During Wheaton's win against the Hornets, Coppola shot 6-of-9 from three-point range while adding three steals, and sophomore Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, RI/Bishop Hendricken) tallied his first career double-double behind 16 points and 10 assists, becoming the first Lyon with a double-digit helper figure since Sean Kelly '06 on March 4, 2006. Senior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) added 10 points, and freshman Brian Johnson (Roxbury, MA/Brimmer and May School) had nine points and seven boards. After shooting 60.5 percent in the opening half, Wheaton finished at 49.3 percent for the game, including 11-of-23 from deep.

Freshman Avery King (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) also scored 34 points for Lyndon State, including 19 of his team's 32 first-half points. He finished 11-of-16 from the charity stripe while adding three steals, and sophomore Ben Sackett (Lyndonville, VT/Lyndon Institute) was 5-of-10 from beyond the arc en route to tallying 19 points off the bench. Classmate Jose Fortunato (Boston, MA/Melrose) contributed 10 points and six helpers. The Hornets shot 56.3 percent in the second half after a 31.3-percent first-period showing.

The Lyons captured the lead for good at 17:54 of the opening half on freshman Cliften Desravines' (Somerville, MA/Taft School) hoop before leading by as many as 26 points during the stanza, grabbing a 56-30 advantage with 58 seconds to go on Degnan's pair of freebies.

Wheaton held a 56-32 lead at break, but Lyndon State went on a quick 15-3 run to open the second stanza by going 5-of-6 during one stretch, including canning four three-pointers. A 12-0 run that took 51 seconds to elapse made it 59-47 at 16:50, with King and Sackett each scoring six points. A King steal and breakaway hoop trimmed the Lyons' lead to 69-59 at 12:57, but three-pointers 17 seconds apart by freshman Scott Faucher (Lebanon, NH/Kimball Union Academy) and Coppola put the hosts back up by 16, and they never again led by fewer than 13.

During the opening contest, Plymouth State senior Mike Chergey (Bow, NH/Bow) went 10-of-14 for 21 points to lead five double-figure scorers, while junior Ryan Lambert (Derry, NH/Pinkerton Academy) posted 20 points, going 8-of-8 on free throws. Seniors Eric Hondal (Miami, FL/Piper) and Jason O'Keefe (Everett, MA/Everett) chipped in with 15 and 14 points, respectively, with Hondal adding seven assists and four steals and hitting all eight freebie tries, while classmate Bryan Tracy (Manchester, NH/Central) was 5-of-6 for 11 points.

Juniors Ryan Birrell (Hope, RI/Scituate) and Dan Royce (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah) paced Salve Regina with 18 points each, as Royce went 8-of-12 with seven rebounds and Birell shot 7-of-14. Graduate student Jabreche Boyd (West Haven, CT/Notre Dame) and freshman Trey Scales (Boston, MA/Concord-Carlisle) recorded 13 points each, while sophomore Andrew Knight (Danvers, MA/Saint John's Prep) added 10 points and six assists.

The game witnessed strong offensive starts by each team, as both the Panthers and Seahawks went 17-of-29 in the opening half for 58.6 percent. Five ties and four lead changes highlighted the opening stanza, including Plymouth State's O'Keefe draining his second trey with five seconds left to force a 42-all tie at the break. The Panthers converted 6-of-12 from three-point territory in the half, while the Seahawks were 5-of-8 from deep. Plymouth State had assists on 14 of its 17 baskets.

The Panthers slowly built upon a 61-57 advantage with a little more than 13 minutes remaining, forging a 76-60 lead on an O'Keefe jumper with 7:46 left. Plymouth State continued to lead by double figures until the final minute, when Salve Regina made it an eight-point contest on a pair of occasions.

Anthony Coppola

NORTON, MA- Wheaton College men's basketball junior Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) became the 12th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone, hitting the plateau during the Lyons' season opener at Emerson College on Tuesday. In netting 18 points, Coppola became the fourth junior to record 1,000 points after narrowly missing out on being the initial sophomore to hit the mark, finishing last year with 983.

