Hoboken, N.J. -- The 15th-ranked Wheaton men's basketball team flew out to the East Coast this week to participate in the Stevens Holiday Tournament, a four-team non-conference invitational held on the banks of the Hudson River. The Thunder's first matchup of the competition came against SUNY Oneonta in the second semifinal of the day, and Wheaton out-muscled the Red Dragons in the two programs' first-ever meeting to advance to Friday's championship game.
Tyson Cruickshank led all players with 22 points in tonight's 79-67 victory.
Eddie Scott got the Thunder off to a fast start in the game, knocking down a step-back three on the opening possession before converting a layup moments later to earn the contest's first five points. Another three from the senior guard followed a layup in the lane by
TJ Askew, and Wheaton surged out to a double-digit advantage before their opponents even got on the board. A pair of free throws three minutes in allowed Oneonta to register their first points of the night, but the New York squad did not manage to get the deficit back into single digits again thereafter. Cruickshank drained a three-ball to push Wheaton's lead back up to 11 points, and this would be the smallest margin between the two sides on the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. Clinical offense and efficient defending enabled the Thunder to enjoy a 44-30 halftime edge. The Red Dragons splashed in a three to open the scoring in the second half, but this basket was quickly matched by Askew. The #15 team in the country refused to allow their counterparts to work their way back into the game after halftime as the Thunder sailed to a comfortable result on the neutral court.
A solid shooting performance saw Wheaton post figures of 50% from the floor and 42% from three-point range, while Oneonta could only manage marks of 34.8% overall and 26.7% from beyond the arc. The rebounding battle was a virtual tie, and both teams committed ten turnovers. The Red Dragons earned more second chance points than their Midwestern competitors, but Wheaton enjoyed advantages in the bench points, points in the paint, points off of turnovers, and fast break points categories, underlining their superior performance as a team.
In addition to his game-leading scoring haul,
Tyson Cruickshank tallied five rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal.
Eddie Scott contributed 19 points, six boards, and a pair of assists.
TJ Askew racked up 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and blocked two shots.
Andrew Williams was the fourth Thunder player to reach double-figures in scoring, earning 11 points to go with his six rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
Eli Considine registered a team-best two takeaways and three assists, and
Micah Schnyders chipped in with nine points.
Having improved to 9-2 on the season with this evening's win, Wheaton faces a quick turnaround ahead of their next contest. The Thunder will take on the tournament's hosts, the Stevens Tech Ducks, who won Thursday's first semifinal, 65-49, over Dickinson College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 PM Eastern time on Friday in Hoboken.
