Wooster, Ohio -- After two weeks away from the court, the Wheaton men's basketball team headed east to take part in the College of Wooster's Kiwanis Classic. This weekend's non-conference slate began with the Thunder's first neutral court matchup of the season against top-ranked John Carroll University. A thrilling first half saw both teams put up 49 points in a breathless affair, and while Wheaton's upset bid ultimately came up short, there were plenty of positives to take from Friday's contest, including a new season-high total of 87 points. Freshman
Soren Richardson led all players with 28 points this evening to guide the Thunder offense in their penultimate game of 2023.
Wheaton knew it would have to start the game on the front foot if it wanted to stun tonight's favored opponents, and the Thunder did exactly that, jumping out to an early 9-2 advantage courtesy of the first of Richardson's six three-pointers. But the Blue Streaks answered back with a 9-0 run to claim an 11-9 edge four minutes in. The back-and-forth pattern of the first frame continued, as Wheaton surged back out to a 19-11 lead after another triple from the rookie and two jumpers in the lane by
Nate Sock (
pictured right). JCU rattled off nine-straight points once again to move back into the lead, but from the 13:41 mark onward, the largest advantage for either side in the half was five, as both teams began to find their offensive rhythm at the same time.
The Thunder did well to hang with their poll-topping counterparts and did not allow the Blue Streaks to pull away when they generated any momentum. Facing a 45-40 deficit with three minutes left in the period, Wheaton accounted for nine of the next 11 points to seize a 49-47 lead that was capped by a Sock three-ball. John Carroll drew a shooting foul as time expired and sank both free throws to make it 49-49 at the intermission.
Wheaton also began the second half on top, as Richardson and
Nick Schiavello combined for five points to establish an early Thunder lead.
Kyle Neibch and Schiavello came up with big baskets to break up John Carroll's scoring, and Richardson drained consecutive three-pointers to give Wheaton its largest lead at 65-54 with 14 minutes remaining. But the Blue Streaks flexed their muscles and showed why they are national contenders by flipping the script and building a double-digit advantage of their own over the next ten minutes. After going up by 11, the Thunder failed to score on their next four possessions, and a John Carroll three-pointer cut the lead to 67-63. This jump-started a 9-2 JCU run to tie the score at 69 apiece with just under ten minutes to play.
With 7:17 remaining in the contest, John Carroll converted a layup in the paint to edge in front at 73-71, and the Blue Streaks held the lead the rest of the way. Wheaton ended the matchup with some efficient offensive possessions, and Neibch buried a three in the closing seconds to help the team avoid an undeserved double-digit defeat. But the scoring drought in the middle of the second half and John Carroll's quality ultimately proved decisive in determining the final outcome.
Friday's non-conference contest featured seven ties and nine lead changes as Wheaton gave John Carroll everything it could handle in search of a famous win. The Thunder out-shot their top-ranked opponents from the field and from three-point range this evening at 54-45% and 45-39% tallies, respectively, and hit an impressive eight three-point shots in the first half. The free-throw line was one area that helped JCU emerge victorious, with the Blue Streaks making 21 foul shots to Wheaton's seven and earning significantly more trips to the charity stripe. John Carroll also gathered in 17 offensive boards to win the rebounding battle and committed seven fewer turnovers than the Thunder.
Richardson established a new career-high point total in his young collegiate experience and shot 67% from the floor while also nabbing a team-high two steals this evening. Sock was one rebound short of a double-double on Friday, going for 23 points and nine boards, and his scoring mark was also good for a new career-high.
Kyle Neibch tallied 15 points off of five three-pointers, grabbed six rebounds, and earned three assists in a versatile performance.
Nick Schiavello contributed 12 points, a game-high six assists, and a pair of boards.
The Thunder will look to close out the calendar year with a victory when they face Edgewood College in the Classic's consolation game at 4 PM (ET) on Saturday.
