Michel's late hoop pushes Lyons past previously unbeaten Connecticut College

December 4, 2007

NORTON, MA- Junior Nick Michel's (Hyde Park, MA/Boston Latin School) offensive board and putback with 34.5 seconds remaining in regulation lifted the Wheaton College men's basketball team past previously undefeated Connecticut College, 61-60 on Tuesday in Emerson Gymnasium. The Lyons are now 5-1 after playing their final home game until January 12, while the Camels are also 5-1.

Six straight points by senior Charles Stone (Hackensack, NJ/Hotchkiss School) gave Connecticut College a 6-2 edge by 17:52 of the opening half, and the Camels captured a seven-point advantage at 11-4 on senior Jeff Young's (East Hartford, CT/East Hartford) three-pointer. The Lyons rallied back with an 8-2 run, with the last five points coming from sophomore Jaxon Leo (Leesburg, VA/New Hampton School), to cut Wheaton's deficit to 13-12 at 12:59.

Consecutive hoops by Stone pushed the visitors' lead back to five, and soon thereafter Wheaton freshman Anthony Coppola (Watertown, MA/Watertown) matched Stone on three straight possessions. Stone provided three consecutive Camel hoops, including one on a three-point play, during a 54-second span, but Coppola responded on each ensuing possession with a three-pointer. By the time Coppola canned his third three in 50 seconds, the Lyons only trailed by one at 28-27.

Stone, who finished 8-of-8 with 17 points in the first half, assisted on a lay-in that made it 30-27, but a Leo lay-up was followed by freshman Bobby Perry's (East Providence, RI/East Providence) go-ahead three with 1:15 left. Young hit a jumper to bring the teams even with 54 ticks to go, and they went into the locker room tied at 32.

Connecticut College connected on 13-of-16 two-point attempts in the opening half, while Wheaton went 6-of-12 from deep and 12-of-23 overall. Coppola had 14 points by halftime.

Early in the second half, Michel's short hook put the Lyons up before Coppola and freshman Ryan Sasso (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) hit back-to-back threes to give Wheaton a 40-32 lead at 17:03. Stone's hoop made it a six-point game, but the Lyons' 15-2 run continued, as Michel sandwiched lay-ups around freshman Bud Gaffney's (Berkley, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) three-pointer to make it 47-34 at 15:00.

A Sasso jumper made it 51-39 before the Camels began a big rally that ended with them retaking the lead, as the visitors scored seven of the next eight points to pull within 52-46 at 8:38, with senior Christian Mosley (Virginia Beach, VA/Hebron Academy) tallying the last five points of the run. Connecticut College used consecutive hoops from Stone to make it 57-52, Young's three-pointer brought the Camels within 59-55, and Mosley's lay-in and ensuing three-pointer with 1:59 to go put his team on top, 60-59, for the first time since 30-29.

Michel immediately came up big twice at the other end, snagging an offensive board before laying in the go-ahead hoop. Connecticut College had two chances to go back in front, as a three-pointer with 12 seconds left that bounced off the rim was corralled by Young, but the next chance ended with a pass into the lane that senior Jake Otto (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury) tipped with one second left into the arms of Leo, who ran out the clock.

Coppola finished with 19 points, hitting five threes, as Wheaton's high scorer for the fifth time this season. Leo had 11 points and nine rebounds, while Michel had 11 and five. Gaffney ended up with six points and five assists as the Lyons shot 46.9 percent, including 39.1 percent from deep.

Stone had 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists. Mosley added 13 points, while sophomore Shavar Bernier (Dover, NH/Bridgton Academy) notched 10. The Camels shot 49.0 percent but only 4-of-21 on three-point tries after entering the game shooting 50.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lyons begin a six-game road swing on Thursday at Roger Williams University at 7:00 p.m.

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