Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > January 13, 2003
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Men's Basketball (11-1) Posts 4-1 Record Since Break, Wins Three Straight
The Wheaton College men's basketball team posted a 4-1 record since the holiday break, defeating Averett (VA) on Friday, January 3 in addition to Emerson, Mount Ida and Fitchburg State this week. Wheaton's lone setback of the season came in North Carolina, where the Lyons suffered a 66-50 loss at Greensboro on Sunday, January 5. The Blue and White defeated Averett, 70-57, Emerson, 82-68, Mount Ida, 76-68 and Fitchburg State, 82-68.
Against Averett, Wheaton used a 22-9 run over the last 8:30 of the second half to pull away, 70-57 in a non-conference game in Danville, VA. The Cougars led by as many as 11 points late in the first half, but a 6-2 Wheaton run to close out the stanza pulled the Lyons within seven at the break. Wheaton then started to chip away at the Cougar lead midway through the second half. At the 9:15 minute mark, sophomore Josean Vega (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael's) hit his only three-pointer of the game, giving the Lyons their first lead since it was 2-0 in the opening minutes. With the score tied at 48 points, the Wheaton defense shut down Averett, holding them to only three field goals during the remainder of the contest. Junior Scott Mahan (Bridgewater, MA/Cardinal Spellman) led the Lyons with game-high totals of 24 points and 17 rebounds in addition to three steals, two assists and two blocks. Sophomore Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) had 10 points and six boards, while senior Jarett Lewis (Detroit, MI/South Kent School) registered eight points and four rebounds.
In their lone loss at Greensboro, the Lyons sprinted out to an early 5-0 lead, as both teams played nip-and-tuck basketball for the majority of the first half. Tied at 13 points with 8:51 remaining, Greensboro took control of Wheaton's poor shooting and opened up a small lead that carried the Pride into the intermission with a 30-25 advantage. In the second stanza, the Lyons climbed back into the game and tied the score at 36 points apiece with 15:13 showing on the clock. However, the Blue and White continued to struggle on offense and over the next four minutes the Pride took full advantage, going on a 13-4 run that put them in front by nine points. Wheaton was able to end the run with a three-pointer by Lewis, but the Lyons failed to hit another field goal over the next 5:25. Wheaton went 9-of-35 (.257) from the field in the second half and 18-of-62 (.290) for the game.
Despite the offensive miscues, Wheaton still found themselves down four points with less than five minutes remaining. However, the Greensboro defense continued to frustrate the Lyons and slowly the Pride opened a 10-point lead with 1:35 to go. Forced to foul down the stretch, Wheaton saw any chance of a comeback fade as the Pride converted on six consecutive free throws to close out the game. Mahan recorded his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the losing effort. Classmate Frankie Whall (Roslindale, MA/Cheshire Academy) and freshman Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) each had career-high's of 14 rebounds and eight assists, respectively. Lewis also chipped in 15 points for the Lyons.
The Lyons got back on the winning track against Emerson on Tuesday, as Wheaton sprinted out to an early 8-2 advantage to start the game by using four consecutive field goals to take the early six-point lead. Emerson was able to answer with a 16-4 run over the next 4:40. The Lyons then responded, battling back to tie the score with 5:05 remaining in the stanza. With the score knotted at 25 points apiece, Emerson was whistled for a technical foul, which started a 13-4 run and gave Wheaton a 38-29 lead heading into the intermission. Mahan paced the Lyons in the first half, tallying 14 points with four rebounds, four blocks and two steals. The second half saw more back and forth play between the two teams. With 14:29 showing on the clock, the Lyons pulled away for good with a 16-5 run, culminating with a three-pointer by Stanton. Wheaton led by as many as 21 points (82-61) with 1:38 to play, as Emerson scored the game's final seven points. Four players posted double-figure scoring for Wheaton, led by Mahan's game-high tying 19 points (6-9 FG, 7-8 FT) and team-best six rebounds. Stanton had a season-best 18 points (7-13 FG), followed by classmates Vega with 14 points (6-8 FG) and Marco Joubert (Haverhill, MA/Governor Dummer Academy) with 12 points.
At Mount Ida, Whall led Wheaton with a career-high 23 points (8-12 FG, 7-8 FT), nine rebounds, five blocks and three steals, as the Lyons defeated the Mustangs. After battling back and forth with Mount Ida, the Lyons made a push at the end of the stanza and posted a 36-28 advantage at the intermission. In the second half, Wheaton came out firing on all cylinders, stretching its lead to 19 points midway through the frame. Mount Ida battled back, trimming the 19-point deficit to a single point at 64-63 with four minutes remaining. The Blue and White finally shut down the Mustang threat, relying on strong defense to finish the game on a 12-5 run and clinch the eight-point victory. Wheaton forced 16 Mount Ida turnovers, while recording 12 blocked shots and nine steals. Stanton and Vega accounted for 10 and nine points, respectively for the Lyons.
