsich	1995–99	1999 Rev. J.J. O’Brien Senior Athlete Award, 1999 NABC All-America Second Team, led team in scoring each of his last three seasons, career totals of 1,760 points and 1,015 rebounds, left program as leader in career blocked shots with 264, averaged 21.1 points and 11.7 rebounds as a senior, played in two NCAA tournaments
Ralph Yahn	1961–64	Co-captain and leading rebounder on 1964 NCAA tournament team

Honored coaches

Names	Years	Awards and achievements
John Beilein	1983–1992	1988 NCAA tournament appearance, 1988 MECC Coach of the Year, 1984 and 1988 MECC regular-season titles, 1988 MECC tournament title
James McGrath	1958–1998	Played on 1958–59 freshman team, graduated in class of 1962, and went on to a storied career as a high school basketball coach; was serving Le Moyne as volunteer assistant coach as of 1998, the time of his Hall of Fame induction
Tommy Niland	1947–1990	Le Moyne's first varsity head coach, first freshman team head coach and first athletic director, coached varsity team for 25 seasons, program's all-time leader in wins as a head coach with 326 and NCAA tournament appearances with seven, also served Le Moyne as varsity baseball head coach

Others honored

Name	Years	Notes
1959–60 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team	1959–60	Earned a berth in the NCAA tournament, finishing with a 13–5 record, won Le Moyne's first MECAA championship
1987–88 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team	1987–88	Earned Le Moyne's first berth in an NCAA tournament in 19 years, finishing with a 24–6 record, a new high win total for the program, won MECC regular-season and tournament championships
Don Familo	1992–present	Color commentator for Le Moyne basketball radio and video streaming broadcasts
Chris Granozio	1992–present	Play-by-play commentator for Le Moyne basketball radio and video streaming broadcasts
Bernie Quinn	1947–51	First team manager, including manager of the 1947–48 freshman team, business manager for Le Moyne Athletic Association from 1949 to 1951; served as the first timekeeper in the Le Moyne Events Center from 1962 through at least 1976

Awards

Conference Coaches of the Year

• Tommy Niland – 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965
• John Beilein – 1988
• Patrick Beilein – 2017, 2018
• Nate Champion – 2020

Conference Players of the Year

• Bill Stanley – 1962
• Gary DeYulia – 1966
• Pete Jerebko – 1988
• Len Rauch – 1991
• Laurence Ekperigin – 2009

Conference Freshmen/Rookies of the Year

• Len Rauch – 1988
• Trent Morgan – 2005

Conference tournament MVPs

• Bill Stanley – 1960
• Pete Jerebko – 1988
• Rob Atene – 1997
• Isaiah Eisendorf – 2018

Postseason tournament Most Outstanding Players

• Don Savage – 1950, 1951
• Bill Jenkins – 1952

Dolphins in the NBA

Dolphins in the NBA
NBA draft selections
Total players selected:	7
No. 1 picks:	0
Lottery picks:	0
First round:	0
Appeared in NBA games:	1

Name	Height	Weight (lb)	Hometown	High school	Draft year	Round	NBA team	Played in NBA
John Caveny	6'0"	180	Syracuse, New York	St. John the Evangelist High School	1962	12th	St. Louis
Jene Grey	6'4"	190	Brooklyn, New York	Sidney High School	1979	7th	San Diego
Bill Jenkins	6'0"	180	Syracuse, New York	St. Vincent de Paul High School	1953	6th	Syracuse
Dick Kenyon	6'3"	170	Syracuse, New York	East Syracuse High School	1956	12th	Syracuse
Dick Lynch	6'4"	175	Fayetteville, New York	Manlius High School	1960	8th	Syracuse
Chuck Sammons	6'3"	200	Syracuse, New York	St. Vincent de Paul High School	1961	11th	Syracuse
Don Savage	6'3"	205	Manlius, New York	Manlius Military Academy	1951	2nd	Syracuse	Y

Facilities

The Le Moyne Dolphins have played home games in five different venues, since the inception of the program, and have an all-time home record of 634–275. Le Moyne's home record by venue through the end of the 2023–24 season is summarized as follows:

Venue	Seasons	Wins	Losses	Pct.
State Fair Coliseum	1948–49 to 1950–51	16	8	.667
Onondaga County War Memorial	1951–52, 1955–56 to 1956–57	13	13	.500
North Syracuse High School	1951–52	2	1	.667
West Jefferson Street Armory	1952–53 to 1954–55, 1957–58 to 1961–62	57	17	.770
Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center	1962–63 to present	546	236	.698
Totals	1948–49 to 2023–24	634	275	.697

Le Moyne Events Center (1962–present)

The Le Moyne Dolphins presently play their home games on Ted Grant Court in the 2,637-seat Le Moyne Events Center; the maximum seating capacity for basketball is likely somewhat different from the arena's reported maximum capacity, since that includes seats placed on the floor, but it includes portable bleachers at only one end of the building rather than at both the east and west ends, which is possible for basketball games.

Ground was broken on construction of the Events Center in March 1961, as part of the larger Henninger Athletic Center, and the arena opened on December 1, 1962, with a basketball game featuring Le Moyne vs. archrival Siena. The arena underwent a significant renovation in 2016, and reopened on October 12 of that year.

The Events Center hosted Northeast Regional games of the 1965, 1966 and 1969 NCAA College Division tournaments.

External links

• Le Moyne Dolphins Men's Basketball official website