A first-year captain, Coppola canned a three-pointer with 54 seconds remaining of an eventual 59-56 loss to the Lions, bringing Wheaton within three points. Coppola became the first Blue and White player to clear the 1,000-point barrier since Brian Zukowski '07 on November 17, 2006, and the initial Lyon junior since Josean Vega '05 on January 29, 2004.

With 1,001 career points, Coppola is now just 37 short of entering Wheaton's top 10. A 40.1-percent career three-point shooter, the two-time all-conference selection is seventh in school history in three-pointers (128). In 52 games as a Lyon, Coppola has paced the squad in scoring 39 times while canning at least one three in 48 contests.

As a sophomore, Coppola averaged 18.6 points while tying for seventh in program history in field goals (172) and netting the 10th-most points (483). The shooting guard tied a school record with 15 field goals against Salve Regina University on November 18, 2008, while tying for third in points, dropping an underclassman-record-tying 37. During the 2007-08 campaign, Coppola landed all-region honors in addition to being named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference's (NEWMAC) and D3hoops.com Northeast Region's top rookie. He tied a school record with four 30-point games, hit the second-most three-pointers in program history (85) and recorded the second-best three-point percentage (47.2). Coppola also placed seventh in points (500) and tied for seventh in field goals (172).

Prior to Coppola scoring at least 483 points each of the past two seasons, only two underclassmen in program annals had reached that plateau, with Will Hawkins '93 and Chris Sullivan '93 both doing so on one occasion. Sullivan and Hawkins stand first and second, respectively, in school history in scoring.

Wheaton's 1,000-Point Club

Coppola got to the milestone in his 52nd career game, shooting 6-of-14 from the floor and 4-for-4 on free throws with three steals. The last Wheaton player to tally his 1,000th point was Brian Zukowski '07, exactly three years ago to the day. Sophomore Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, RI/Bishop Hendricken) tacked on a career-high 17 points, going 6-of-11 from the field and hitting 4-of-5 freebie tries. Senior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) hauled down 10 rebounds. Wheaton forced the hosts into 27 turnovers, collecting 11 steals.

Senior Bryan Rouse (East Greenwich, RI/Toll Gate) led the Lions with 20 points, sophomore Andrew Venter (Boston, MA/Mansfield) shot 6-of-8 for 17 points, and classmate Nathan Firn (Wadesboro, NC/Joseph A. Foran) tallied 10 points.

A three-pointer by Coppola with 54 seconds left brought the visitors within 57-54 and pushed him beyond the 1,000-point threshold, and Degnan countered two Emerson free throws with a lay-up at the 44-tick mark. After grabbing a defensive board with eight seconds left, Wheaton missed a chance to pull within one and, following an offensive rebound, a three-pointer was offline.

Two early buckets by Coppola during the opening stanza forced a pair of ties, and Degnan buried two free throws to make it 11-11. A Coppola lay-up at 9:02 gave the Lyons a 15-14 edge, but Emerson scored eight straight points and eventually forged a 27-19 lead at 2:13.

Wheaton trailed by a 27-22 count at halftime but completed a 9-0 run that carried over from the first half when senior Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) notched a steal and scored to give the Lyons a 28-27 advantage at 17:44 of the second stanza. However, Emerson took the lead for good 18 seconds later before leading by as much as 54-45 with 6:15 left and held off the visitors, who finished the game on an 11-5 run.

The Lyons kick off their home slate by hosting the Wheaton Tip-Off Tournament on Friday and Saturday. After Plymouth State University and Salve Regina University meet at 6:00 p.m. on the opening night, Wheaton faces Lyndon State College at 8:00 p.m.

"It's always a more comfortable feeling when you have experienced players," said the 13th-year coach, who enters the season 16 wins short of 200. "We're ahead of last year in the sense that we might not have to do as much teaching. The upperclassmen pick things up quicker and they've been excellent leaders so far, which really goes a long way when pulling the younger guys along with them."

Winners in six of its first seven games last season, including posting a 16-point victory over eventual NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 qualifier Salem State College, Wheaton went 14-12. Moving up three placements in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) from the previous year with a 6-6 record in league play, the Lyons earned the third seed in the conference tournament, where they dropped an opening-round game for just the second time in the NEWMAC's 11-year history.

