WORCESTER, MA- The Wheaton College men's basketball team ran its season-best winning streak to four games Wednesday night following a 75-67 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) triumph at Clark University in Kneller Athletic Center.

Off to their best league start in four seasons, the Lyons moved into sole possession of third place in the NEWMAC standings at 3-1. Collecting its third straight league victory, Wheaton improved to 11-6 overall, while the Cougars fell to 9-7 and 3-2.

Four lead swings and a pair of ties transpired in the early going of the first half, with Wheaton trailing 10-9 at the 11:17 mark, but the Lyons used a 13-2 run in 2:13 to capture the game's largest lead up to that point at 22-12. Senior Mark Sullivan (West Roxbury, MA/Catholic Memorial) capped the spurt with two threes, while junior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) had five points. Wheaton started 9-of-14 from the field, including hitting its last four shots from beyond the three-point arc.

Clark reeled off seven straight points to trim its deficit to 22-19 at 6:41 of the opening frame, as senior Peter Normandin (Westminster, MA/New Hampton School) and junior Mark Alexander (Providence, RI/Marianapolis Prep) combined for 17 points by that juncture, before freshman Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA/Worcester Academy) drained a three at 5:16 to push the Lyon advantage back out to six points. After each team exchanged threes, the hosts scored four straight points to make it 28-26 with 1:39 to play before the break, but Wheaton scored the final three points in carrying a 31-26 lead into the locker room.

After surrendering a basket to begin the second period, the Lyons answered with an 8-0 run for a 39-28 lead at 16:18. Sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) and first-year Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, RI/Bishop Hendricken) had four points apiece in the stretch. Clark responded with a 12-4 spurt over 2:39 while slicing its disadvantage to three points with 13:16 showing on the clock.

Leading 47-43 midway through the half, Wheaton gained control with a 12-2 run for a 59-45 edge at 6:35. The Lyons led 68-58 with under a minute to go, but the Cougars refused to go quietly, scoring nine points on three treys in 21 seconds to make it 71-67 with 31 ticks left. However, Degnan and sophomore Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) hit two free throws apiece and Clark missed three shots as Wheaton held on for the win.

The Lyons, who entered the week ranked 11th nationally in free throw percentage at 77.4, hit on just 63.6 percent (21-33) in the game. Wheaton had 31 attempts in the second half alone but made just 20, including going 11-of-21 in the final 5:18. The Blue and White converted 53.5 percent of its shots during the contest and 47.1 percent from three-point territory. Clark made 45.5 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Coppola finished with a game-best 19 points, going 6-of-10 from the floor and 6-of-7 at the charity stripe, to go alongside three assists. Freshman Bruno Naylor (Los Angeles, CA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) went 4-of-6 for a season-high 12 points off the bench, Degnan and Sullivan had nine points each, while Stehle and Weeks chipped in with eight apiece.

Normandin led Clark with 16 points and eight boards, Alexander contributed 15 points, and freshman Brian Vayda (Sturbridge, MA/Tantasqua Regional) had 11.

Wheaton returns home on Saturday to face conference-unbeaten Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) at 3:00 p.m. The Engineers are receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com national poll.