Wheaton nearly overcomes big deficit during 82-72 loss to Babson

February 7, 2007

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's basketball team chipped a 28-point deficit to single digits late in regulation before succumbing to Babson College, 82-72 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Wednesday evening in Emerson Gymnasium. The Lyons fell to 10-11 overall and 3-7 in the league, while the Beavers are 14-8 and 7-2.

Senior Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut) was instrumental in pushing the Lyons to an early 12-3 lead, as he canned a pair of three-pointers and twice dished off to junior Brent DiGiovanna (Hanover, MA/Hanover) during the first 3:50. Wheaton hit five of its first six shots.

Babson later put together a 32-0 run to take a 38-14 lead, blanking the Lyons during a 13:28 span. Junior Kyle McDonald (Wethersfield, CT/Wethersfield) provided the Beavers with a quick spark off the bench, scoring six straight points to knot the game at 14 before classmate Brian MacDonald (Beverly, MA/Bishop Fenwick) scooped up a loose ball and went uncontested to the hoop to give the Beavers their first lead, 16-14 at 12:11. Seven different players scored during the run, in which Babson shot 11-of-15 and made all 10 free throw attempts. Sophomore Zach Etten (Hollis, NH/Hollis-Brookline) tallied eight points, while a trio of Beavers had six apiece.

DiGiovanna snapped Babson's run with a short turn-around hook at 1:44, as he and Zukowski combined for 14 first-half points. The Lyons trailed at intermission, 45-18, while the Beavers shot 53.8 percent and connected on 15-of-16 free throw tries. Babson held a 20-8 rebounding advantage.

After trailing by as much as 48-20 early in the second half, Wheaton exceeded its first-half scoring total 7:32 into the period when freshman Jon Lecznar's (Poland, ME/Poland Regional) shot high off the glass brought the Lyons within 19 points. Babson pushed its lead back out to 26 points on senior Brandon Eigenberg's (Milford, CT/Franklin) three-pointer at 9:38 before the Blue and White tallied the next eight points to make it 69-51. Sophomore Patrick Youreneff (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) converted a three-point play, DiGiovanna hit a driving lay-up, and sophomore Mark Sullivan (West Roxbury, MA/Catholic Memorial) canned a three.

The Lyons attempted a final rally, scoring 13 of 14 points during one juncture to come within 72-64. Sullivan connected from deep at 6:24 before Zukowski nailed two threes 1:49 apart to make it 72-62 with 3:26 left, and a pair of DiGiovanna freebies at 2:39 brought the Blue and White within eight. However, Eigenberg picked off a pass and went unabated to the hoop to put Babson up 75-64 at 1:52, and the Beavers never again led by fewer than double digits.

Wheaton's fortunes turned for the better in the second half, as the Lyons shot 51.5 percent while tripling their first-half scoring total with 54 points. Zukowski finished with a game-high 21 points, hitting 5-of-8 three-point attempts and 6-of-7 free throw tries, while turning in five assists. DiGiovanna added 16 points while shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe, while Sullivan tallied 10 points. Freshman Ben Stehle (Newton, MA/Newton South) contributed nine rebounds and five helpers in just 25 minutes.

Eigenberg led the Beavers with 19 points and three steals, while Etten added 16 points. Bradley, senior Brian Parsons (Queensbury, NY/Glens Falls) and junior Greg Bush (East Islip, NY/East Islip) notched nine points apiece, while McDonald tallied nine rebounds.

Wheaton hosts its final regular season conference game on Saturday against Springfield College at 1:00 p.m. as the first game of a NEWMAC doubleheader. The Lyon women tip off at 3:00 p.m.

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