Wheaton senior forward Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, Mass.) poured in a game-high 22 points and drilled 6-of-11 from three-point range to help Wheaton improve to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the NEWMAC. Sophomore forward Brian Zukowski (Dracut, Mass.) had 15 points and three steals, and junior guard Sean Kelly (Providence, R.I.) added 13 points.
For the Pride (10-3 overall, 1-1 NEWMAC), junior guard Derek Yvon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) scored 20 points and made five steals, and junior forward Joel Aponte (Windsor, Conn.) had 11 points and seven boards.
The Lyons converted 24-of-36 free throw attempts, a major factor in the game, as the Pride hit only 12-of-22 from the line. Wheaton’s advantage from the charity stripe was enough to offset SC’s 42-29 rebounding advantage and 38-26 scoring edge in the paint.
Stanton poured in 18 second-half points and was 5-of-8 from three-point range as Wheaton erased a 13-point deficit with 15:19 to play. With the Pride leading 61-52 with 7:49 to play after a basket by freshman center Gregg Daly (Farmington, Conn.), Stanton hit 3 three-pointers in a span of 2:05 to key a critical 11-0 run and give the Lyons a 63-61 lead with 5:15 remaining.