Grand Rapids, Mich. -- After securing its first conference victory of the season on Wednesday night, the Wheaton men's basketball team remained on the road this afternoon in a return to non-conference action, facing off against the second-ranked Calvin University Knights. After a competitive first half, the talented Knights squad pulled away from their guests in the second period to claim a 77-54 win. Wheaton's record now sits at 2-7 overall and 1-2 in CCIW play with one more game to come before the team's Christmas break.
Calvin jumped out in front early on today, but the Thunder did well to stay within touching distance on the scoreboard in the first half. A 6-0 run around the midway point of the opening frame saw Wheaton tie the score at 12 apiece, and a three-pointer from the team's leading scorer today,
Noah Hedrick, gave Wheaton its lone lead of the contest at 17-16. The hosting Knights responded with an eight-point surge, but a strong jump shot in the paint by
Nick Schiavello brought the guests back within three. The Thunder ended the half well offensively, as
RJ Veliz and
Daniel Garza drained three-point shots on their last two possessions, but Calvin beat the buzzer with a three of its own to claim a 33-29 advantage at the half.
Wheaton fought hard to keep their favored hosts close before halftime, but the start to the second half proved decisive, as the Knights scored 19 of the first 21 points after halftime to open up a 52-31 gap on the scoreboard. The Thunder shot nearly 40% from the field in the opening frame but only managed to hit seven shots after the intermission, while Calvin made over 50% of its field goal attempts on the day. Wheaton edged the Knights in free throw percentage, offensive rebounding, and bench points on Saturday, but Calvin controlled the other areas of the game en route to the non-conference victory.
Hedrick, a junior transfer student from Hope College, matched his previous career-high with 17 points today to lead Wheaton in scoring. He knocked down a game-high three triples and picked up two assists while also blocking one shot. Schiavello had an impressive all-around performance, scoring in double-figures and leading the Thunder in rebounds and steals, with seven and two, respectively. The senior also dished out a pair of assists and was a perfect 4-4 at the foul line. Garza contributed nine points, while Veliz led the team with four assists and
Connor Braun blocked a pair of Calvin attempts.
Wheaton has the upcoming midweek off, and the team's non-conference road trip will continue next Saturday when the Thunder head into the city to take on the University of Chicago Maroons.
