NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Juniors Alex Carlisle (Saint Johnsbury, Vt.) (24) and Aaron Williams (Springfield, Mass.) (23) combined to score 47 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team to a 90-84 victory over host United States Coast Guard Academy this evening in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference contest at Roland Gymnasium in New London, Conn. The win avenges a loss to the Bears from just seven days ago and also snaps a 10-game losing streak for the Lyons as they improve to 6-13 overall and 1-7 in league play, while Coast Guard falls to 5-12 and 2-6. 

Wheaton shot 50% (32-64) from the floor and dominated the glass with a 53-25 rebounding advantage and owned a 34-22 margin in points in the paint. Despite committing 23 turnovers in the game, the Lyons were able to maintain their lead for the majority of the game and never trailed in the game. 

Carlisle knocked down four three-pointers and added eight rebounds, three assists and a steal, while Williams was 8-13 from the field in addition to pulling down 11 boards for his fifth double-double of the season. Junior guard Marckenley Lima (Roslindale, Mass.) netted 16 points, grabbed four rebounds, handed out two assists and came up with a pair of steals, while classmate Evan Cook (Dunstable, Mass.) contributed with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

The Bears saw five players score double-digits, led by senior guard Garrett Drummond's (Frederick, Md.) 20-point effort to go with four assists, four steals, two rebounds and a blocked shot. First year guard Ben Yagey (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) came off the bench to drain five three-pointers to give him 15 points in 22 minutes, while adding two rebounds and a pair of assists. Senior forward Tyler Perez (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while junior center Madison Maloney (Wilmington, N.C.) contributed with 10 points, six boards, three assists and a steal.

Williams converted a lay-up at the 4:08 mark of the second half to give Wheaton an 84-72 cushion, but Coast Guard ripped off nine straight points, including a pair of trifectas from Yagey to pull the home team to within 84-81 with 1:45 remaining in the game. The Lyons responded with six unanswered points over the next 81 seconds, capped by a pair of free throws from Cook, to give them a 90-81 margin with 24 ticks left on the second half clock. First year guard Declan Rooney (Seattle, Wash.) canned a three-pointer with 19 seconds left for the Bears, but they were the last points of the game.

Rooney sank a free throw to complete a three-point play and knot the game at 10-10 for Coast Guard with 13:23 showing in the first half. Wheaton scored eight straight points, including treys from Carlisle and first year guard Ty Murphy (Dedham, Mass.) to take an 18-10 lead, but Perez capped a 10-2 burst to re-tie the contest at 20-20 for the Bears at the 9:09 mark of the opening half.

The Lyons held a 33-27 margin with 4:21 left in the first half, before closing out the half on a 15-7 stretch, fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Carlisle to give them a 48-34 lead at the intermission.

The teams traded baskets to open the second stanza before Coast Guard went on a 16-5 run, including five points each from Drummond and junior guard Jarrod Jackson (Carrolton, Ga.), to cut the deficit to 55-52 with 15:29 to go in the half. Wheaton scored the eight of the next nine points to restore its double-digit lead at 63-53, but the Bears closed to within 71-66 following a Yagey three-pointer at the 8:14 mark of the second half for Coast Guard. 

The Lyons return to action on Wednesday, February 2 when they host conference rival Babson College at 8:00 p.m. at Emerson Gymnasium, while the Bears travel to Worcester, Mass. on the same night to play Clark University in NEWMAC action at 7:00 p.m.