The Le Moyne College men’s basketball team lost to No. 22 Villanova University 83–57 on Friday night. The Dolphins played a tough first half, but the Wildcats won in the second half.
Justin Moore led Villanova with 21 points, while Tyler Burton added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Wildcats shot 51.1% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
LeMoyne was led by Ryan Charles, who had 14 points and seven rebounds. The Dolphins shot 38.2% from the field and 25% from three-point range.
Le Moyne stayed close to Villanova in the first half and trailed by only four points at halftime. However, the Wildcats came out strongly in the second half and soon extended their lead to double digits. Villanova led by 26 points in the second half.
Despite the loss, Le Moyne coach Nate Champion was pleased with his team’s performance. “We played really well in the first half,” Champion said. “We were able to execute our offense and defend at a high level. However, Villanova is a very good team and they made some adjustments in the second half that we didn’t make. We’re still a young team and we’re learning. But I’m proud of the way we competed tonight.”
The Dolphins will look to bounce back when they host SUNY Cortland on Tuesday night.
Analysis
LeMoyne had a mixed performance against Villanova. While the Dolphins were able to stay close to the Wildcats in the first half. This is a testament to the tenacity and resilience of the team. Le Moyne, on the other hand, was unable to keep up with Villanova in the second half. This is likely due to a combination of several factors, including Villanova’s superior size and athleticism.
One of the bright spots for LeMoyne was the play of Ryan Charles. Charles was the Dolphins’ leading scorer with 14 points. He also had seven rebounds. Charles is a key player for Le Moyne and his performance against Villanova showed he is capable of playing at a high level against top competition.
Another good thing for Le Moyne was the team’s defense in the first half. The Dolphins were able to hold Villanova to 40.9% shooting from the field in the first half. That’s a good defensive performance against a top-25 team.
However, Le Moyne’s defense struggled in the second half. The Wildcats shot 57.1% from the field in the second half. This is likely due to Villanova’s adjustments in the second half. The Wildcats also began making more three-pointers in the second half.
Overall, LeMoyne’s performance against Villanova was a step in the right direction. The Dolphins showed they can compete with top-25 teams. However, Le Moyne will need to improve his defense in the second half to be successful against top competition.