Weekly Lyon

Men's Basketball (14-4, 5-2) Splits Pair of NEWMAC Games with MIT and Clark

The Wheaton College men's basketball team split a pair of New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) games last week, as the Lyons dropped a 61-52 decision to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Tuesday in Emerson Gymnasium before bouncing back to down Clark University, 77-63 on Saturday in Worcester. Wheaton and MIT finished with a season split in their home-and-home series, while the Lyons swept Clark in their two regular season meetings.

Versus MIT, Wheaton put together a quick 8-0 run thanks to a pair of free throws from junior Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) and three consecutive baskets from freshman Eric Johnston (South Windsor, CT/East Catholic) to lead 13-4. The Lyons maintained a comfortable cushion the rest of the half and took a 38-29 advantage into the locker room. The second half started with the two teams trading baskets, with Wheaton maintaining a comfortable lead for the first eight minutes of the period. The Lyons led 46-37 at that point, but MIT used a 15-2 run to spark the Engineers to a 52-48 edge at the 7:11 minute mark and a lead that was not relinquished. The hosts hung around and trailed 59-56 with 2:40 to play, but the Engineers scored six unanswered points to put the game away for good. Senior captain Josean Vega (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael's) led a quartet of scorers in double figures with 13 points. Johnston netted 12 points on the night, while Kelly added 10 points and a season-high eight boards. Senior captain Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) rounded out the double-figure scoring with 10 points and six rebounds.

At Clark, the hosts took an early 8-4 lead two minutes into the first half, but Wheaton tied the game at eight and eventually took a 10-9 lead on a lay up from junior James Greenslit (Framingham, MA/Rivers School). The Cougars managed to hang close and trailed 21-18 with 7:38 remaining, but the Lyons used a 17-5 run including a quartet of three-point buckets to capture a commanding 38-23 advantage with 1:34 to play. Sophomore Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut), who returned to the lineup following an ankle injury, sparked Wheaton with seven first-half points en route to a 38-25 lead at the intermission. In the second half, the hosts narrowed their deficit to 38-28 with 18:44 remaining, but the Blue and White went on a 19-7 run over the next six plus minutes to build a comfortable 60-40 lead. The Lyons pushed their lead to 25 points on another Zukowski three and cruised to the double-figure victory. Zukowski led five players in double figures with a game-best 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Kelly turned in 13 points with a game-high tying five assists and three steals, while Greenslit accounted for 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench. Stanton and Vega added 10 points apiece in the victory, with Stanton also pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.

Women's Basketball (7-11, 3-4) Records 2-1 Week, Defeats MIT and UMass-Dartmouth

The Wheaton College women's basketball team recorded a 2-1 mark, including starting the week with a 66-43 triumph over conference foe MIT on Tuesday followed by a 61-56 victory against the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth in non-league action on Thursday. The Lyons finished the week on a down note, falling to Babson College, 72-52 in Saturday's NEWMAC contest. All three games were played in Emerson Gymnasium, as Wheaton wrapped up its four-game homestand at 3-1.

Against MIT, the Engineers led 12-8 with less than 14 minutes to go in the half, but senior Mary Flaherty (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester) drilled a trey followed immediately by a Samara Audet (Derry, NH/Trinity) steal and breakaway lay up to give the Lyons a 13-12 edge and a lead they would hold the rest of the game. With 17 seconds left in the stanza, Flaherty closed the half by hitting her second three-pointer to give Wheaton a 33-23 advantage heading into the break. The Engineers began to chip away at their double-digit deficit in the second stanza with a 15-5 run to get to within two at 44-42 with less than 13 minutes to play, but the field goal at the end of the run proved to be MIT's last, as the Lyons stymied the Engineer offense by holding them without a basket in the final 12:50. Freshman Courtney Riley (Quincy, MA/Fontbonne Academy) used a strong second half to record a game-high tying 13 points. She also pulled down seven rebounds and blocked five MIT shots. Audet finished with 12 points and a career-best eight boards, while senior captain Kate Williams (Portland, OR/Catlin Gabel) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.

Versus UMass-Dartmouth, Wheaton led 14-10 in a first half that witnessed 13 lead changes. The Corsairs responded with six unanswered points to retake a 16-14 lead midway through the half, but the Lyons bounced back to tie the game before taking an 18-16 edge with 9:30 remaining in the period. The visitors knotted the game at 18 and the two teams stayed within one point of each other until Riley knocked down a jumper with 4:03 remaining to put Wheaton up 26-23. The Lyons outscored UMD, 8-2 down the stretch to gain the largest lead of the half at 34-29. In the second half, the Lyons held their largest advantage of the game at 57-45 with 6:55 on the clock and appeared to have the victory in their grasps, but over the next three minutes the Corsairs used an 11-0 run to bring the game to within a single point. Neither team scored for nearly a three-minute stretch after UMD's spurt, as the Lyons used four free throws from Riley in the closing seconds to hang on for the win. Riley totaled 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, while sophomore Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) grabbed 10 boards with six points and a career-high tying six steals. Audet added 13 points, while senior Jessica Pine (Pottstown, PA/The Hill School) had a career-high 11 points and seven rebounds.

