GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Brayden Teuscher (LEFT) scored 17 points and Tyler Peters (RIGHT) contributed a game-high 20 points to lead Wheaton against Hope.
Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Wheaton Thunder men's basketball team earned an 80-61 victory against Hope College on Friday in the opening night of action in the 2013 MIAA/CCIW Classic. Wheaton, ranked 13th in this week's D3hoops.com Top-25, improves to 5-2 on the year. The Thunder will play in the final game of the tournament on Saturday at 3 PM (EST) against ninth-ranked Calvin College, the tournament host.
Hope took an early 9-5 lead in the game, but Wheaton responded with five unanswered points to gain a 10-9 lead with 12:50 remaining in the first half. Wheaton never trailed in the game after that point and the 5-0 run was the beginning of a 15-2 scoring surge for the Thunder that saw Wheaton hold a 20-11 lead with 9:50 left in the opening half.
Michael Kvam drained two three-pointers in Wheaton's scoring run, while
Nate Haynes (PICTURED LEFT) scored five points and
Brayden Teuscher contributed four points to account for Wheaton's 15 points in the key stretch. Wheaton led Flying Dutchmen 36-25 at halftime.
The Thunder defense was crucial to Wheaton's success in the first half, as the Thunder held Hope to just 25 points on 10-for-27 (37%) shooting from the field. Teuscher and Haynes each scored nine points in the first half to lead Wheaton into halftime.
Wheaton was outstanding on offense in the second half as the Thunder shot 72.7% (16-22) from the field after halftime to score 44 second-half points. Wheaton continued to add to its lead throughout the second half, with the largest lead, a 20-point advantage, coming in a 79-59 lead with 2:04 remaining in the game. Thunder senior
Tyler Peters scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as he was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field.
Wheaton was well-balanced on offense tonight with four players scoring in double digits, led by Peters' 20 points. He added eight assists and seven rebounds in a well-rounded effort. Teuscher scored 17 points, with three assists. He shot 4-for-6 from the field and was 9-of-10 at the free throw line. Haynes scored 14 points, on a perfect 5-for-5 effort from the field, and he grabbed five rebounds.
Peter Smith (PICTURED RIGHT) scored 10 points and Kvam added eight points, with four steals.
Wheaton shot a season-high 65.1% (28-43) from the field, including 38.5% (5-13) from three-point range. The Thunder shot 70.4% (19-27) at the free throw line and out-rebounded Hope 27-22 for the game. Hope posted a 45.1% (23-51) field goal percentage, with 40% (4-10) from three-point range and 78.6% (11-14) at the free throw line.
Corey McMahon scored 14 points to lead Hope on 6-for-8 shooting from the field. Nate VanArendonk Brock Benson each contributed 10 points on the day. Alex Eidson scored nine points, with five rebounds.
Note Worthy: Wheaton was a sensational 28-for-30 (93.3%) on two-point field goal attempts for the evening...Peters has moved into 37th place on Wheaton's all-time scoring list with 1,086 career points, surpassing the 1,000-point milestone on Nov. 19 at Loras College...Peters now has 312 career assists and needs just two more tie Wesley Pitts (1993-97) for eighth-place on Wheaton's all-time list.
