Weekly Lyon

Men's Basketball (5-0) Posts Best Start in School History, Defeats Salve Regina, 69-66 and Bridgewater State, 83-70 in Non-Conference Action

The Wheaton College men's basketball team is off to its best start in the 14-year history of the program, as the Lyons ran their record to a perfect 5-0 this week with a pair of non-conference victories over Salve Regina and Bridgewater State. Wheaton edged Salve, 69-66 on Tuesday in Newport, RI and then defeated Bridgewater, 83-70 on Saturday in Emerson Gymnasium.

Junior forward Scott Mahan (Bridgewater, MA/Cardinal Spellman) scored 16 of his season-high 27 points (11-16 FG, 5-5 FT) in the second half to lead the Lyons past Salve on Tuesday. Trailing 39-34 at the half, Wheaton took its first lead of the contest at the 14:30 minute mark of the second stanza, thanks to a lay up by junior forward Frankie Whall (Roslindale, MA/Cheshire Academy). Over the final 14 minutes, the teams witnessed seven lead changes. A three pointer by a Seahawk player gave the hosts their largest lead of the second half at 62-56 with 5:03 to play. A Mahan basket in the paint knotted the game at 63 points apiece with 2:23 left. The Lyons then made 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch to build a four-point cushion before another Salve three-point bucket brought the Seahawks to within a single point with two seconds on the clock. Wheaton first-year guard Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/The Wheeler School) finished the scoring with a pair of free throws.

The Lyons visited the charity stripe nearly three times more than the Seahawks, as both teams shot at least 75 percent from the foul line. Sophomore guard Josean Vega (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael's) totaled 14 points, including a 10-of-13 performance from the free throw line. Rounding out the double-figure scoring for Wheaton was Kelly's 12 points and Whall's 11 points. Kelly also had a game-high six assists, while Whall pulled down a team-best six rebounds.

On Saturday, the Bears opened the game strong, jumping out to an early 9-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. Wheaton finally got on the board with a pair of buckets by Mahan. The Lyons trailed Bridgewater through the first half of the opening stanza, but Wheaton managed to take the lead for good at the 7:43 minute mark. Vega hit two shots to tie the game at 20 points apiece and then senior captain Jarett Lewis (Detroit, MI/South Kent School) followed with a three to give the Lyons a 23-20 advantage. Wheaton went on a 25-11 run during the last nine minutes of the first frame to take a commanding 45-31 lead into the intermission. Whall tallied eight of his ten first-half points during this rally, including a tip in with one tick left on the clock. Mahan, who is the only Lyon player to have reached double-digit scoring in all five games this season, led the Lyons in the opening half with 11 points.

In the second half, the Lyons expanded their lead to 21 points at the 12:50 mark on a three pointer by sophomore Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy), bringing the score to 59-38. The Bears responded with a 22-7 spurt over the next five minutes, cutting their deficit to six points (66-60) at 7:43. That's as close as Bridgewater would get, as Wheaton was able to fend off the Bears and maintain its lead over the final seven minutes to seal the victory. The Lyons were paced by Mahan's game-high 23 points (9-14 FG) and six rebounds. Whall added 17 points (6-8 FG), while Stanton had 15 points and a game-best eight rebounds. Lewis posted a career-high seven assists and five steals and Kelly added a season-high seven helpers for the victors.

Women's Basketball (2-3) Splits Pair of Non-League Games, Downs Anna Maria

The Wheaton College women's basketball team posted a 1-1 week, splitting a pair of non-conference games with Brandeis and Anna Maria. The Lyons cruised past the Amcats of Anna Maria, 70-56 on Thursday in Paxton. On Tuesday night in Emerson Gymnasium, the Blue and White dropped a 71-51 decision to Brandeis.

Against the Judges, Wheaton lost its second consecutive contest of the season. Both teams played nip-and-tuck through the opening half of the stanza, as Wheaton sophomore Vanessa Savas (Belmont, MA/Belmont) paced the Lyons by scoring 10 of their first 14 points of the game. The Judges ultimately took the lead for good with 7:55 to play, using a 9-2 run that gave them a 24-18 advantage. Wheaton battled back to pull within three points with four minutes on the clock, but Brandeis tallied the final four points of the half for a 30-23 lead at the intermission.