Versus Fitchburg State, Stanton recorded career-high totals of 27 points (8-16 FG, 6-11 3-pt FG, 5-6 FT), six three-point field goals made, five steals and three blocked shots in Wheaton's 14-point triumph. The opening half was nip-and-tuck, as the first twenty minutes of play featured 11 lead changes and seven ties. Although back and forth for the majority of the stanza, both squads were on opposite ends of the shooting spectrum. Despite getting off 42 shots in the first frame, Fitchburg only converted on 11 of them (.262), including 1-of-10 from the beyond the arc. The Lyons hit 13-of-25 shots (.520), as the Blue and White pulled ahead, 38-30 at the intermission. Unlike the first half, the second stanza was a half of runs. Wheaton forged ahead by 11 points five minutes into the frame, however following a technical foul by the Lyons, Fitchburg used a 7-0 run to pull within four points at 47-43. Wheaton answered with a 15-5 spurt of their own, highlighted by a trio of Stanton three-point baskets.
Trailing by 14 points, the Falcons battled back yet again, this time using a 12-3 run to pull within five points at 65-60. The Lyons ended the threat with a three-point basket by Vega with 6:12 showing on the clock. After cutting the deficit to six points, Fitchburg failed to get any closer, as the Lyons hit 9-of-14 free throws down the stretch to secure the win. In addition to Stanton, three Wheaton players recorded double-figure scoring. Vega chipped in 15 points (5-10 FG), followed by Whall and Mahan with 13 points apiece. Mahan also added a team-high eight rebounds and three blocks, while Kelly had a season-high nine assists and four steals.
Mahan Garners NEWMAC Men's Basketball Honors for Second Consecutive Week
Mahan garnered New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Player-of-the-Week laurels for the second consecutive week prior to the holiday break. He led the Lyons to a pair of non-conference wins over Endicott and Roger Williams and in the process helped Wheaton to its first 7-0 start in the 14-year history of the program. In two games, Mahan averaged an impressive 24.5 points per contest, shooting a blistering 20-of-28 (71.4%) from the field, with 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.5 steals. Against Endicott, Mahan had 23 points (11-18 FG), eight rebounds and four steals in Wheaton's 68-67 victory over the Gulls. He was stellar versus Roger Williams on Thursday as well, shooting 9-of-10 from the floor with game-high totals of 26 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, as the Lyons dropped the Hawks, 75-59 in Emerson Gymnasium.
Women's Basketball (3-6) Records 1-2 Week, Tops Worcester State
The Wheaton College women's basketball team recorded a 1-2 week at Emerson Gymnasium, as the Lyons fell to Salve Regina, 71-53 on Tuesday, knocked off Worcester State, 60-50 on Thursday and lost to Fitchburg State, 65-62 on Saturday afternoon.
Against Salve, the Seahawks jumped out to an early 6-0 lead to start the game, a lead they would not relinquish. Both teams then played nip-and-tuck basketball through the first half, as Wheaton closed the deficit to three points midway through the stanza. The Seahawks pushed their advantage out to 12 points on two occasions and took a 33-22 lead into the locker room. As a team, the Seahawks were successful on 13-of-24 (.542) first-half field goal attempts, including 4-of-5 (.800) shooting from long range. In the second half, Wheaton looked to cut into the double-digit deficit. With 14:43 on the clock, sophomore Vanessa Savas (Belmont, MA/Belmont) pulled the Lyons within eight points with 14:43 to play, but Salve answered with a 15-2 run over the next four minutes. During that stretch, Wheaton failed to convert a single field goal.
The Blue and White used a 9-1 run down the stretch to pull within 13 points at 59-46. Looking to capitalize on the Seahawks poor free throw shooting (19-of-41, .463), the Lyons began to foul. Despite numerous misses from the charity stripe by Salve, Wheaton was unable to take advantage offensively as the Seahawks slowly put the game away for good. Junior Amanda Dow-Allen (Deerfield, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) led the hosts with 12 points, four steals and three assists, while senior Kerry Deshefy (Clinton, CT/The Morgan School) added nine points and two assists.
