Weekly Lyon

Men's Basketball (7-1) Extends Winning Streak to Five Games During 3-0 Week

The Wheaton College men's basketball team extended its winning streak to five contests by posting a 3-0 mark last week. The Lyons downed Connecticut College, 60-53 on Tuesday at Emerson Gymnasium before traveling to defeat Roger Williams University, 80-55 on Thursday. After a 71-56 home win against Endicott College on Saturday, the Lyons are off to their best start since 2002-03.

On Tuesday, Wheaton overcame a slim first-half deficit with a key second-half run. The teams combined to hit the first eight shots they attempted, as well as 11 of the first 13 during the opening 4:46. After trailing, 27-25 at halftime and finding themselves behind, 39-37 with 9:42 to play in the game, the Lyons took the lead for good thanks to a 19-6 run, during which junior Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut) netted 10 points. Zukowski gave Wheaton the lead for good at 8:42 when he hit a free throw while scoring nine straight Lyon points. Zukowski posted a game-high 18 points, while senior James Greenslit (Framingham, MA/Rivers School) notched 14 points and three steals. Senior Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) added eight points, seven assists and six steals, while sophomore Brent DiGiovanna (Hanover, MA/Hanover) turned in a game-high-tying eight rebounds.

Five players posted double-figure scoring during a win at Roger Williams. With the score tied at 17 and 9:31 remaining in the opening half, the Lyons embarked on a 24-5 run over 7:50 to forge a 41-22 lead. Greenslit and Kelly accounted for 15 points during that stretch, as the visitors entered the intermission with a commanding 43-26 lead. Wheaton scored the first 13 points of the second half and led by as many as 31 points down the stretch. During the first half, the Lyons hit 56.7 percent of their shots, including 6-of-9 (.667) baskets from three-point territory, and committed just eight turnovers for the game. Zukowski notched 18 points and a trio of three-pointers, Greenslit and DiGiovanna accounted for 11 points apiece, and freshman Kristopher Pedra (Avon, CT/Avon) finished with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Kelly tallied nine points and five assists, and sophomore Eric Johnston (South Windsor, CT/East Catholic) led the reserves with 10 points after making all five two-point field goal attempts.

Wheaton completed its week by downing visiting Endicott, the two-time defending Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champ which participated in the past two NCAA Tournaments. The Lyons led, 22-21 after a low-scoring first half before reeling off 49 second-half points. The Blue and White matched its first-half point total midway through the second stanza, and DiGiovanna dropped a lay-up with 9:10 left to ignite a 20-6 run that put the Lyons ahead, 63-50 with 2:18 remaining. Kelly led all scorers with 16 points in addition to nine assists, six steals and five rebounds. Zukowski was 5-of-6 from the charity stripe in recording 11 points, including 10 in the second half, while Greenslit tallied 10 points with three steals. DiGiovanna added nine points and six boards, as the Lyons came back to shoot 56.0 percent in the second stanza after connecting on six first-half field goals for a 21.4 percent clip.

Wheaton is off until Thursday and Friday, December 29-30, when the Lyons participate in the Weenie Miller Holiday Hoops Tournament at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. The Blue and White opposes Neumann College (PA) in the opening round on December 29 before facing either the hosts or the State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury on December 30. Hampden-Sydney is ranked 24th in the latest D3hoops.com national poll.

Women's Basketball (5-3) Completes First Semester Slate with Pair of Losses

The Wheaton College women's basketball team finished its first semester by falling twice last week, first at home to Salem State College, 73-70 in overtime on Wednesday before dropping a 55-40 decision at Salve Regina University on Saturday. Freshman Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) carried the Lyons on Wednesday with 34 points, one shy of the program's single-game mark.

Against Salem State, the Lyons narrowly fell to the Vikings, the 12-time defending Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) champs who have been in the past 13 NCAA Tournament fields, and 22 of the last 23. Smith scored seven of her 14 first-half points during a 2:05 stretch to give the Lyons a 23-22 edge with 5:45 remaining as Wheaton led, 35-34 at halftime. Despite leading, 51-42 with 14:20 remaining in regulation, the hosts trailed, 63-59 before Smith hit a jumper with 1:06 to go and sophomore Amy Johnson (Wilmington, VT/Wilmington) picked up a steal and knocked down a pair of free throws with 25 seconds showing. Johnson and sophomore Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) each blocked a shot during the final eight seconds of regulation to force the extra period.

With the Lyons down by seven in overtime, Smith responded with five straight points before Wheaton's last-second three-point attempt was off target. Smith scored all seven of the Lyons' overtime points and totaled 34 points by shooting 9-of-15 from the floor and 12-of-14 on free throws. She also knocked down four three-point baskets and was just one point shy of tying Terri Salinetti's '92 program record of 35 set on January 25, 1992. Salinetti's performance also came in an overtime affair, and Smith became just the fifth Lyon to record 30 points in a game and hit 12 free throws. Junior Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) turned in a double-double with 12 points and career-best totals of 14 rebounds and seven steals, while Aitchison added 10 points and four steals. The Lyons' 22 steals tied for sixth in a game in program history, and the contest marked Wheaton's first regular season home loss when scoring at least 70 points in 45 games dating back to November 1993.

The Lyons finished their week with a low-scoring affair against Salve Regina. After Wheaton trailed just 9-6 with 9:09 to go in the opening period, Salve Regina went on a 24-5 run over the next 10:57, a spurt that stretched into the second half as the hosts established their largest lead at 33-11. The Lyons slowly rallied to within 45-34 with 5:23 remaining in the second half, as McCormack and Aitchison combined for 12 straight Wheaton points, but Salve Regina built its lead back up to as many as 19 points. Aitchison notched her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 boards, while McCormack contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) ended up with seven steals to go along with five points and five rebounds.

Women's Swimming and Diving (7-1) Downs Smith in Only Action of the Week

The Wheaton College women's swimming and diving team defeated New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) counterpart Smith College, 167-127 on Saturday during the team's only action of the week. The men and women had their dual meet scheduled for Friday with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) postponed until a later date due to inclement weather. Wheaton's men, who are 6-1, and women completed their first semester with nearly unblemished records despite not entering a single athlete in a diving event thus far this season.

Sophomore Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose) paced Wheaton with three victories against Smith, winning the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events in 25.88 and 55.89, respectively. In the 100-yard backstroke, Pratt finished 5.22 seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer in 1:03.78. Junior Kristen Behrens (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) was also a multi-event winner, completing the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke competitions in 1:16.88 and 2:42.71, respectively. Junior Colleen Smith (Milford, CT/Lauralton Hall) recorded a time of 1:05.67 while placing first in the 100-yard butterfly, freshman Mandy Cumings (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville Community) won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:24.47, and classmate Caitlin Glover (Durham, NH/Berwick Academy) swam a victorious 200-yard backstroke in 2:17.48. Seniors Courtney Catalano (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) and Lauren Pcholinski (Old Saybrook, CT/Old Saybrook) combined with sophomores Melinda Labranche (Dorchester, MA/John D. O'Bryant School) and Meg Miller (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) to win the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:47.88, while Glover, Miller, Smith and freshman Kelly Grant (South Salem, NJ/John Jay) recorded a time of 4:24.12 during a victorious 400-yard medley relay.

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