Despite seeing a significant jump in the conference standings, Walmsley knows it wasn't enough for his returning upperclassmen. "By the time guys are juniors and seniors, they've matured to the point where they only care about winning," said Walmsley. "They see the big picture more than they did as freshmen and sophomores, since time is running out. They realize the importance of doing the little things, and for the first time we're seeing it in practice. They are concentrating more on defense, believing in defense, and are more unselfish on offense."

Walmsley is joined by fifth-year assistant coach Jon Gibbs, as the tandem is responsible for a smaller roster of 13 players, which includes nine underclassmen. Wheaton is accustomed to playing an up-tempo brand of basketball, and Walmsley hopes to continue that with an even deeper bench than in years past, indicating that all 13 Lyons are quality basketball players who have made practices extremely competitive.

"At this time of year, they're all fighting for playing time," said Walmsley. "Not only does it help that practices are more competitive but it makes us better. There's little drop-off from the starting five to the second five. They understand the style we're going to play and that they might not play as long as they once have, but they're going to get back in the game quicker. We have guys that are pretty close to each other in terms of skill and ability."

Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) and Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) make up the senior class, as each provides a great deal of experience and versatility. A three-year starter with the ability to play on the wing or under the basket, Leo led the NEWMAC in free throw percentage last year after shooting 88.5 percent while pacing the squad in blocks. He was second on the team in rebounding with 4.2 boards per game and fourth in scoring with 8.7 points per contest. Stehle, who was the lone player to start all 26 games, provides the Lyons with a big-body presence underneath coupled with outside range. He led the team with 5.8 rebounds per game while averaging 7.3 points.

Guards Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) and Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) comprise the junior class. Coppola, who garnered all-conference honors for the second straight year last winter, nearly became the first underclassman in program history to record 1,000 points, as he is just 17 away from the milestone. Ranked seventh in program history in three-pointers, the long-range shooter is expected to be on the wing again after finishing third in the league in scoring with an average of 18.6 points. He shot 45.9 and 74.8 percent from the field and free throw line, respectively, while tallying 52 assists and 33 steals.

Having played the point guard and wing positions his first two years and expected to remain in a combo role, Sasso will also be counted on to serve as Wheaton's defensive sparkplug, as Walmsley applauds his knack for strong defensive play. Sasso was among the league leaders in assists (73) while leading the team in steals (36) and finishing second in scoring average with 10.0 points. He was also among the conference's best in two shooting categories, finishing second in three-point field goal percentage (.429).

Wheaton's four sophomores all contributed a year ago, as Shawn Daily (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Saint Michael Academy), Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, RI/Bishop Hendricken), Bruno Naylor (Los Angeles, CA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) and Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA/Worcester Academy) each appeared in at least 18 games last winter. Degnan is vying for starting time at point guard, Weeks is expected to compete for a starting slot on the wing, while Daily and Naylor should provide depth in the front court.

Moving into the starting lineup midway through his freshman campaign, Weeks made an immediate impact, finishing third in the league in free throw percentage (.841) while averaging 8.8 points and 3.4 boards in 24.5 minutes. He also shot 45.1 percent from the field and 36.4 percent beyond the three-point arc. Degnan, whom Walmsley labeled as Wheaton's most improved player, appeared in 24 games last winter. He knocked down 78.6 percent of his free-throw attempts while coming in fourth on the team in steals. Daily picked up two starts during 19 games in the front court, while Naylor made appearances in 18 contests.

Walmsley is excited about the addition of five talented freshmen, all of whom are expected to see time this winter. Guards Scott Faucher (Lebanon, NH/Kimball Union Academy), Brian Johnson (Roxbury, MA/Brimmer and May School) and P.J. Walters (Hempstead, NY/Saint Dominic) join forward Cliften Desravines (Somerville, MA/Taft School) and center Mike Hall (Lynnfield, MA/Saint John's Prep).