Wheaton turned a 9-0 deficit into a 26-15 halftime advantage and never looked back against Worcester State, as the Lyons handed the Lancers their fourth straight loss of the season, 60-50. Following the 9-0 disadvantage, Wheaton reeled off 10 straight points over the next six minutes, thanks in part to a pair of field goals from junior Taryn Brassil (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke) and Savas. The Lyons continued to pour it on the rest of the half, outscoring the Lancers, 16-6 in the final 11 minutes of the stanza in taking a comfortable 26-15 lead into the break. In the second half, Wheaton maintained its double-digit lead for the opening six minutes of play, as a Deshefy three-pointer gave the hosts a 37-25 lead at 14:08. Worcester State then went on a 7-0 spurt over the next minute. A minute and a half later, the Lancers cut the deficit to 38-34, but the Lyons responded with eight unanswered points to take a 46-34 advantage and secure the victory. Deshefy led three Wheaton players in double-figure scoring with 12 points, including a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line, with a game-best five steals and three assists. Brassil posted 10 points (5-7 FG) and five rebounds, while sophomore Kate Williams (Portland, OR/Catlin Gabel) also contributed 10 points and two steals. Savas pulled down a team-high six rebounds with four assists, three blocks and a pair of steals.
Despite a pair of late three-point buckets from Deshefy on Saturday, Fitchburg State held off the Lyons by hitting 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch en route to the three-point victory. Wheaton sprinted out to a 5-0 lead to start the game before Fitchburg settled down. Leading 18-12 on a three-pointer by Deshefy with 8:20 on the clock, the Lyons unfortunately were unable to fend off the Falcon attack. The lead changed hands four times in the first half, with Wheaton taking a one-point edge into the intermission, 27-26. The second half proved to be very similar for the two squads, as Wheaton and Fitchburg State witnessed five lead changes and two ties through the first 15 minutes of the stanza. The Falcons took the lead for good with 4:53 remaining. Fitchburg then extended its lead to six points with 2:08 to go on a pair of free throws. Following a Brassil field goal, Wheaton forced a turnover and had a chance to pull within a single point when Deshefy was fouled behind the arc. Converting on 2-of-3 free throws, the Blue and White were forced to foul. Fitchburg hit both free throws to put the Falcons ahead 60-56. Following another Wheaton foul, Fitchburg hit one free throw to increase the lead to five points.
Deshefy responded with one of her game-high three three-point field goals, pulling Wheaton back within two points, only to see the Falcons hit two more free throws with 13 seconds remaining. Deshefy again hit a trey the next time down the court, however the visitors calmly sunk two more free throws with 3.1 seconds left and the Lyons were unable to get a shot off as time expired. Deshefy ended the game with a career-high tying 21 points, including 16 points in the second half, and a career-high six steals for Wheaton. Brassil and senior Jessica Arment (Lee, MA/Lee) rounded out the double-figure scoring for Wheaton, recording 14 and 11 points, respectively. Arment also added a team-high eight rebounds and career-high five steals.
Wheaton Track Teams Open 2003 Season at 34th Annual Dartmouth Relays, Women Capture Team Championship and Men Finish Sixth Overall
The Wheaton College men's and women's track & field teams opened their 2003 campaigns at the 34th annual Dartmouth Relays Sunday afternoon, as the Lyons posted several strong individual performances in Leverone Field House. The women, four-time defending NCAA Division III Champions, began defense of their national title by placing first out of 29 teams with 76.83 points. The men finished sixth overall with 21 points on the afternoon.
On the women's side, first-year athlete Aquila Williams-Judge (Boston, MA/Scituate) made her collegiate debut a memorable one, winning the 55-meter hurdles while placing second in the pentathlon and the triple jump. Capturing the 55-meter hurdle event in a time of 8.12 seconds, Williams-Judge exceeded the NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying standard. In the pentathlon, she shattered the school record with 3330 points. Her leap of 37' 3" in the triple jump was good enough to qualify her provisionally for the national meet at DePauw University in mid-March.
Junior Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) also had a solid day for the Lyons, gaining provisional qualifications in the 55 and 400-meter dash events. James finished as the top collegiate runner in the 400M dash with a time of 57.51 seconds and placed third overall in the 55M dash with a time of 7.30 seconds. Also scoring in the 55-meter event was Amber's sister, freshman Aspen James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury), who finished sixth with a provisional qualifying time of 7.35 seconds.