In the second half, the Lyons opened the half with two free throws by senior Kerry Deshefy (Clinton, CT/The Morgan School), however Brandeis used a 10-3 run to extend its lead to 10 points with 17:58 remaining. The remainder of the half saw both teams exchange baskets, with neither squad generating any significant scoring runs. Down 11 points with two minutes remaining, Wheaton was forced to foul. The Judges converted seven of their final ten free throws and in the process scored nine straight points to secure the win. For the game, Brandeis shot 19-of-28 (.697) from the foul line, while Wheaton went 5-of-6 (.833) from the charity stripe. Savas led the Lyons with 16 points (7-9 FG) and six boards, while junior Amanda Dow-Allen (Deerfield, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) added 10 points (2-4 3-pt FG) in the loss.

On Thursday, all 13 Wheaton players tallied points in a balanced scoring attack, as the Lyons were firing on all cylinders in the first half. Wheaton outscored Anna Maria, 52-26 in the opening stanza, oustshooting the Amcats 50% (18-36 FG) to 30.6% (11-36 FG) from the field. For the second consecutive game, Savas led the team in scoring, posting 13 points (5-10 FG) with seven rebounds in 20 minutes. Dow-Allen added nine points and three assists, while sophomore guard Jessica Arrendol (Arlington, MA/Arlington) contributed a career-high eight rebounds and four assists.

Women's Swimming (3-2) Drops Hard-Fought Loss to Smith, 163-131

The Wheaton College women's swimming and diving team took a hard-fought 163-131 loss to Smith College Saturday afternoon in Balfour Natatorium.

Sophomore Amanda Berthelette (Milford, NH/Milford) led the way for Wheaton, capturing multiple-event victories in the 100 and 200-yard backstroke with times of 1:04.52 and 2:21.22, respectively. Junior Katie Levine (Needham, MA/Needham) and freshman Cassie Bannell (Farmington, CT/Farmington) posted individual wins in the freestyle events, with Levine finishing the 50-yard free in 27.01 seconds and Bannell the 100-yard free in 58.00 seconds.

Levine and Bannell also contributed to the winning 400-yard freestyle relay. Joining the duo in capturing the relay for the second straight meet was sophomore Blake Worrall (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and first-year Alexandra Cheney (Santa Monica, CA/Marymount). The women finished in a time of 3:53.51.

Despite winning only five of 16 events, Wheaton's depth helped keep the Lyons close over the course of the meet, as the Blue and White witnessed several personal and season-best times. Bannell, Levine and Worrall were examples in the 200-yard freestyle event, finishing second through fourth, respectively. Freshman Lauren Pcholinski (Old Saybrook, CT/Old Saybrook), junior Jenna Gustafson (New Hartford, CT/St. Paul Catholic) and sophomore Flora McVay (Tottenville, NY/Curtis) accounted for the second through fourth-place marks in the 1000-yard freestyle, while first-year Ashley Jankowski (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) was strong in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard butterfly events.

Rounding out the solid performances were McVay in the 500-yard freestyle, Berthelette and Jankowski in the 400-yard individual medley, sophomore Nicole Bassaleh (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield) in the 100-yard breaststroke and classmate Fiona McQuade (Pawcatuck, CT/Prout) in the 200-yard breaststroke event.

Sciolto and Fiskio Named to the 2002 STX/NFHCA Division III All-New England East Region Team

Wheaton College field hockey standouts Katherine Sciolto (Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep CDS) and Emily Fiskio (Branford, CT/Branford) have been named to the 2002 STX/NFHCA Division III All-New England East Region Team. Sciolto was selected to the first team for the second consecutive year, while Fiskio was named to the second team.

A senior midfielder and captain, Sciolto was voted to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference team for the second straight season while wrapping up an outstanding offensive career for the Lyons. She finished her career ranked third in the Wheaton record book for goals (21) and fourth in assists (10) and points (52). Moving from forward to midfield this season for the Lyons, Sciolto registered three goals and five assists for 11 points.

Fiskio, who was a first-year goalkeeper for Wheaton, started in 18 games and was the anchor for the Wheaton defense for the majority of the season. Named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and to the NEWMAC All-Conference team, Fiskio recorded four shutouts and posted a 1.46 goals against average. She ranked fourth in the conference in save percentage (.870) and fifth in saves per game (8.89).

The Lyons posted an 8-11 overall record this season, including a 4-4 mark and fifth place finish in the NEWMAC.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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