NORTON, Mass. -- The Emerson College men's basketball team scored with five seconds remaining to come away with a 77-75 victory over host Wheaton College (Mass.) this afternoon in New England & Men's Athletic Conference play at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. 

The Lyons end the regular slate at 13-11 overall and 8-6 in league play and own the fourth seed in the NEWMAC Tournament, while the Lions win their fourth straight and five of their last six to finish the regular season at 16-9 and 11-3 to secure the number two seed in the tournament. Wheaton will host number five seed Clark University on Tuesday, February 21 at Emerson Gymnasium for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. Emerson will receive a first round bye and host third-seeded Babson College on February 23 in the NEWMAC Semifinals.

Prior to the game, Wheaton honored six senior basketball players and a four-year student manager. The Lyons recognized student manager Sergio Ripley in addition to senior guards Marckenley Lima (Roslindale, Mass.), Alex Carlisle (Saint Johnsbury, Vt.), Evan Cook (Dunstable, Mass.) and senior forwards Sam Manganello (Falmouth, Maine), Patrick Oed (The Woodlands, Texas) and Aaron Williams (Springfield, Mass.). 

The Lions won the first meeting between the two teams, 89-86, in Boston on January 18 and the second match-up proved to be just as tight with the result coming down to the final seconds. In a well-played defensive battle, the teams combined for just 15 turnovers with Emerson committing eight miscues and the Lyons turning the ball over just seven times. 

Wheaton shot 40.3% (27-67) from the floor, but was held to just 14.3% (2-14) from three-point range. The Lions managed a 39.4% (26-66) field goal mark, but produced at the line, going 17-19 for a 89.5% success rate. Emerson owned a slim 42-41 rebounding edge.

Williams scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Lyons and added seven rebounds, two assists, a pair of steals and a block. Cook came off the bench to net 10 points, hand out two assists and pull down a rebound and Carlisle contributed with with eight points, six assists, a blocked shot and matched his career high with 10 boards.

Graduate student guard Nate Martin (Washington, D.C.) (26) and graduate student center Jarred Houston (Norwood, Mass.) (24) combined to score 50 points to lead the Emerson. Martin scored a season-high 26 points on 10-20 shooting, including 5-10 from three-point range and added four rebounds and a steal for the Lions, while Houston posted his 21st double-double of the season with 24 points and 13 rebounds to go with an assist and five blocked shots. Houston converted all 12 of his free throw attempts to establish a career best from the line. Senior guard Max Davis (Oakland, Calif.) netted nine points in addition to three boards, three assists and a pair of steals. 

Oed converted a reverse layup to give Wheaton a 69-65 lead with 2:53 left in the game. The Lions scored the next six points, including five from Martin, to take a 71-69 lead with 2:02 showing on the second half clock.

Carlisle sank a pair of free throws to pull the Lyons even at 71-71 with 1:27 to play. It was the first of three ties in the final 87 seconds of play between the two foes. Wheaton sophomore guard Ty Murphy (Dedham, Mass.) knotted the game again at 75-75 with a driving layup with just 22 ticks left on the clock. 

Martin hit a jumper just outside the paint on Emerson's last possession to give the Lions a 77-75 lead with five seconds to play in the contest. Wheaton got the ball across midcourt before calling a timeout with 3.5 seconds to play for its last chance to pull even or get the win. Carlisle took the last shot for the Lyons, but came up short despite drawing contact on the attempt.

The Lions jumped out to a 10-4 lead with 17:18 to play in the opening half and maintained a 24-15 advantage at the 10:21 mark of the first stanza. First year guard Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) converted a layup with 8:28 showing in the first half to cut the deficit to 24-18 for Wheaton, but Houston canned a pair of free throws three minutes later to increase Emerson's margin to a 32-22 for its largest lead of the afternoon. 

Williams put the Lyons on his back and scored nine points to fuel a 13-3 run to bring the home team all the way back and knot the score at 35-35 with 1:54 to go in the half. The Lions scored the final six points of the half, including four from Martin, to take a 41-35 cushion into the break.

Houston bumped the visitor's lead to 46-39 with 18:01 to play in the second session with a dunk, but Wheaton would not quit. Cook netted eight points to lead a 9-2 run by the Lyons to pull them even at 48-48 with 12:31 to play in the game.

Williams gave the home team its first lead of the day at 11:03 with a free throw to make it 52-51. The good feelings were temporarily muted following eight unanswered points capped by a driving layup from first year guard Brendan McNamara (Arlington, Mass.) to give Emerson a 59-52 advantage with 8:56 remaining in the contest.

Wheaton answered with a 13-2 stretch, paced by nine points from Williams, to take a 65-61 margin with 4:37 to go in the second half.