NORTON, Mass. -- Junior guard Ty Murphy (Dedham, Mass.) scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team to an 82-54 victory over Vermont State University Lyndon this afternoon at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 7-4 on the season, while the Hornets fall to 0-12.

Wheaton's defense was stifling, holding Lyndon to just 30.6% (19-62) from the floor, including just 1-9 (11.1%) from three-point range in the opening half of play. The Lyons took advantage of their guest's miscues as well, owning a 22-10 scoring advantage in points off turnovers.

Murphy was 8-15 from the field, including a trio of three-pointers to go with two rebounds, two assists and three steals for Wheaton. Sophomore guard Chris Billone (Windham, N.H.) contributed with 11 points, including 3-5 from three-point range, and added two rebounds and an assist in just 15 minutes off the bench, while sophomore guard Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) netted nine points, pulled down two boards and handed out two assists. First year guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) chipped in with six points, three steals, five assists and two rebounds.

Sophomore guard Gregory Gonyea Jr. (Dolgeville, N.Y.) led the Hornets with 18 points on 6-9 from the field to go with four rebounds and a pair of steals and senior guard Peyton Olsen (Middleburgh, N.Y.) netted nine points in addition to two rebounds and a steal. First year guard Tavarius Vance (Barre, Vt.) contributed with eight points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.

The teams played within two points of each other through the first six minutes of play. Sophomore forward Matt Doyle (Whitesboro, N.Y.) gave Lyndon State an 11-10 edge with a hook shot with 15:57 to play in the opening half, but it was the last lead of the game for the visitors. 

The Lyons took the sting out of the Hornets over the next 11-plus minutes, limiting them to just four points on 2-14 shooting during a 30-4 stretch. The Blue and White were paced by nine points from Billone and six from junior forward Duncan Bubar (Newton, Mass.), during the outburst that saw the home team take a commanding 40-15 advantage with 4:47 showing on the first half clock.

Lyndon State scored the next five points, including a three-pointer from junior forward Calder Horowitz-McCadden (South Burlington, Vt.), to cut the margin to 40-20 with 3:18 to go in the first half. Horowitz-McCadden sank a pair of free throws later in the half to pull the Hornets to within 43-24 with 99 seconds left in the session, before Murphy knocked down a jumper from outside the paint with 53 ticks left to give Wheaton a 45-24 halftime cushion.

Olsen drilled a three-pointer at the 14:59 mark of the second half to cut the deficit to 52-34 for Lyndon State, but the Lyons answered with six straight points to increase their margin to 58-34 with 13:08 remaining in the contest.

The Hornets battled back, putting together an 11-4 stretch, fueled by eight points from Gonyea Jr., to come within 62-45 with 9:10 to go in the half. Vance buried a trifecta less than two minutes later to keep Lyndon State within shouting distance at 66-48 with 7:22 showing, but it was as close as the Hornets would get the rest of the way. Wheaton closed out the game with a 16-6 string, including seven points from Murphy, to set the final tally at 82-54.

The Lyons will be in action again on Tuesday, January 9 when they host New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference foe Salve Regina University at 7:00 p.m. in Emerson Gymnasium, while Lyndon State heads to Potsdam, N.Y. to play Clarkson University on the same day at 2:00 p.m.