Norton, MA --- Wheaton College men's basketball senior Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA) racked up a game-best 25 points by the 14:26 mark of the second half in leading his team to an 84-52 victory over visiting Worcester State University during the Lyons' final non-conference game of the season on Thursday night in Emerson Gymnasium.
Snapping their four-game losing skid, the Lyons improved to 7-11 on the season, while the Lancers dropped their third straight to fall to 3-15.
Coppola, whose six threes fell one shy of his career high, shot 8-of-15 from the field and 6-of-9 beyond the three-point stripe. Sophomore Brian Johnson (Roxbury, MA) shot 5-of-6 for 11 points, while classmate Mike Hall (Lynnfield, MA) matched career bests with 10 points and eight rebounds. He also had a career-high four blocks.
Junior Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, RI) posted nine points and five assists, and freshman Will Bayliss (Manchester, NH) contributed nine points and a season-best seven assists. Freshman Brian Grossman (Duxbury, MA) recorded a season-high-tying nine markers with six boards and three steals, while junior Shawn Daily (Mount Vernon, NY) collected seven rebounds.
Worcester State senior Dave Douillette (Bridgewater, MA) and sophomore Monte Goodwin (Boston, MA) each scored 13 points during the Lancers' worst loss of the year. Douillette pulled down six boards, and Goodwin grabbed four.
Wheaton, which shot 55.4 percent overall and 55.6 percent from three-point territory, set the tone early with seven unanswered points to open the contest. The Lancers three times got as close as four points before a 16-2 Lyon outburst made the score 27-9 with 8:04 showing before the break. Coppola had eight points during the stretch. The hosts ballooned their advantage to 21 points on two occasions before carrying a commanding 42-26 lead into the locker room, having shot 57.1 percent.
In the second half, the Blue and White scored 18 of the frame's first 24 points for a 60-32 cushion by 12:59, with Coppola draining a trio of threes. Wheaton led 73-39 with 6:29 left.
The Lyons return to NEWMAC play on Saturday when they travel to the western side of the state to face Springfield College at 7:00 while Worcester State hosts Westfield State next Tuesday at 8 PM at home.