NORTON, Mass. – Junior forward Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) and sophomore guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) each scored 20 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team over visiting Anna Maria College, 74-54, this evening on the opening night of the Wheaton Invitational at Emerson Gymnasium in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 1-0 in the season opener for both teams. Wheaton's margin of victory was its largest in a season opener since it defeated visiting Regis College (Mass.), 80-60, on November 15, 2017, while the 54 points are the fewest allowed in a game to open the season since an 84-50 victory over visiting Norwich University on November 16, 2007. The AMCATS fall to 0-1 on the year.
Wheaton shot 46.7% (28-60) for the game, while holding Anna Maria to a 37% (20-54) mark. The AMCATS owned a 41-31 rebounding margin, including 14 caroms of the offensive glass, but committed 29 turnovers in the game.
Morrissey finished a rebound shy of double-double with nine and was 9-13 from the floor to go with a pair of three-pointers, two assists and two steals for the Lyons, while Iafrate was 8-14 from the field and added four assists, five steals and four boards. Junior guard Sal Pedevillano (Parsippany, N.J.) contributed with 15 points, three assists, a rebound and a pair of steals and sophomore guard Markus Nordin (Wenham, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points on 4-8 shooting, including a pair of trifectas, in addition to grabbing a rebound in 21 minutes off the bench.
Junior guard Ray Carter (East Longmeadow, Mass.) led Anna Maria with 15 points to go with three rebounds, five steals, three blocks and two assists. Senior forward Gabriel Armstead (Dallas, Ga.) netted 14 points on 5-8 from the floor, pulled down six rebounds and came up with a steal.
Wheaton never trailed in the game and opened the night with a 7-2 margin following a triple from Morrissey with 16:27 to play in the opening half. The AMCATS scored the next four points, including a free throw from Armstead to pull the visitors to within 7-6 at the 15:34 mark of the half. It was as close as Anna Maria would get for the remainder of the game.
The Lyons turned in a dominant 16-1 run, fueled by five points from Iafrate, to take a commanding 23-7 lead midway through the first stanza.
The AMCATS chipped away with a 17-7 stretch over the next seven minutes, paced by six points from Armstead, to cut the deficit to 30-24 with 2:28 showing on the first half clock. Anna Maria stayed within six points at 32-26 with 100 seconds to play in the half, before Wheaton bumped the lead back to double-digits following a free throw from Pedevillano to cap a three-point play and give the home team a 38-28 lead with 13 ticks left in the period.
Senior guard Trent Smith (Springfield, Mass.) converted a driving layup before the end of the half to make it 38-30 for the AMCATS at the intermission.
The Lyons methodically built a 17-point advantage at 55-38 with 10:13 to play in the second half. Anna Maria put together a 14-6 burst, behind five points from sophomore forward Yuki Efosa (Lawrence, Mass.), to pare the margin to 61-52 with 5:01 left in the game.
Wheaton put the game away with a 13-2 run to close the contest, including seven points from Pedevillano, to come away with a 74-54 triumph.
The Lyons return to the court tomorrow when they host Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on the second day of the Wheaton Invitational for a 5:00 p.m. tip-off at Emerson Gymnasium, while the AMCATS take on Bridgewater State University in the 3:00 p.m. contest.
