NORTON, Mass. — Junior guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) scored 25 points and the number four seed Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team held fifth-seeded and visiting Springfield College to just 15 second-half points in a 60-52 victory this evening in the first round of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship Tournament at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 16-10 on the season for their highest win total since 2017-18 and advance to take on top-seeded Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Friday, February 27 in Worcester, Mass. at 7:00 p.m. The Pride finish their season at 10-16.
The playoff win is Wheaton's first since a 78-74 victory over Clark University in the NEWMAC opening round on February 27, 2008 in Worcester. The triumph was also the first tournament win over Springfield since a 61-54 result on February 21, 2007 in the NEWMAC first round in Springfield. The 52 points allowed by the home team are the fewest given up in a playoff game by Wheaton since a 44-42 loss to Babson College in the NEWMAC Championship game on February 23, 2002. The Lyons swept the Pride during the regular season this year and the additional playoff victory gives them three wins over an opponent for the first time in program history.
Wheaton did not shoot the ball well, but was consistent, making 32% (8-25) of their tries in the first half and 33.3% (10-30) in the second stanza. The Lyons committed nine turnovers in the first half to contribute to a 13-point deficit, but made just two miscues in the second session. Springfield shot 38.2% (13-34) in the first half, including 4-9 from three-point range, but was held to a paltry 17.2% (5-29) in a second half that saw it score 15 points.
Iafrate was 8-16 from the field and added 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year to go with four assists and three steals for Wheaton. He now has 508 points on the season to become just the eighth player in school annals to score 500 or more points in a campaign. Senior guard Tristan Herry (East Taunton, Mass.) scored 16 points, pulled down a rebound, handed out two assists and came up with a steal, while classmate Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) ripped down a career-high 17 rebounds to tie for the ninth-most in a game in school history. He also added eight points, three assists, a block and a steal.
Sophomore guard Zachary Campbell (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the Pride with 14 points, eight boards and a game-high five steals and two blocks. Sophomore guard Cedric Rodriguez (Burlington, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, while senior forward Josiah Evely (Toronto, Ont.) finished his career with nine points, five caroms, two assists, a pair of steals and a blocked shot.
The Lyons faced a 37-24 deficit at the intermission, but held Springfield without a point for the first seven-plus minutes of the second stanza. In the meantime, Wheaton scored 12 unanswered points as part of a 21-3 stretch, fueled by nine points from Iafrate, to give the home team a 45-40 lead with 11:13 showing on the second half clock. The Pride regrouped for a 10-4 burst, paced by six points from Campbell, to take a 50-49 edge with 4:14 left in the game. It was the last lead for the visitors as Morrissey buried a three to spark 10 straight points for the Lyons, including four from Herry, to take a comfortable 59-50 advantage with 49 ticks remaining in the contest.
Springfield opened the game with a 16-3 run, backed by six points from Rodriguez, and later maintained a 22-9 cushion following a layup from junior guard Xoren Livingston (Wayland, Mass.) with 8:29 to go in the first half. Wheaton scored the next six points, including a pair of jumpers from Iafrate to pull the Blue and White within 22-15 at the 7:04 mark of the half. The Pride quickly restored their double-digit difference and matched their biggest lead at 35-22 after a pair of free throws from sophomore forward Hunter Matteson (Dartmouth, Mass.) with 63 seconds remaining in the half. The teams traded points with Matteson scoring on a layup for the final points of the half and a 37-24 Springfield advantage at the break.
