Weekly Lyon

Men's Basketball (10-4, 2-2) Records 10th Win During 1-1 Week in NEWMAC Play

The Wheaton College men's basketball team recorded 10 wins for the ninth consecutive season with a 1-1 showing during New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) competition last week. On Tuesday, the Lyons downed Springfield College, 83-63 at Emerson Gymnasium before dropping a 90-71 decision at United States Coast Guard Academy on Saturday. During 17 seasons as a varsity squad, Wheaton has now reached the 10-victory plateau 14 times.

The Lyons shot 55.9 percent in handing the Pride, which had lost its first eight games by an average of just 4.1 points, its worst loss of the season. Wheaton held a 10-point halftime edge thanks in large part to junior Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut), who keyed a 16-4 first-half run with five points and three assists. With Wheaton holding a 58-48 advantage and 13 minutes remaining in the game, sophomore Eric Johnston (South Windsor, CT/East Catholic) took off on a personal 9-2 run to make it 67-50 at 10:48. Zukowski led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting while notching eight rebounds and five assists. Johnston and freshman Kristopher Pedra (Avon, CT/Avon) each finished with 11 points, as Johnston went 5-of-6 from the floor, while senior Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) nearly had a triple-double with 10 points, eight assists and seven boards. Freshman Ryan McDonough (Holliston, MA/Tilton School) netted a season-high nine points.

During Saturday's NEWMAC loss, Wheaton was outrebounded, 52-23 by Coast Guard, which ranks second in Division III and third in all of college basketball in rebounding differential. Despite shooting 42.9 percent in the first half, including 4-of-10 from three-point range, the Lyons trailed at halftime, 48-33 after the Bears knocked down 22-of-38 shots for a 57.9 percent clip. Wheaton trailed by as many as 21 points during the second half before making a 20-4 charge and pulling within 60-55, but the Blue and White came no closer. The Lyons hit 43.1 percent of their shots, but Coast Guard notched a season high for a Wheaton opponent by shooting 56.9 percent. Senior James Greenslit (Framingham, MA/Rivers School) led the Lyons with a season-high 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from long range. Zukowski netted 11 points, and Kelly totaled nine points and five assists.

Women's Basketball (6-7, 0-4) Remains Winless in Conference Play After 1-2 Week

The Wheaton College women's basketball team remained winless against NEWMAC opponents while posting a 1-2 mark last week. The Lyons began play with a 60-57 loss to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Tuesday at Emerson Gymnasium before knocking off non-conference foe Suffolk University, 52-49 in a Thursday road clash. A 72-64 home loss to Mount Holyoke College wrapped up Wheaton's week on Saturday. Each of the Lyons' last four games has been decided by eight points or fewer, as have their last four home contests.

On Tuesday, visiting WPI's three-point play with 0.9 seconds remaining was the difference during Wheaton's three-point loss. The first half, which ended with the Lyons holding a 29-24 edge, was one of runs, as WPI used a 7-0 swing before Wheaton recorded 11-0 and 7-0 jaunts during a 7:26 span. During the second period, the hosts led by as many as 12 at 43-31 with 13:32 to go before the Engineers came all the way back to tie the game with 23 seconds remaining. After a Wheaton miss, WPI controlled the rebound to set up its game-winning possession. Freshman Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) led the Lyons with 13 points by hitting 5-of-7 shots. Sophomore Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) tallied 11 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists in 40 minutes, while junior Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) added 11 points and six boards.

The Blue and White downed host Suffolk by rallying from a nine-point halftime deficit to snap a five-game losing skid. Down 42-34 with 12:45 to go, the Blue and White scored the next six points and ultimately tied the game on Aitchison's free throw with 3:04 left. Freshman Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) hit the back end of a two-shot foul to give the visitors a 50-49 edge and a lead they would not relinquish at 1:03, and Aitchison nailed a pair of foul shots with six seconds to go. Aitchison recorded a game-high tying 12 points, a game-best 11 boards and four steals, while freshman Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) scored 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. Pleat added seven points and six rebounds, and junior Casey Sorbara (West Chester, NY/Trinity Catholic) finished with a game-high seven steals and six points.

Wheaton hung tough with 11-2 Mount Holyoke before coming up short in a NEWMAC affair. The Blue and White held an early 10-5 lead before the visitors came back to take their largest first-half lead, 24-18, but Wheaton used four points apiece from Aitchison and Hickey to reel off the next 12 points. Behind Aitchison's 11 points and nine rebounds, Wheaton had a 32-28 edge at halftime. Mount Holyoke scored 12 of the first 15 points during the second half, eventually leading by as many as seven on three different occasions over the first 12:35. Sophomore Amy Johnson (Wilmington, VT/Wilmington) canned a pair of free throws to make it 58-57 with 4:47 left, but Mount Holyoke scored on its next possession and never led by less than three points during the remainder of play. McCormack turned in a big second half for Wheaton, as 13 of her team-high 17 points came in the second stanza. Aitchison recorded 14 points, a game-best 10 boards and four steals, while Hickey rounded out the double-figure scoring with 13 points and six rebounds. Sorbara amassed six assists in the loss.

Men's (9-2) and Women's (10-3) Swimming Combine for 5-1 Mark During Historic Week

The Wheaton College men's swimming and diving team went 3-0 last week to set the program's single-season wins mark, while the women turned in a 2-1 record to match their victories standard. The Lyons swept Brandeis University on Wednesday, with the men grabbing a 154-116 decision and the women winning, 161.5-126.5. The Blue and White men swept Connecticut College, 158-110 and Trinity College, 165-124 on Saturday, while the women downed Trinity, 154-140 but fell to Connecticut College, 156-105.