Faucher, whose father is the head coach at Daniel Webster College and former head coach at Division I Dartmouth College, will see minutes running the point. Johnson and Walters each bring a different dimension to the wing, with Johnson being able to guard multiple positions and Walters adding quickness to the team. Desravines, a 6-6 forward who runs the floor well and possesses strong athleticism, will be looked upon to be active underneath, while the 6-10 Hall, who Walmsley indicates as being a very good shot blocker, provides the Lyons with their tallest target in 11 years.

Wheaton begins its 24-game regular season slate at Emerson College on Tuesday before hosting a four-team tip-off tournament the following weekend. The Lyons then begin a seven-game stretch where six are on the road, including against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams Bridgewater State College, Elms College and Salem State during a four-game span. Bridgewater State is ranked 11th in the D3hoops.com preseason national poll, while Elms and Salem State are both receiving votes. Bridgewater State joined Salem State in advancing to last year's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

The Lyons then head to Florida to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Holiday Festival, where they will see 2009 NCAA Tournament team State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) on December 23. Wheaton opens its league slate with a home game on January 6 against Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), which qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament after winning its sixth consecutive NEWMAC regular season title. The Engineers are also receiving votes in the national poll.

Wheaton travels to defending league tournament champion Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), also receiving national votes, on January 23. The NEWMAC Tournament is set to begin on February 24.

"We wanted to beef up our schedule in order to better prepare for the NEWMACs," said Walmsley. "We're experienced and have guys who have been through the grind, so we want to see what we have. We might come out on the short end a few more times than we would like, but we feel we have enough good players where we can go out and compete against teams."

Student-athletes receiving the award must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better upon completion of the 2008 spring semester, attain at least a sophomore year standing and be a competing member of a varsity team for the entire season. Five members of the women's swimming & diving team claimed honors to lead Wheaton's programs.

Sara Hollar

Kathleen Dwyer

Caitlin Glover

Stephany Perkins

Iris Meehan

Senior co-captain Caitlin Glover (Durham, NH/Berwick Academy) earned her third honor, while junior Iris Meehan (Bar Harbor, ME/Mount Desert Island) drew her second. Sophomores Kathleen Dwyer (Barrington, RI/Barrington), Sara Hollar (La Crescenta, CA/Flintridge Prep) and Stephany Perkins (Monmouth, ME/Monmouth Academy) all qualified in their first year of eligibility for the accolade. The quintet helped the Lyons take third at the NEWMAC Championship, matching the highest finish in program history. Glover played a hand in four school records at the meet, while Perkins had a role in three.

Stephanie Michals

Jennie Pleat

Senior tri-captain Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) and junior Stephanie Michals (Fairfax, VA/Saint Stephen's & Saint Agnes School) represented the women's basketball team for the second straight year, as the duo also helped the Lyons go 17-11 overall and 9-4 in NEWMAC play, advancing all the way to the league tournament title game as the fourth seed. Pleat, who appeared in a school-record 113 straight games, averaged 6.7 points on 44.7 percent shooting this year while tying for second on the team in assists (65) and placing fourth in steals (27). Michals appeared in 20 games off the bench, turning in four points, four rebounds and a pair of assists in 12 minutes during a contest with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on February 19.

Jon Lecznar

Junior Jon Lecznar (Poland, ME/Poland Regional) of the men's basketball team earned his first career honor. A 6-6 reserve center, Lecznar came off the bench in 21 contests this winter for the Lyons, who went 14-12 overall and 6-6 in the NEWMAC before falling in the opening round of the league tournament. Lecznar provided one December stretch where he snagged at least four rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Winter sports sponsored by the NEWMAC include men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's swimming & diving.

Anthony Coppola

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.

The Wheaton College men's basketball team, which drew the third seed in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament, fell to visiting sixth seed Babson College, 72-65 in the first round Wednesday. The Lyons hosted their first postseason contest since 2006.

Wheaton, which had won the first 11 postseason home games in program history, went back and forth with the Beavers all contest, as the teams played through eight ties and 10 lead changes. The Lyons led by as many as four points, but Babson went ahead for good with 8:23 remaining. Junior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) led the way with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) had 11 points, while classmate Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) added nine points. Senior Nick Michel (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School) had 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and classmate Mark Sullivan (West Roxbury, MA/Catholic Memorial) tallied nine points, as each was competing in his final collegiate game.

