The Lyons started tonight's contest on an offensive flurry, as senior captain Mark Ledwell (Charlemont, MA/Mohawk Trail Regional) netted six of the game's first eight points in addition to taking a charge down low to give Wheaton the early momentum. Going on an 11-3 run which was highlighted by a Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) three, the Lyons took a commanding 21-9 advantage with just over 10 minutes to play in the half.
The Emerson offense wouldn't stay dormant however, as senior Graham Stephen (Boston, MA/Masconomet) caught fire and drained three treys for nine of his 14 first-half points, bringing Emerson to 35-30 with two minutes left on the clock. Wheaton hit a lay up to extend its lead to seven points with 1:25 to play, but first-year Fredo Tovar (Los Angeles, CA/Sylmar) drove the lane for a quick two and was fouled to complete the three-point play and move Emerson to within 37-33 at the half.
The two teams traded baskets to open the second half, as Wheaton and Emerson posted 10 points apiece to push the score to 47-43. With 14:42 on the clock, the host Lyons began to pull away, riding the three-point shooting of senior captain Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) and inside play of freshman Brent DiGiovanna's (Hanover, MA/Hanover). Wheaton outscored Emerson, 23-11 over the next nine minutes of play to take a commanding 70-54 lead and never looked back.
For the second straight home game, Stanton hit his stride in the second half to lead the team in scoring, this time recording 24 points on a 9-of-14 shooting performance from the field. Kelly posted a double-double with 15 points (8-8 FT) and 10 assists, while freshman Eric Johnston (South Windsor, CT/East Catholic) netted a season-high 13 points, going 5-of-8 from the floor and hitting both shots he took from three-point range. DiGiovanna chipped in 10 points (5-7 FG) in the victory.
Stephen and junior Steve Georgoulis (New York, NY/Governor Dummer) each scored 16 points for Emerson, going 6-of-10 and 8-of-10 from the field, respectively. Tovar turned in a solid performance with 14 points, five assists and three steals, while freshman Will Dawkins (Springfield, MA/Commerce) scored 10 points on the evening. Senior captain Daniel Zinchuk (Bethel, ME/Telstar) recorded a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the loss.
Wheaton will hit the road this Saturday, December 4 to face Endicott College in Beverly in a non-conference game scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.
Newspaper Box Score Emerson College vs Wheaton College 12/2/04 8:00 p.m. at Emerson Gymnasium, Norton, Mass. At Emerson Gymnasium, Norton, Mass. WHEATON COLLEGE 80, EMERSON COLLEGE 69 EMERSON COLLEGE (1-2) Steve Georgoulis 8-11 0-0 16; Graham Stephen 6-10 1-2 16; Fredo Tovar 4-10 4-5 14; Daniel Zinchuk 5-11 1-4 11; Will Dawkins 4-16 1-2 10; Ryan Shibley 1-4 0-0 2; Jay O'Connell 0-1 0-0 0; David Miller 0-0 0-0 0; Collin DelCuore 0-2 0-0 0; Keyon Hodges 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-65 7-13 69. WHEATON COLLEGE (3-2) Mike Stanton 9-14 2-2 24; Sean Kelly 3-8 8-8 15; Eric Johnston 5-8 1-2 13; Brent DiGiovanna 5-7 0-0 10; Mark Ledwell 4-5 0-1 8; Brian Zukowski 3-8 0-0 6; Jake Otto 1-2 0-0 2; James Greenslit 0-0 2-2 2; Nick Fradiani 0-0 0-0 0; Justin Brown 0-1 0-0 0; Joe Lee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-53 13-15 80. Emerson College............... 33 36 - 69 Wheaton College............... 37 43 - 80 3-point goals-Emerson College 6-18 (Graham Stephen 3-5; Fredo Tovar 2-6; Will Dawkins 1-4; Jay O'Connell 0-1; Collin DelCuore 0-2), Wheaton College 7-15 (Mike Stanton 4-8; Eric Johnston 2-2; Sean Kelly 1-2; Brian Zukowski 0-3). Fouled out--Emerson College-None, Wheaton College-None. Rebounds-Emerson College 31 (Daniel Zinchuk 10), Wheaton College 34 (Mike Stanton 6; Mark Ledwell 6). Assists-Emerson College 18 (Fredo Tovar 5), Wheaton College 16 (Sean Kelly 10). Total fouls-Emerson College 16, Wheaton College 16.