Cougar freshman DJ Brinn (Madison CT/Daniel Hand) and Lyon senior Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) traded three-point buckets for the first of three opening-half ties in tonight's early going. The two teams then exchanged baskets until the 15:26 minute mark, when Clark went on a 7-0 run to make the score 13-7. However, Wheaton first-year Eric Johnston (South Windsor, CT/East Catholic) hit a key three to turn a 7-0 run into a 14-13 lead with 11:15 to go.
Following a Cougar bucket that put the visitors back in front 15-14, the Lyons reeled off eight unanswered points on the strength of two three-pointers from junior Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) for a 22-15 advantage. The hosts pushed their lead out to as many as nine points on two occasions, but Clark managed to claw its way back in the game and trail Wheaton 36-35 at the break. Johnston and Kelly led the Lyons with 11 and 10 points, respectively at the half.
Wheaton sophomore Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut) started the second stanza by forcing a turnover and then hitting a three for a 39-35 edge, but Clark's Asher Cowan (Petersborough, NH/Cushing Academy) countered with a trey to bring the Cougars back to a single point. Leading 41-40 with 17:45 remaining, the Lyons then used a 16-2 run over the next seven minutes to put the game out of reach, which was highlighted by a pair of three-pointers from Stanton and Kelly to put Wheaton up 47-40.
Sophomore Mischa Tripoli (North Falmouth, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon) managed to hit for two to narrow the gap to five points, but Johnston followed that with three consecutive mid-range jumpers for a 53-42 advantage. Kelly and Johnston continued the run with consecutive lay ups midway through the period, as the Lyons maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the game. Wheaton finished the second half with a strong shooting performance, hitting 17-of-27 (.630) from the field and 6-of-11 (.545) from behind the three-point arc. The hosts also forced 27 turnovers on the night while collecting a season-best 16 steals.
Wheaton finished the game with four players reaching double-figure scoring. Among the team's top performers was Johnston with 21 points on an impressive 10-of-12 shooting. Kelly, who entered the contest leading the nation in assists per game, finished with 16 points and five assists. Stanton also tallied 16 points (4-6 3-pt FG) and a team-high seven rebounds, while Zukowski added 14 points (4-of-8 3-pt FG).
Sophomore Cory Szklarz (Worcester, MA/St. Peter Marian) paced Clark with 15 points (7-11 FG), while junior Tim Dutille (Sunapee, NH/Lebanon) had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
The Lyons return to the hardwood on Saturday, January 8 for a NEWMAC game against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The road contest is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.
Newspaper Box Score Clark University vs Wheaton College 1/6/05 7:00 p.m. at Emerson Gymnasium, Norton, Mass. At Emerson Gymnasium, Norton, Mass. WHEATON COLLEGE 77, CLARK UNIVERSITY 59 CLARK UNIVERSITY (3-7, 0-1) Cory Szklarz 7-11 0-0 15; Tim Dutille 2-9 6-10 10; Pat Ochoa 3-3 0-0 8; Asher Cowan 2-5 0-0 6; DJ Brinn 2-9 0-0 5; Pat Landers 2-3 0-0 4; Brian MacDonald 1-3 0-0 3; Mischa Tripoli 1-3 0-0 2; Rich Ortega 1-1 0-1 2; Adam Miller 1-2 0-0 2; Sean Hoar 0-0 2-2 2; Marc Sztul-Dupiton 0-1 0-0 0; Dave Phelps 0-1 0-0 0; Tim Montanaro 0-1 0-0 0; Jon Janarelli 0-2 0-0 0; Gunnar Hagstrom 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-57 8-13 59. WHEATON COLLEGE (8-2, 1-0) Eric Johnston 10-12 0-0 21; Sean Kelly 6-14 1-4 16; Mike Stanton 5-11 2-3 16; Brian Zukowski 5-12 0-0 14; Justin Brown 1-2 0-0 2; James Greenslit 1-5 0-0 2; Brent DiGiovanna 1-4 0-2 2; Mark Ledwell 1-3 0-0 2; David Harding 1-1 0-0 2; Jake Otto 0-0 0-0 0; Joe Lee 0-0 0-0 0; Ben Davis 0-0 0-0 0; Nick Fradiani 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-65 3-9 77. Clark University.............. 35 24 - 59 Wheaton College............... 36 41 - 77 3-point goals-Clark University 7-19 (Pat Ochoa 2-2; Asher Cowan 2-5; Cory Szklarz 1-4; DJ Brinn 1-3; Brian MacDonald 1-2; Adam Miller 0-1; Tim Montanaro 0-1; Gunnar Hagstrom 0-1), Wheaton College 12-26 (Mike Stanton 4-6; Brian Zukowski 4-8; Sean Kelly 3-6; Eric Johnston 1-1; James Greenslit 0-4; Justin Brown 0-1). Fouled out--Clark University-None, Wheaton College-None. Rebounds-Clark University 43 (Tim Dutille 10), Wheaton College 29 (Mike Stanton 7). Assists-Clark University 8 (DJ Brinn 3), Wheaton College 20 (Sean Kelly 5). Total fouls-Clark University 10, Wheaton College 17. A-200