BOSTON, Mass. - Freshman Jaycob Morales (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic) scored a team-high 17 points in Wheaton College's 66-64 loss to Emmanuel College in non-conference men's basketball action at the Emmanuel Tip-Off Tournament Friday evening at the Jean Yawkey Center.

Senior Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) added 12 points for the Lyons (1-1), who rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 75 seconds to tie the game at 64. Degnan started the comeback with a layup, and after each team knocked down one of two from the line, junior Scott Faucher (Lebanon, N.H./Kimball Union Academy) drained a three to cut the Wheaton deficit to two (64-62). After an Emmanuel turnover, Morales drove the lane and let a runner go that found the bottom of the net and evened the score with six seconds remaining.

Following the play, the Saints (1-0) drove the length of the court and gave the ball to sophomore Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass./Sci-Tech) to take the final shot. Robinson drove to the hoop and put up a layup that hit off the back rim, landing in the hands of junior Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta). He went back up for a layup and was fouled, then knocked down both free throws with 0.5 remaining on the clock. He finished with a team-high 17 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

The Saints raced out to an early 9-2 lead after Everson finished off a fast break layup, forcing the Lyons to take an early timeout at the 17:42 mark. Coming out of the timeout, Emmanuel increased its lead to 11-2 following a pair of free throws Everson. Wheaton answered with a 15-2 run to grab a 17-13 lead with 9:25 to go in the half.

The Lyons extending their lead to 26-14 following two free throws by Morales with 5:24 remaining on the clock. The Saints closed the half on an 11-5 run to take a 31-25 lead into the break. Morales paced the Lyons with eight points while classmate Eddie Capstick (Worcester, Mass./Marianapolis Prep) added six points. Senior Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y./Albany) led Emmanuel with six points while Robinson chipped in with five.

The Saints opened the second half with a 23-15 run, the final two points coming courtesy of a pair of Duke free throws, to turn a six-point halftime deficit into a two-point lead (48-46). Wheaton regained the lead at 49-46 following a three-pointer from Degnan with 7:40 left in the half.

Robinson put the Saints back on top at 54-53 on a layup with 5:25 left in the contest. Emmanuel stretched its lead to four at 57-53 with 4:14 remaining, but a three-point play by Degnan cut the Lyons deficit to one (57-56) with 3:43 to go.

Saints sophomore D.J. Fazio (Methuen, Mass./Andover) answered with his first bucket of the evening to push the EC lead back to three (59-56) with just over three minutes on the clock. Everson then made it a two possession game by hitting one of two from the line to give Emmanuel a 60-56 lead. Robinson followed with a three-point play with 1:12 left to make it a seven-point advantage (63-56).

Desravines and senior Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, Mass./Worcester Academy) each tallied seven points and a pair of blocks for Wheaton. Desravines also pulled down six rebounds. Duke finished the game with 15 points to go along with eight boards while Robinson also notched a double-double with 14 rebounds and 13 points for the Saints.

The Lyons will play either Westfield State or Wheelock College in the consolation game Saturday at 5 p.m. Emmanuel will face the winner of the Westfield/Wheelock winner in the championship contest at 7 p.m.