During Wheaton's pair of wins at Brandeis, the Lyons combined to win 20 of 28 swimming events. Sophomore Matt Jordan (Ellsworth, ME/Ellsworth) paced the men to 11 wins in 14 swimming events by picking up victories in the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes and 100-yard butterfly race. For the victorious 400-yard medley relay team, Jordan sided with junior Matt Hurley (Belfast, ME/Belfast Area) and freshmen Chris Romilly (Washington, DC/Saint Albans) and T.J. Sponzo (Simsbury, CT/Avon Old Farms). Hurley posted wins in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley, while junior All-American Barrett Roberts (Portland, ME/Deering) claimed the top spot in each the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events before helping the 400 free relay foursome top the field. Roberts was joined in the relay by Romilly, senior John Kuckens (West Hartford, CT/Hall) and sophomore Ryan Patch (Lexington, MA/Lexington). Kuckens also won the 1,000 free, while sophomore Joe Fowler (Farmington, ME/Mount Blue) was victorious in the 200 fly.

Sophomore Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose) notched a trio of wins in the 50- and 200-yard freestyles and 100-yard butterfly before contributing to the 400-yard medley relay team's win. Pratt combined with junior Cassie Bohn (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa), sophomore Meg Miller (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and freshman Caitlin Glover (Durham, NH/Berwick Academy) during the triumph. Each of Pratt's three 400 medley relay teammates claimed individual wins for the Lyons. Glover took first in each the 100- and 200-yard backstroke races, Bohn won the 100-yard breaststroke, and Miller was victorious in the 100 free. Junior Kristen Behrens (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) picked up Wheaton's ninth victory in 14 swimming events during the 200 breast.

With the Wheaton men's sweep on Saturday at Balfour Natatorium, the Lyons surpassed last season's program-record eight victories. The women matched last season's program record of 10 wins and have three dual meets remaining to surpass the mark. Roberts paced the men with victories in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle events while swimming a leg on the winning 400 free relay team. Jordan swept the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events and Hurley won the 200-yard individual medley, while both swam a leg on the top 200-yard medley relay team. Roberts joined Patch, Romilly and Sponzo on the victorious 400 free relay team, while Romilly and Sponzo sided with Hurley and Jordan during the 200 medley relay win.

For the women, Pratt garnered triumphs in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly events. Freshman Mandy Cumings (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville Community) secured the top mark in the 200-yard individual medley, while classmate Casey Shanley (Rumson, NJ/Suffield Academy) captured the 1,650-yard freestyle event.

Jordan Corrals First Career ECAC Swimmer-of-the-Week Honor

Jordan was selected Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Co-Swimmer of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, January 8. It was the first such honor for Jordan, who shared the award with Williams College freshman Norman Scott.

The sophomore won a pair of individual events against Coast Guard on January 7, helped a relay team to victory, placed second in another race and accounted for 33 of the Lyons' 105 points during a loss to the Bears. Jordan recorded his largest win in the 200-yard individual medley, as his time of 2:06.00 was 5.35 seconds faster than the next swimmer. He took first in the 100-yard backstroke thanks to a time of 54.90, 2.04 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, and helped the 200-yard medley relay foursome to a victory in 1:38.60. During the 100-yard butterfly, Jordan finished 1.39 seconds behind the first-place finisher with a time of 55.66.

Men's and Women's Track and Field Trio Notches Victories at Tufts Invitational

The Wheaton College men's and women's track and field squads continued their seasons Saturday at the Tufts Invitational. A trio of Wheaton athletes picked up victories during the event, which was a non-scoring meet.

Sophomore Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) and freshman Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) headlined the Wheaton women's efforts, as each notched a win. Brousseau took first in the 3,000-meter run in 10:42.72 during her first meet of the winter, while Ezeigwe won the 200-meter dash in a time of 26.02, marking her collegiate debut in that event. Ezeigwe also finished second in the 55-meter dash. Junior Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) placed third in the high jump, while freshman Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School) came within 0.47 seconds of a school record with a time of 3:05.77 and a fourth-place finish in the 1,000-meter run. Coming in fifth was Wheaton's 4x400-meter relay foursome, comprised of Calderwood and fellow freshmen Morgan Jamiel (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate), Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Emily Piuggi (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South). Jamiel recorded fifth-place showings in each the long jump and 55-meter hurdles.

During the men's competition, senior Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover) was the lone Wheaton winner, taking first among 200-meter dash competitors for the second consecutive year in 22.22, improving upon his time from a year ago by 0.42 seconds. Freshman Philip Kiley (Medfield, MA/Medfield) finished 0.01 seconds out of the top five in the 200M. First-year Jonathan Cunha (Lexington, MA/Lexington) placed second in the 55-meter hurdles, while the 4x200-meter relay quartet, consisting of Cunha, Sisodia, and freshmen Kyle Greenidge (Dorchester, MA/Newton North) and Michael Wright (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale), finished second in 1:31.32. The 4x200M relay squad ended up 0.43 seconds behind the winners and was 0.31 seconds shy of matching a school mark. Wright was Wheaton's other top-five finisher, claiming third in the 55-meter dash.

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