BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team boasted four players with 17 or more points in an 86-78 victory over host Bridgewater State University this evening at the Tinsley Center in Bridgewater, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 2-3 on the season, while the Bears fall to 3-2.
Wheaton shot 41.4% (29-70) for the game including 50% (17-34) in the second half. The teams combined for 25 made three-pointers, including 13 for the Lyons to match their fifth-highest total in a game in school history. They were 13-36 (36.1%) from beyond the arc.
Bridgewater State knocked down 43.9% (29-66) of its field goal attempts, including 44.4% (12-27) from three-point range. Wheaton took advantage of 16 Bear turnovers, outscoring them 25-14 in points off miscues.
Juniors Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) (20) and Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) (20) were joined by sophomore guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) (20) to become the first trio of Lyons to score 20 or more points in the same game since Timothy Berry (27), Ryan Fogarty (22) and Duaka Ekwenski (20) each did the same in a 131-125 five-overtime loss to University of Southern Maine on November 19, 2016.
Morrissey was 8-12 from the field, including four three-pointers, while grabbing six rebounds, handing out three assists and coming up with a steal for Wheaton, while Herry also drained four trifectas and added four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Iafrate filled up the stat column with eight boards, seven assists, a block and a game-high five steals. Junior guard Sal Pedevillano (Parsippany, N.J.) scored 17 points, including five three-pointers in addition to pulling down three rebounds, dishing out two assists and making a pair of steals. Pedevillano gave Wheaton four players with 17 or more points in the same contest for the first time since a 108-107 loss to Wentworth Institute of Technology on November 9, 2019.
Sophomore forward Josh Campbell (Plymouth, Mass.) led all scorers with 24 points for Bridgewater State on 10-18 from the floor to go with seven rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks, while junior forward Louis Jennings (Walpole, Mass.) chipped in with 13 points, seven boards, four assists and a blocked shot.
The Lyons took an early 7-3 lead following a Pedevillano three-ball less than two minutes into the game. Wheaton later owned a 17-15 margin after a Morrissey layup at the 7:55 mark, but a 10-2 stretch gave the home team a 25-19 advantage and the fifth lead change of the game.
The Bears maintained a 27-21 lead with 3:25 left in the opening half, before the Lyons ripped off 12 unanswered points and never looked back. Herry and Pedevillano each netted five points to give Wheaton a 33-27 halftime cushion.
The Lyons' offense remained lit with four three-balls, including two from Pedevillano, to fuel a dominant 16-3 blitz to begin the second half and give Wheaton a 49-30 lead with 17:51 showing in the stanza. Bridgewater State got off the mat to counter with a 14-5 stretch, including five points from Campbell, to shave the deficit to 54-44 with 13:21 to go in the half.
Sophomore guard Zach Taylor (Quincy, Mass.) later knocked down a jumper for the Bears to cut the margin to 64-56 at the 8:11 mark, but the Lyons scored eight straight points, capped by a three-pointer from Herry, to give them a 72-56 advantage at 6:45 of the second half.
Bridgewater State put together a 17-7 stretch, paced by seven points from Jennings, to pull the Bears within 79-73 with 1:53 showing on the second half clock, but it was as close as the home team would get.
Wheaton returns to action on Thursday, November 21 when it travels to Wenham, Mass. to take on Gordon College at 7:00 p.m., while Bridgewater State heads to Boston, Mass. on November 23 to play Wentworth at 1:00 p.m.