Michel is seventh in program history in career blocks (51), while junior Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) enters his senior year tied for eighth (50). Coppola has 983 points in his 51-game career, as he fell just shy of becoming the first Wheaton sophomore to reach 1,000. Coppola is seventh in program history in three-pointers (126). With 483 points this year, Coppola is the sixth Lyon with at least two 400-point seasons and posted the 10th-highest single-season total in program history. Coppola joins Chris Sullivan '93, the program's all-time leading scorer, as just the second to record his second 400-point campaign as a sophomore.

The Lyons, the only team to advance to nine of the first 10 conference semifinals, ended the year at 14-12, while the Beavers broke even at 13-13. Babson opposes second-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in a semifinal at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Wheaton, which had not lost in its first 11 postseason home games, was paced by junior Ben Stehle's (Newton, MA/Newton South) 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) added 11 points, while senior Nick Michel (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School) went 5-of-6 for 10 points in his final collegiate game.

Babson freshman Kris Noonan (Boothbay Harbor, ME/Boothbay Region) paced all scorers with 20 points, going 7-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-9 on free-throw attempts, while snagging six rebounds. Sophomore Shelton Ladson (New York, NY/Frederick Douglas Academy) went 4-of-6 from three-point range and tallied 17 points off the bench.

Both teams shot well in the opening half, as the Lyons were shooting nearly 70 percent before missing their final four shots. Wheaton finished at 56.5 percent while holding a 14-6 advantage on the glass, while the Beavers hit on 52 percent of their tries, including going 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Outside of a 53-span near the middle of the period where the visitors held a 21-16 edge, neither team led by more than four points during the stanza. From there, Wheaton went on an 11-2 run behind four points from Coppola, grabbing a 27-23 advantage by the 6:57 mark. Michel snapped a tie in the final 3:30 with back-to-back buckets, but Babson senior Zach Etten (Hollis, NH/Hollis Brookline) knocked down a three to make it 33-32 with 2:08 left for the final points of the period.

Stehle's jumper put the Lyons up 38-34 1:29 into the second half, but five points from Beaver sophomore Dana Mauro (Wethersfield, CT/Wethersfield) sparked a 7-0 run that made it 41-38. Senior Mark Sullivan (West Roxbury, MA/Catholic Memorial) responded with a tying three-pointer at 10:22 and a trey that brought Wheaton within one at 9:29 before a Stehle long-range shot from the corner put the hosts on top 51-49 with 8:47 to go.

A three-point play by sophomore Matt Zoia (Nashua, NH/Bishop Guertin) put Babson in front for good at 8:23 before Ladson banked home a three to push the visitors' advantage to 61-56 with 3:34 remaining. Wheaton never came closer than three, as Babson's final seven points came on free throws.

The Wheaton College men's basketball team went 1-1 last week, ultimately clinching the third seed in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament with an 84-80 victory over visiting Clark University on Saturday. The Lyons opened play with an 85-68 setback on Wednesday after holding close with host Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), which was receiving votes in the D3hoops.com national poll. Wheaton, which finished third in the league for its best regular season placement since 2004-05, will host its first postseason contest since 2006 when it takes on sixth-seeded Babson College on Wednesday. The NEWMAC Tournament semifinals and final occur over the weekend at WPI. The Lyons, who are the only squad in league history to advance to the semifinals nine times, would need to win the tournament to corral their initial NCAA Tournament bid.

Against the Engineers, Wheaton trailed by only seven points with a little more than seven minutes remaining before WPI pulled away. Sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) shot 8-of-13 for 23 points to lead the Lyons, who went 9-of-20 from three-point range. Freshman Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA/Worcester Academy) tallied 15 points behind a 3-of-4 showing from beyond the arc. Sophomore Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) added eight points.

