WORCESTER, MA- Wheaton College men's basketball sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) became the program's first underclassman to twice earn New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) all-league honors, landing on the first team during Tuesday's coaches meeting at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

The 2008 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Coppola was one of two sophomores among the 11 players selected to all-conference squads, as five were chosen for the top team. He is Wheaton's initial first-team pick since 2006 and the program's lone underclassman on a first squad since the NEWMAC began doing all-conference first and second teams in 2003.

A 6-1 guard, Coppola led the Lyons in scoring (18.6) and three-pointers (41) this winter while placing second in assists (52) and steals (33). He shot 45.9 percent from the floor and canned 74.8 percent of his free-throw tries, falling just two shy of 100 freebies. Coppola posted the 10th-highest point total in program history with 483 while tying for seventh in field goals (172), matching his freshman total.

While at least tying for the team lead in scoring 20 times in 26 games, Coppola turned in nine 20-point efforts, including dropping 37 on 15-of-21 shooting at Salve Regina University on November 18. He hit a three in 22 contests while failing to attempt at least one free throw twice.

Coppola is third in the league in scoring average, sixth in three-pointers and eighth in free throw percentage. During conference play, he stood fourth in points per game, was tied for sixth in free throw shooting and ranked ninth in threes.

Through two seasons, Coppola has posted 983 points in 51 games, as he narrowly fell shy of becoming the initial underclassman in program history to hit 1,000. A 40.5 percent career three-point shooter, he is already seventh all time with 126 long-range shots.

Wheaton went 14-12 this season, including 6-6 during NEWMAC play to take third in the conference, as the Lyons fell in the opening round of the league tournament.