BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Junior guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) poured in a career-high 29 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team over Middlebury College, 82-78, this afternoon in the first round of the Dr. Carol V. De Costa/Go 4 the Goal Tournament hosted by Medgar Evers College at Cougars Cave in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Lyons improve to 7-3 on the season, while the Panthers dip to 4-4. Wheaton will take on Bridgewater College (Va.) in tomorrow's tournament championship game at 2:00 p.m.
Wheaton knocked down 12 three-pointers for the fifth time this season to match its season high and never trailed in the game. The Lyons shot 45.3% (29-64) for the game, including 12-26 from three-point range (46.2%). Wheaton held Middlebury to just 36.7% (29-79) shooting for the game, but dominated the offensive glass with 19 rebounds, while holding a 53-35 overall rebounding advantage over the Lyons. The Panthers owned a 28-7 margin in second chance points, but it wasn't enough to overcome their poor shooting woes.
Iafrate was 11-19 from the field, including 4-7 from three-point range and handed out four assists to go with five rebounds and three steals for Wheaton, while sophomore guard Sean Perri (West Roxbury, Mass.) scored a career-best 20 points on 6-10 shooting and was 5-8 from long range. He also added three boards, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot. Senior forward Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) contributed with 16 points on 7-11 from the floor and pulled down 10 boards for his second double-double of the season.
First year guard Dominick Ducree (Schaumburg, Ill.) led Middlebury with 27 points and was 8-14 from the field, including six trifectas, in addition to grabbing five rebounds, dishing for two assists, coming up with a steal and blocking a shot. Senior forward Mark Newell (Arlington, Mass.) chipped in with a double-double of 11 points and 12 caroms to go with an assist.
Sophomore guard Sawyer Ramey (Fair Haven, N.Y.) scored five points during a 15-6 stretch that pulled the Panthers even at 28-28. The Lyons ripped off 10 unanswered points, capped by a layup and a free throw from sophomore forward Rex Zadrozny (Cumberland, R.I.) to give Wheaton a 38-28 lead with 4:02 left in the opening half. Iafrate later converted a layup to maintain the margin at 40-30 with 98 seconds to play in the session, before Middlebury first year guard Donovan Lee (Austin, Texas) sank a free throw for the last point of the half to make it 40-31 at the break.
The Panthers scored six of the first eight points of the second stanza, capped by a jumper from senior guard Evan Flaks (Baltimore, Md.), to cut the deficit to 42-37 with 18:35 remaining in the half. Perri buried back-to-back three-balls to restore the Lyons' lead to 48-37 at the 17:40 mark of the half. Morrissey later canned a trey of his own to keep it an 11-point advantage at 53-42 with 13:14 to go in the contest for Wheaton. Another three-pointer from Perri kept it a double-digit difference at 56-46 with 12 minutes remaining in the game for the Lyons.
Middlebury closed to within 61-57 with 7:40 showing on the second half clock, but senior guard Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) and Perri each drained a trifecta to make it a 10-point game again (67-57) for Wheaton at 6:38. Iafrate knocked down a jump shot to keep the margin intact at 69-59 for the Lyons, but the Panthers put together a 9-2 burst, fueled by a trio of three-pointers from Ducree, to bring Middlebury within 71-68 with 3:36 left in the game. It was as close as the Panthers would get for the rest of the afternoon and Wheaton led by as many as eight down the stretch, before settling for a four-point victory.
The Lyons opened the game with a 9-5 lead, but a free throw from junior guard Ian Murray (Kennebunk, Maine) made the game level at 9-9 with 15:07 to play in the first half. Wheaton put together a 13-4 stretch, led by five points from Iafrate, including a three-pointer to give the Lyons a 22-13 cushion with 12:35 showing in the first half. Middlebury followed with the 15-6 outburst to claim its second tie of the game at 28-28.
The Panthers return to play tomorrow when they take on Medgar Evers in the consolation game at 12:00 p.m. in Brooklyn.
