Salve Regina trailed only once during the game whereas Wheaton tied the contest on two occasions, all coming in the first half.
Seahawk leading scorer Matt Coute [JR/ Somerset, Mass.] led all scorers with a season-high 30 points, including five three-pointers. Chris Collier [SR/ Exeter, N.H.] had 24 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Collier, Matt Grendal [SO/ Foxboro, Mass.], and Jon Hazzard [SO/ North Kingstown, R.I.] dominated in the middle as Salve Regina outscored the visitors in the paint, 36-16.
A jumper by Brent DiGiovanna [FR/ Hanover, Mass.] gave the Lyons their only lead of the game, 34-33, with 3:52 on the clock in the first. Coute would outscore Wheaton the remainder of the half, 6-to-2, for a three-point Seahawk cushion at intermission. A Grendal jumper in the paint keyed a 6-0 Seahawk run at the start of the second half.
Sean Kelly [JR/ Providence, R.I.] made a three-pointer and then three free throws (fouled while attempting a shot behind the arc) before DiGiovanna made a layup to cut the Lyon deficit to three (47-44). But Coute keyed another run (10-2) with a pair of three-pointers and the Seahawks enjoyed at least an eight-point margin the rest of the way.
WHEATON (2-2) Sean Kelly 4-12 12-13 23; Brent DiGiovanna 6-8 3-7 15; Brian Zukowski 5-8 1-2 14; Mike Stanton 4-12 1-2 12; James Greenslit 2-4 0-0 4; Justin Brown 1-2 0-0 3; Mark Ledwell 1-4 0-0 2; Eric Johnston 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 24-53 17-24 75. SALVE REGINA (2-2) Matt Coute 10-18 5-6 30; Chris Collier 11-14 2-4 24; Jon Hazzard 5-9 2-3 12; Matt Grendal 5-9 0-1 11; Andrew Rego 1-3 5-7 7; Steve Walsh 0-1 0-0 0; Matt Smolensky 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-55 19-27 89. Wheaton …………… 36 39 75 Salve Regina ………. 39 50 89 3-point goals-Wheaton 10-25 (Brian Zukowski 3-5; Mike Stanton 3-8; Sean Kelly 3-7; Justin Brown 1-2; Eric Johnston 0-1; James Greenslit 0-2), Salve Regina 6-12 (Matt Coute 5-9; Matt Grendal 1-1; Andrew Rego 0-1; Matt Smolensky 0-1). Fouled out--Wheaton-None, Salve Regina-None. Rebounds-Wheaton 25 (Mike Stanton 7), Salve Regina 33 (Chris Collier 9). Assists-Wheaton 9 (Sean Kelly 5), Salve Regina 16 (Matt Grendal 4). Total fouls-Wheaton 24, Salve Regina 18. A-180