Men’s Basketball taken down by Wheaton

Box Score NORTON, Mass. – Wheaton College held off the Roger Williams University Men's Basketball team to grab an 81-76 non-league victory on Saturday afternoon inside Emerson Gymnasium.

Wheaton College first-year guard Ryan Fogarty (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) went 6-for-6 at the free throw line over the final 31-seconds of the contest to aid the Lyons to the win.

Fogarty finished the contest with nine points, three assists and two rebounds, while junior guard Billy Battaglia (Simsbury, Conn./Taft School) produced a game-high 21 points and hauled in seven rebounds. Senior guard Mike O'Loughlin (Milford, N.H./Milford) registered 17 points, four rebounds and two assists and sophomore center Timothy Berry (Sterling, Mass./St. Peter Marian) turned in a career-high 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and also brought down six rebounds.

Senior Mike Cannon (New York, N.Y./Hyde School) collected four points, a team-high nine boards and one block, while classmate Eddie Capstick (Worcester, Mass./Marianapolis Prep) had five points, four assists and eight rebounds.

Roger Williams University senior guard Ryan Palumbo (Warwick, R.I./Williston Northampton) tied Battaglia for the game-high in points with 21 on the afternoon alongside seven assists, six steals and four rebounds. Sophomore forward Josh Syska (Peabody, Mass./St. John's Prep) had 15 points, five rebounds and two assists and senior forward Joseph Henry (Medway, Mass./Medway) collected 13 points, three rebounds and one helper. Junior forward Leonardo Atkinson (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) chipped in with six points and ten rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass.

After a pair of free throws by Henry brought the Hawks within two points (69-67) with 2:20 remaining to play, Battaglia keyed a late run for the Lyons over the next 1:35 of action to give the hosts some cushion room on the scoreboard. Battaglia jump-started the run with a three-pointer at the 2:06 mark of the contest and followed with a runner from the left wing as time was expiring on the shot clock to give Wheaton a 74-67 advantage at the 1:16 mark of the game.

Syska and Battaglia then went 1-for-2 at the free throw line, respectively, to bring the score to 75-68 before Palumbo swished a jumper with 35-seconds to go to bring the game within two possessions at 75-70. On the ensuing inbounds play for the Lyons, Fogarty was fouled quickly and the first-year guard came through with a pair of free throws down the other end of the court to bump Wheaton's lead to 77-70.

Henry answered on the next possession for Roger Williams with a triple with 24-seconds remaining to cut into the gap at 77-73. Fogarty was perfect at the free throw line again for Wheaton on its next possession (79-73), before Syska converted a three-pointer with 11-seconds to play to make it a 79-76 ball game.

For the third consecutive time, the Hawks fouled Fogarty, but the first-year guard kept his composure once again and swished both free throws to seal the victory for the Lyons.

Roger Williams led 37-36 at halftime thanks to a balanced offense that featured five student-athletes who had five or more points in the stanza. Syska and Henry guided the squad with seven points apiece, while first-year forward Jaylen Jennings (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame – Fairfield), Atkinson and Palumbo all had six points each.

Wheaton outrebounded Roger Williams, 48-32, shot 43.6-percent (24-for-55) from the floor and 77.1-percent (27-for-35) at the free throw line. The Lyons also held a 32-24 differential in points in the paint. The Hawks notched a 23-5 margin in points off turnovers, while their bench outscored the hosts 35-20.

Wheaton (2-2) travels to Emmanuel College on Tuesday, November 25 for a non-conference contest at 6 p.m. Roger Williams (1-3) hosts Johnson & Wales next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

- Release courtesy of the Wheaton College Sports Information Department

Print Friendly Version