NEW LONDON, CT- The Wheaton College men's basketball team defeated the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London for the first time since 2004, as the Lyons posted a 65-58 victory in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday at Merriman Gymnasium.

Wheaton, which extended its winning streak to three games for the third time this season, improved its overall record to 10-6 and conference mark to 2-1. The Bears, who had defeated the Lyons in eight of the previous nine meetings, dropped their sixth straight game to fall to 7-8 and 0-4.

Freshman Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA/Worcester Academy) carried Wheaton early by scoring the team's first nine points and 12 of its initial 16 en route to a season-high-tying 18 points and a season-best seven rebounds. Weeks knocked down his first five shots while snagging three rebounds in giving the visitors a 16-14 lead at the 7:26 mark of the opening half. His traditional three-point play turned a 14-13 deficit into a two-point edge and an advantage that was not relinquished.

Senior Nick Michel (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School), junior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) and sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) combined on the Lyons' next 11 points in helping the Blue and White lead by as many as seven points. Coast Guard narrowed its gap to four points twice before Wheaton rattled off six straight in 59 seconds to make it 31-21 at 1:29, with Coppola scoring four points in the stretch. Shooting 50 percent from the floor with an 18-12 rebounding advantage, the Lyons carried a 31-23 edge into the break.

The Bears scored five straight points out of the intermission and used a 9-3 run to climb back within two at 34-32 with 16:20 remaining, but Wheaton responded by going on an 8-0 spurt in 2:18 in pushing its advantage back out to double figures. Junior Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) accounted for five points during the stretch.

Coast Guard didn't go quietly, twice cutting its deficit to four points, but a Leo three at the 4:04 mark lifted the Lyons to a 54-47 lead. With Wheaton leading 56-50 and less than two minutes showing, Stehle's three from the corner at 1:37 proved to be the dagger, as the Bears came no closer than five points the rest of the way. The Blue and White held Coast Guard to just 28.1 percent shooting in the second half, including 25 percent from beyond the three-point arc.

Weeks finished 7-of-9 from the field, Leo contributed 13 points, and Coppola accounted for 11 to go alongside three assists. Stehle turned in eight points and five boards.

Coast Guard senior Craig Johnson (Medford, OR/South Medford) recorded a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds, while freshman Theo Jensen (Doylestown, PA/Naval Academy Prep) had 15 points. Sophomore Trip Fernandes (Branford, CT/Branford) accounted for 10 points, and classmate Jevon James (Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands/New Mexico Military Institute) was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 13 boards.

Wheaton stays on the road in NEWMAC play on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. start at Clark University.