NEWPORT, R.I. — Junior guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) netted 22 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team over host Salve Regina University, 72-53, this evening in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference contest at Rodgers Recreation Center in Newport, R.I.
The Lyons improve to 11-5 overall and 4-3 in conference play, while the Seahawks slip to 12-4 and 5-2.
Wheaton never trailed in the game and held Salve Regina to its lowest point total against a Division III opponent all season. The Lyons shot 45.6% (26-57) from the floor, including 57.1% (16-28) in the second half. The visitors outboarded their hosts, 38-27, on the glass and owned a 14-6 advantage in second chance points. The Seahawks were held to 40% (20-50) shooting and were just 2-13 (15.4%) from three-point range.
Iafrate was 8-15 from the field in his ninth straight outing with double-digit points, while adding seven rebounds, six assists and four steals for Wheaton. Senior forward Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) scored 14 points on 6-10 shooting in addition to grabbing six rebounds, handing out a pair of assists and coming up with two steals. Senior guard Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) contributed with eight points, seven rebounds and a steal.
Salve Regina was led by sophomore guard Zavier Francoeur (Canton, Mass.) with 16 points, three rebounds, a trio of steals and a blocked shot and senior guard Sean Seymour (Albany, N.Y.) scored 11 points, pulled down five boards, doled out an assist and rejected a pair of shots. Senior guard Jack McMullen (East Greenwich, R.I.) chipped in with seven points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.
The Lyons jumped out to a 15-6 lead within the first eight minutes of the game, fueled by seven points from Morrissey. The Seahawks made all four of their field goal attempts during an 8-2 stretch that saw them pull within 17-14 with 10:28 showing in the first half. Wheaton answered with the next six points capped by a layup from sophomore forward Rex Zadrozny (Cumberland, R.I.) to give it a 23-14 cushion with 5:32 to go in the first half. Salve Regina closed within 25-21 with 93 seconds remaining in the half following a 7-2 burst. The Lyons scored the final four points of the session, including a layup from Iafrate to give them a 29-21 margin at the intermission.
Junior forward Pat Spenard (Rochester, Mass.) converted a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 31-25 at the 18:53 mark of the second half, but it was as close as the home team would get for the balance of the game.
Iafrate punctuated a 7-2 spurt with a trifecta to increase Wheaton's advantage to 38-27 with 16:16 showing on the second half clock. Francoeur canned a three-ball to pull the Seahawks within 41-34 with 14:53 left in the game, before the Lyons went on a 12-3 run, paced by five points from senior guard Sal Pedevillano (Parsippany, N.J.), to give them a 53-37 lead with 8:40 to go in the second stanza. Morrissey continued to maintain Wheaton's double-digit command with a layup to make it 59-41 at the 6:12 mark. Senior guard Chris Billone (Windham, N.H.) buried a triple with 59 ticks left in the game to give the Lyons their largest margin of the night at 72-51.
Wheaton returns to the court on Thursday, January 22 when it hosts NEWMAC rival Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 7:00 p.m. at Emerson Gymnasium, while Salve Regina heads to Babson Park, Mass. to play Babson College on the same night at the same time.
