PLYMOUTH, NH- The Wheaton College men's basketball team used a 9-0 run out of the break to expand upon its 40-37 halftime advantage and didn't look back, as the Lyons posted an 82-72 victory over Centenary College on Saturday to open its season at the Days Inn of Campton Tip-Off Tournament in Plymouth State University's Foley Gymnasium. Wheaton advances to tomorrow's championship game against the host school.

Sophomores Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) and Bobby Perry (East Providence, RI/East Providence) led the Blue and White with 17 points apiece, as Perry's career-best total included going 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point territory. Coppola added a game-high three steals. Classmate Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) contributed 14 points and six boards.

Junior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) recorded his third career double-double, dropping in 10 points while hauling down a game-best 11 boards. Freshman Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA/Worcester Academy) began his collegiate career with eight points and four boards, and classmate Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, RI/Bishop Hendricken) had six points.

Following a tightly-contested opening half that had three ties and one lead swing, with neither team leading by more than seven points, Wheaton took control in the second frame. Coppola's lay-up and trey gave the Lyons a 45-37 advantage before two Sasso freebies and a Stehle lay-in made it 49-37. The Cyclones got on the board at the 16:27 mark, but another Coppola bucket and an eventual tip-in from Weeks at 13:58 provided Wheaton with a comfortable 53-39 cushion.

Centenary chipped away at its deficit and crept to within 66-60 on a three-pointer from sophomore Will Atkinson (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) at 4:33. With Wheaton holding a 70-63 edge in the waning minutes, Sasso's three with 65 ticks left put the game out of reach, while two Perry free throws 15 seconds later gave the Lyons a 75-63 lead. The Blue and White went 7-of-10 from the charity stripe during the final 50 seconds, with Perry and junior Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) accounting for three makes each.

Cyclone sophomore Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, NJ/Toms River East) led all scorers with 20 points, while senior Andrew Baker (Sparta, NJ/Sparta) tallied 16 points and eight rebounds. Atkinson and junior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, NJ/Queen of Peace) turned in 11 points each, with Atkinson grabbing six boards.

The Lyons and Panthers square off for tomorrow's championship at 4:00 p.m., as the teams have met in each other's tip-off tourney title games in the last two years, with the home team winning each time.