Wheaton and Clark exchanged the lead 16 times in the second half alone, as Weeks' two freebies with 2:47 remaining put the Lyons on top to stay. Weeks shot 7-of-8 on free-throw tries, helping his team go 28-of-34, while finishing with 15 points and four assists. Coppola added 20 points, junior Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) shot 5-of-7 for 14 points, and Sasso tallied 14 points and a career-high-tying seven rebounds. In his final regular season home game, senior Nick Michel (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School) totaled 12 points, six boards and two blocks in 19 minutes, while junior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) tacked on seven caroms.

Michel is now seventh in program history in career blocks (51), while Leo is tied for eighth (50). Coppola has 972 points in his 50-game career, as he sits one point shy of Scott Mahan '04 for 12th on Wheaton's all-time list. Coppola is seventh in program history in three-pointers (125). With 472 points this year, Coppola is the sixth Lyon with at least two 400-point seasons and is six points short of matching Mahan for the 10th-highest single-season total. Coppola joins Chris Sullivan '93, the program's all-time leading scorer, as just the second to record his second 400-point campaign as a sophomore.

The Lyons completed the regular season at 14-11 overall and 6-6 in the league, as their third-place finish is the team's best since 2004-05. Clark slipped to 10-15 and 4-8, as each team scored 80 for the fourth time in the last eight meetings. Wheaton will host number-six Babson College on Wednesday at in the first round of the NEWMAC Tournament, while the Cougars earned the fifth seed.

After sophomore Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) nailed a three-pointer at the first-half horn to send Wheaton into the locker room up 34-33, providing the first lead change of the game, the teams swapped advantages seven times in the opening 2:51 of the second stanza. Neither led by more than four until Clark senior Peter Normandin (Westminster, MA/New Hampton School) hit a pair of free throws to make it 55-49 at 9:35.

The Cougars twice went up by as many as seven, but Wheaton charged back, with a pair of Weeks free throws making the score 66-65 before Sasso converted a three-point play to knot the contest at 68 with 5:11 left. Weeks put the Lyons on top with a freebie at 4:43, the first of five lead swings in a 1:56 stretch, before his critical free throws gave Wheaton the final advantage. Weeks later hit a jumper as the shot clock expired, making it 77-72, and Sasso drew a charge in transition with his team clinging to a three-point edge and 49 seconds remaining. The Cougars came within 80-79 with 11 seconds left, but Sasso and junior Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School) each hit two free throws in the final 9.2 ticks before Leo grabbed a board and ran out the clock.

Clark started the game 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, pushing out to an 11-3 advantage 3:37 into the contest thanks to scoring from four different players. Wheaton slowly chipped away, coming within 15-12 after Leo provided a tip-in and a three-pointer on consecutive possessions. Leo's three at 12:56 proved to be the last bucket by either team for a little more than six minutes, as they combined for five free throws while missing 16 straight shots during a 5:33 span before Weeks' tip-in at 6:51 brought the Lyons within 19-15.

Clark grabbed a 27-20 lead at 4:35, but Sasso and sophomore Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) tallied 1:02 apart to make it 31-29, with Sasso's acrobatic lay-up dropping with 1:16 remaining. With seven seconds left, Sasso grabbed a defensive board before rushing to the top of the key and burying a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lyons their first lead, 34-33 at halftime.

Wheaton went 28-of-34 on free-throw tries while holding Clark to 6-of-28 three-point shooting. Coppola paced the team with 20 points, Weeks had 15 points and four assists, Leo tallied 14 points, and Sasso notched 14 points and a career-high-tying seven rebounds. Senior Nick Michel (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School) totaled 12 points and six boards, while junior Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) snagged seven caroms. The Lyons held a 68-4 advantage in scoring from their bench players.

The Cougars, who had just one first-half turnover and eight for the game, were led by freshman Brian Vayda's (Sturbridge, MA/Tantasqua Regional) 21 points and 14 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. Junior Mark Alexander (Providence, RI/Marianapolis Prep) added 19 points and seven boards, going 12-of-16 from the charity stripe, while Normandin had 16 points and seven caroms. Junior Chris LoPiano (Franklin Square, NY/Saint Dominic) went 4-of-8 from deep for 16 points.