Rounding out the scoring for the women was sophomore Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/Cathedral), who captured the triple jump title with a provisional qualifying jump of 37' 8 3/4". She also finished second in the high jump, clearing a height of 5' 4 1/4". In the 55-meter hurdles, senior captains' Noreen Kordzeil (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) and Kristin Cullen (Stoneham, MA/Stoneham) finished fourth and fifth place, respectively, while captain Kerry Teamey (Klamath Falls, OR/Henley) tied for sixth in the pole vault and sophomore Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) tied for sixth in the high jump.
Wheaton also had a strong showing with its 4x400 and 4x200-meter relay teams. Along with the James' sisters and Kordzeil, freshman Oly Wirtz (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg) rounded out the winning 4x400-meter relay squad with a provisional qualifying time of 3:59.72. Cullen sided with junior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover), sophomore Jessica Allegra (Easthampton, CT/Easthampton) and first-year Lindsey Walker (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) for a sixth-place finish in the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1:49.89.
Junior Erik Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) highlighted the day for the men, winning the 400-meter dash in a time of 49.28 seconds, giving him a provisional qualifying mark. Sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) also was a provisional qualifier, clearing 6' 9 3/4" in the high jump. Junior Tyrone McClain (New Haven, CT) and freshman Justin Jin (Newton, MA/Newton South) rounded out the scoring, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively in the long jump.
Souza Named to 2004 USA World Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff
Wheaton College men's and women's track and field head coach Paul Souza has been named one of three assistant coaches for the 2004 United States World Indoor Track and Field team that will compete in Budapest, Hungary. "It's an honor to represent your country, especially at the world championships and during an Olympic year," Souza stated. "Any time you have a chance to serve your country at the highest level of your sport, it is the highest honor you can receive other than being an Olympic coach." This comes as the latest of a number of positions with United States of America Track and Field (USATF), as Souza is a Level I and II certified coach and national high jump chair for men's development. In 2001, he was selected as an assistant coach for the U.S. World Junior team in addition to being named an assistant with the 1995 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival team.
Currently in his ninth year at Wheaton, Souza has led the women's track and field program to six national titles (four indoor and two outdoor), three second place finishes and one third place mark at the NCAA Division III Championships over a five-year span. He also led the men's indoor team to a fourth place standing and the outdoor squad to a fifth place mark in 2002. In his eight years, Souza has produced 49 national champions, 160 All-Americans and 188 NCAA national meet qualifiers. He was selected by the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) as the 2002 NCAA National Indoor Coach of the Year, Northeast Regional Coach of the Year on six occasions and the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Coach of the Year six times.
Women's Soccer Earns NSCAA College Team Academic Award, Sweeps NEWISA Awards with Reis Voted Coach of the Year for Third Time in Four Years
The Wheaton College women's soccer team had a stellar season on the field and were recently honored for its accomplishments off the field, as the Lyons garnered the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) College Team Academic Award for success in the classroom. Wheaton posted a solid 3.37 grade point average during the 2001-02 academic year. To be eligible for the award, a program must achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher as a team over the course of an academic year. In all, 213 women's programs earned the award and will be honored at the 56th annual NSCAA Convention on January 15-19 in Kansas City, Missouri. "I am proud of our team's accomplishments in the classroom," stated six-year head coach Luis Reis. "We take tremendous pride in being successful on and off the field. We are also focused on maintaining a 3.0 grade point average while having a team goal to have at least eight players make the Dean's List. Our current and former players have exhibited the ability to properly balance academics and soccer."
A total of five Wheaton College women's soccer players have been named to the 2002 New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) All-New England team. Six-year head coach Luis Reis was also voted as NEWISA Co-Coach of the Year, as this season marked the third time in four years that Reis has earned the honor. Among the Wheaton players to be named to the first team were juniors Tracy Prihoda (Needham, MA/Needham) and Christy McHugh (Salem, MA/Bishop Fenwick) as well as sophomores Erin Duffy (E. Longmeadow, MA/E. Longmeadow) and Erin Brennan (Mesa, AZ/Xavier College Prep). Junior Jessica Broomhead (Barrington, RI/Barrington) was selected to the second team. Wheaton was the only school to have four honorees chosen to the first team. Prihoda and Duffy both garnered first-team laurels for the second straight season.
"I am once again honored to be the recipient of this award given by my peers and fellow coaches around New England," said Reis. "I truly believe that the award, any coach-of-the-year award, should be named the team and coach-of-the-year award. I am proud of my players' accomplishments from this season and over my last six years. I'd like to thank my players and assistant coach Tony Martin for their contributions in making this recognition possible. This year‚s group was the most enjoyable I have had the privilege to coach, a very talented and coachable group of young ladies."
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