BOSTON, Mass. – Senior guard Alex Carlisle (Saint Johnsbury, Vt.) scored a game-high 35 points, but it just wasn't enough as the visiting Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team was edged by Wentworth Institute of Technology, 79-78, this evening at Tansey Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. 

The Lyons fall to 1-2 on the season, while the Leopards improve to 1-1.

Wentworth shot 53.4% (31-58) from the and owned a 46-22 points in the paint advantage. 

Carlisle was 11-18 from the floor and netted 30-plus points for the fifth time in his career. He added three assists and a pair of rebounds and sank 11 of 13 free throws for Wheaton. Senior forward Aaron Williams (Springfield, Mass.) netted 11 points, grabbed seven rebounds and came up with a steal, while sophomore guard Ty Murphy (Dedham, Mass.) contributed with nine points, three assists, two steals, a rebound and a blocked shot.

Sophomore guard Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass.) scored 24 points and was 3-7 from three-point range to go with three assists and a pair of assists for the Leopards. Senior Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.) posted a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds and added an assist and a block, while sophomore forward Tyler Stewart (East Taunton, Mass.) scored 16 points on 6-11 shooting in addition to six rebounds, three assists and a steal. 

Carlisle drained a three-pointer to pull the Lyons to within 52-50 with 11:12 to play in the second half, but Wentworth put together a 12-5 stretch, including six points from Connell, to take a 64-55 cushion with 7:18 showing in the second session. The Leopards needed every bit of the nine-point lead to hang onto their victory. Carlisle later made a jumper with 80 seconds to play in the game to cut the deficit to 76-74 for Wheaton. A three-ball from Connell gave Wentworth a 79-74 margin with 41 ticks left on the clock, but senior guard Marckenley Lima (Roslindale, Mass.) knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Lyons to within 79-78 with 17 seconds left in the game. Despite a missed free throw from the Leopards in the final seconds, Wheaton was unable to get an offensive opportunity before the home team took the win.

Wentworth jumped out to a 7-2 lead, before five straight points from the Lyons made it 7-7 with 15:22 to play in the opening half. Neither team led by more than three points for the next 10-plus minutes before a 7-2 burst gave the Leopards a 27-22 lead with 4:43 showing on the first half clock. Wentworth sophomore guard Niko Rosich (Chicago, Ill.) knocked down a three-pointer at 4:14 of the quarter for a 30-24 lead and maintained a 37-31 margin at the intermission.

Connell bumped the lead to 43-36 with a layup for the Leopards with 15:31 to go in the game. First year forward Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) converted a layup for Wheaton at the 14:40 mark to pull the Lyons to within 43-41.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, November 19 when it travels to Lyndon, Vt. to take on Northern Vermont University-Lyndon in Lyndonville, Vt. at 3:00 p.m., while Wentworth hosts Plymouth State University at 12:00 p.m.