Elmhurst, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder men's basketball team traveled to Elmhurst University on Saturday afternoon for a CCIW matchup featuring two top-10 ranked teams. Elmhurst edged the Thunder 76-75 with a three-pointer at the buzzer for the Bluejays (7-1, 1-0 CCIW). Wheaton is now 7-1 on the season and 1-1 in CCIW play.

Cade Alioth set a career-high with 30 points tonight, making a career-best five three-pointers. The senior also grabbed 11 rebounds for his seventh 'double-double' of the season, and blocked two shots. Luke Anthony came off the Thunder bench for 11 points with six rebounds and three assists. Nyameye Adom scored 10 points, with five assists. Tyson Cruickshank scored 10 points, with eight rebounds. Eddie Scott made a pair of three-pointers off the Wheaton bench to contribute six points.

The Thunder shot 42.1% (24-of-57) from the field, including 44.1% (15-of-34) behind the three-point arc. Elmhurst posted a 48.6% (34-of-70) field goal percentage, including 33.3% (4-for-12) from three-point range. The Thunder shot 63.2% (12-of-19) at the free throw line tonight, and the Bluejays shot 100% (4-for-4) at the charity stripe. Wheaton out-rebounded the hosts 37-34, including a 10-8 edge on the offensive glass.   

Elmhurst's Jake Rhode led the Bluejays with 21 points and three assists. Wesley Hooker added 17 points with six rebounds. Lavon Thomas scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the hosts.

Elmhurst led 14-13 with 12:41 remaining in the first half when Anthony drained his second of three first-half three-pointers. Anthony's trey gave Wheaton a 16-14 lead and sparked an 11-4 Thunder run to give the guests a 24-18 lead with 9:00 left in the opening half. Wheaton continued its strong play for the remainder of the first half, leading by as many as nine points with a 37-28 bulge for the guests with 3:50 left before halftime.

Wheaton led the Bluejays 39-34 at the halftime intermission. Anthony's three first-half three-pointers gave him a team-high nine points in the opening half. Alioth and Cruickshank each scored seven points for the guest in the first 20 minutes. Anthony and Cruickshank each grabbed a team-leading four rebounds for Wheaton in the first half.

The Bluejays battled in the second half and built up an 11-point lead at 69-58 with 5:52 left in the game, when Alioth made a three-pointer that began a string of nine unanswered points for the guests and cut Elmhurst's lead to 69-67 with 4:15 remaining in the contest.

Elmhurst led 71-68 with 50-seconds left in the game when Alioth made his career-high fifth three-pointer of the game to tie the contest at 71-71. Rhode responded on the Bluejays' next possession with basket that gave the hosts a 73-71 lead with 24-seconds remaining in the game. Adom drove to the basket for a scooping layup with 14 seconds left that tied the game at 73-73. The Thunder All-American made the three-pointer to give the Thunder a 74-73 lead.

Elmhurst turned the ball over on its next possession in the closing seconds. Anthony gathered the ball and was fouled. He made one of his two free throw attempts to increase Wheaton's lead to 75-73. The long in-bound pass found Rhode who made the halfcourt three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Bluejays the 76-75 victory.

Wheaton remains on the road Wednesday for its next conference matchup. The Thunder will travel to Carroll for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against the Pioneers.