Against Babson, the Lyons stayed within striking distance early, and with the Beavers leading 18-15, McCormack nailed a trey to knot the game. Wheaton began to find its outside shooting stroke, as three of their next four buckets were three-pointers, including one by Audet that gave Wheaton a short-lived 21-20 advantage. The Beavers eventually took a 34-29 lead into the break. In the second half, senior Vanessa Savas (Belmont, MA/Belmont) hit consecutive shots to bring the Lyons to within eight at 55-47 with 6:14 remaining, but the Beaver defense stymied any attempt at a comeback. Babson closed the game on a 17-5 run to seal the 20-point victory. McCormack led the way offensively with 13 points, seven boards, three assists and three steals. Williams recorded 11 points while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, while Savas rounded out the double-digit scorers with a season-high 10 points.

Men's (8-4) and Women's (10-4) Swimming Concludes Home Season with UMD Sweep

The Wheaton College men's and women's swimming and diving teams finished their home schedules with a sweep over UMass-Dartmouth Friday in Balfour Natatorium. The men notched a 125-100 victory on Senior Night, sweeping the individual events, while the women recorded a 127-98 win.

Senior co-captain Chris Klinkow (Hollis, NH/Hollis-Brookline) captured both an individual and relay victory in his final meet in Balfour, scoring the top finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:05.88. He also combined with freshmen Joe Fowler (Farmington, ME/Mount Blue), Matt Jordan (Ellsworth, ME/Ellsworth) and Ryan Patch (Lexington, MA/Lexington) for the winning time of 3:49.88 in the 400-yard medley relay. Sophomore Matt Hurley (Belfast, ME/Belfast Area) led the Lyons with three individual-event victories. Hurley took the best time in the 200-yard individual medley, topping a school record with a time of 2:01.97, while also winning the 500-yard freestyle in 5:06.41 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:20.90. Fowler and sophomore co-captain Barrett Roberts (Portland, ME/Deering) also made major contributions, as each recorded two individual-event wins. Fowler topped all competitors in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:42.26 and the 200-yard backstroke in 2:03.12, while Roberts recorded the fastest marks in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events with times of 21.54 and 48.54, respectively. Patch rounded out the event winners in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:53.75.

On the women's side, senior co-captain Blake Worrall (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) finished her last meet in Balfour with a win in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:05.88 while joining classmate Amanda Berthelette (Milford, NH/Milford) and freshmen Elizabeth McKay (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) and Meg Miller (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) for a win in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:52.98. Berthelette helped set a new school record in the 400-yard medley relay, joining sophomore Cassie Bohn (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa) alongside Miller and freshman Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose) with a winning time of 4:10.83. Pratt captured two individual-event wins in the 50-yard freestyle in 25.18 and the 200-yard backstroke in 2:16.20, while Bohn took the 200-yard individual medley in 2:19.85 and set a new school record with a win in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:34.51. Other victories came from junior Lauren Pcholinski (Old Saybrook, CT/Old Saybrook) in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:38.83 and sophomore Kelly Allinson (Portsmouth, NH/Portsmouth) with an 11:44.10 finish in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Sophomore Colleen Smith (Milford, CT/Lauralton Hall) rounded out the victory list in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:23.90.

Men's and Women's Track and Field Excels at Boston University Meets

The Wheaton College men's and women's indoor track and field teams excelled at this weekend's Boston University meets held in the Track and Tennis Center. The men shattered a school record in the distance medley relay at the Boston University Invitational, while the women posted a pair of NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying performances at the Terrier Classic.

The men's distance medley relay team, consisting of juniors Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover) and Ross Kahill (South Portland, ME/South Portland) and freshmen Pat Benson (Foxboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) and Alex Cook (Hanover, MA/Hanover), ran nearly five seconds faster than the previous mark with a time of 10:36.74. In addition to the relay, Sisodia made his mark in the 200-meter dash with a third-place finish and time of 22.07. He also competed in the 55-meter dash in 6.77. Senior Jamaal Rawls-Payton (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) placed 16th in the 200M dash in 24.21 and 20th in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.25. Kahill took 16th overall in the 800-meter run in 2:07.82, while senior Patrick Freytag (Pittsford, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) was on his heels with a 17th-place mark and time of 2:08.29.

On the women's side, senior Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) and junior Noelle Battista (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) highlighted the meet with a pair of national meet provisional qualifying standards in the high jump and pole vault, respectively. Wallace captured third place with a jump of 5' 5 3/4", while Battista vaulted her way to a runner-up finish and height of 11'. Sophomore Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) turned in a solid all-around showing on the weekend, placing fourth in the high jump after clearing 5' 3 3/4" and 12th in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.90. Freshman transfer Julie McLane (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) placed 17th in the 55M hurdles, while classmate Joell Whitley (Magnolia, NJ/Triton Regional) had an impressive weekend in the field events, finishing sixth in the triple jump with a distance of 36' 2 1/4" and eighth in the long jump at 17' 5 1/4". In the high jump, sophomore Crystal Blamy (Walpole, NH/Fall Mountain Regional) placed ninth at 5' 1 3/4", while first-year Marie Swieta (West Monroe, NY/Altmar-Parish-Williamstown) finished 11th with the same height.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.

News

Men's Tennis: Men's tennis players Beekman and Hudgins named ITA Scholar-Athletes (more)

Women's Soccer: Hough's tally sends Wheaton past Emmanuel, Leddy notches third shutout (more)