Basketball Drops Season Opener To Lyons

NORTON, Mass. – Junior forward Eoin Morrissey (Watertown, Mass.) and sophomore guard Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) each scored 20 points to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's basketball team over visiting Anna Maria College, 74-54, this evening on the opening night of the Wheaton Invitational at Emerson Gymnasium in Norton, Mass.

Wheaton shot 46.7% (28-60) for the game, while holding Anna Maria to a 37% (20-54) mark. The AMCATS owned a 41-31 rebounding margin, including 14 caroms of the offensive glass, but committed 29 turnovers in the game. 

Junior guard Ray Carter (East Longmeadow, Mass.) led Anna Maria with 15 points to go with three rebounds, five steals, three blocks and two assists. Senior forward Gabriel Armstead (Dallas, Ga.) netted 14 points on 5-8 from the floor, pulled down six rebounds and came up with a steal.

Wheaton never trailed in the game and opened the night with a 7-2 margin following a triple from Morrissey with 16:27 to play in the opening half. The AMCATS scored the next four points, including a free throw from Armstead to pull the visitors to within 7-6 at the 15:34 mark of the half. It was as close as Anna Maria would get for the remainder of the game.

The Lyons turned in a dominant 16-1 run, fueled by five points from Iafrate, to take a commanding 23-7 lead midway through the first stanza.

The AMCATS chipped away with a 17-7 stretch over the next seven minutes, paced by six points from Armstead, to cut the deficit to 30-24 with 2:28 showing on the first half clock. Anna Maria stayed within six points at 32-26 with 100 seconds to play in the half, before Wheaton bumped the lead back to double-digits following a free throw from Pedevillano to cap a three-point play and give the home team a 38-28 lead with 13 ticks left in the period. 

Senior guard Trent Smith (Springfield, Mass.) converted a driving layup before the end of the half to make it 38-30 for the AMCATS at the intermission.

The Lyons methodically built a 17-point advantage at 55-38 with 10:13 to play in the second half. Anna Maria put together a 14-6 burst, behind five points from sophomore forward Yuki Efosa (Lawrence, Mass.), to pare the margin to 61-52 with 5:01 left in the game. 

Wheaton put the game away with a 13-2 run to close the contest, including seven points from Pedevillano, to come away with a 74-54 triumph.

COMING UP:

The AMCATS will be back in Action on Saturday, November 9th where they will take on the Brdgewater State University Bears for game two of the Wheaton Tip-Off Classic. game is set to start at 3:00pm in Norton, MA.