Worcester, MA --- Wheaton senior Brendan Degnan (Narraganset, RI) tallied a team-high 13 points – including the go-ahead three-pointer with 2:06 remaining – to help lead the Lyons to a 64-57 victory over Worcester State in non-conference men's basketball action this evening at the Lancer Gym.
With the win the Lyons snap a four-game winless streak to improve to 9-11 overall while the Lancers fall to 6-15 with the setback.
Freshman Eddie Capstick (Worcester, MA/Marionapolis Prep) registered 12 points with seven rebounds (five offensive) as senior Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, MA) and sophomore Will Bayliss (Manchester, NH) both chipped in with 11 points. Junior Cliften Desravines (Somerville, MA) also added a squad-best 11 boards.
Sophomore Robert Hunter (St. Louis, MI) put up his 13th double-double in 21 games with contest-highs of 14 points and 15 rebounds, with nine of them coming off the offensive glass.
Second-year Mike Gittens (Uncasville, CT) finished with 13 points, senior Frank Stephenson (Fall River, MA) notched 11 points, six boards and four steals as junior Monte Goodwin (Boston, MA/Belmont) ended his night with 10 points and four caroms.
Wheaton opened the game with the 17-8 advantage over the first eight minutes of the contest. After the Lancers inched to within three points on a 6-0 spurt over the next 90 seconds (17-14), the Lyons would outscore the hosts 16-4 as they took a 33-18 edge on the back of a Degnan trey with 4:04 left.
The visitors would eventually settle for the 13 point lead at the intermission (37-24) as they would finish with a torrid 48 percent line from the field in the opening stanza (15-for-31).
Wheaton continued to hold 42-31 advantage with 16:10 remaining before Worcester State picked up the pace to go a 15-4 run over the seven minutes and tie the score 46-46 on a lay-up by Hunter at the 8:56 mark.
In a stretch that would last the next six minutes, the contest would be knotted five times as the Lancers would hold no more than a two-point edge on three occasions. That set the stage with Degnan's trifecta at the top of the arc with 2:06 on the clock for the 58-55 advantage that they would not relinquish.
The Lancers would have a chance to equalize the score on an ensuing three-point play by Goodwin, but he would miss the extra point and the Blue and Gold failed to convert on an offensive rebound opportunity.
Down 58-57, the hosts forced a Wheaton miscue with 1:26 remaining, but they squandered the chance with another missed field goal.
Capstick then pushed the advantage to three points on a lay-up with 59 seconds left and the visitors would seal the win with four consecutive free-throws.
The Lyons would end the game with a 46 percent line from the field (25-for-55) and they were nine-for-10 from the charity stripe and canned five of 16 from beyond the arc (31 percent). Wheaton also had the edge in rebounds (42-36), points in the paint (34-30), second chance points (17-11) and bench points (23-7).
Worcester State ended shooting a modest 34 percent (22-for-65), but only connected for two of their 14 attempts from downtown. The Lancers would force 17 Wheaton turnovers with 12 steals as they would finish with an 18-8 edge in points off turnovers.
Both squads return to conference action over the next week. The Blue and Gold entertain MCLA on Saturday at 5:30 while the Lyons hosts WPI on Wednesday at 7:30 PM.