Men's Basketball Falls Short At Wheaton College
NORTON, Mass., January 10, 2006 - The Wheaton College men's basketball team corralled its 10th win of the season by shooting 55.9 percent from the field and downing Springfield College, 83-63, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action Tuesday evening at Emerson Gymnasium. The Lyons improved to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference while the Pride, which had lost its first nine games by an average of only 5.2 points, fell to 4-10 and 0-2.
SC senior Derek Yvon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) hit a three-pointer to give the visitors a 7-6 lead at 17:25 of the opening half, but Wheaton junior Brian Zukowski helped the Lyons turn the game around by assisting on senior James Greenslit's go-ahead basket and scoring Wheaton's next seven points for a 15-8 advantage. After sophomore Jamaal Gibbs (Norwalk, Conn.) hit a lay-up to draw the Pride within one at 17-16, Zukowski led Wheaton on a 16-4 charge over the next 4:29, during which he contributed five points and three assists, including helpers on three-pointers by Greenslit and freshman Kristopher Pedra.
During the final two minutes of the half, senior Sean Kelly made an acrobatic hoop in the lane and a pair of free throws to help the Lyons cushion their lead, but Pride junior Damian Farley (Natick, Mass.) hit a jumper at the buzzer to keep it a 10-point game.
Zukowski displayed a balanced all-around game during the opening 20 minutes, hitting 7-of-9 shots for 16 points while adding six rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Lyons shot 57.6 percent from the field while canning four three-pointers. Farley kept pace for the Pride, cashing in with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the opening stanza.
The Lyons led by as many as 16 points in the early going of the second period, but Pride junior Anthony Pizzo (Clifton Park, N.Y.) knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the Blue and White's lead to 10 at 13:34. From there, Wheaton sophomore Eric Johnston took over, scoring nine straight points during a span of 2:01 by converting a jumper, a three-point play, a long outlet pass from Kelly, and a lay-up while gliding through the lane to make it 67-50 at 10:48.
Zukowski led all scorers by recording his second 20-point game of the season with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes. The junior guard knocked down 9-of-15 shots, including 7-of-8 from within the arc. Pedra and Johnston each finished with 11 points, as Johnston went 5-of-6 from the floor, while Kelly nearly had a triple-double with 10 points, eight assists and seven boards, as well as three steals. Freshman Ryan McDonough netted a season-high nine points.
SC was led by Farley, who posted 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting and added seven rebounds. Yvon tallied 17 points, and Gibbs finished with 10.
The Pride will next host WPI in yet another NEWMAC contest on Saturday, January 14, in a 12:00 noon tip-off.
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Head Coach Charlie Brock
Charlie Brock in 2009-10 will enter his 12th season as the head coach at Springfield College. Brock’s achievements as a coach are certainly impressive, as he has taken three schools to the NCAA Division III Tournament and has an overall, 29-year record of 394-363 for a winning percentage of .520. Read more.