Wheaton, Ill. — The Wheaton men's basketball team continued conference play against the North Park Vikings on Saturday, rebounding from a loss to Illinois Wesleyan last Saturday, with a 94–85 victory at King Arena. Wheaton built a commanding first-half lead, and despite a strong second-half push from North Park, the deficit proved too much to overcome. The win moved the Thunder to 11–6 overall and 5–3 in CCIW play, while the Vikings fell to 10–8 and 3–6 in conference action.

Wheaton came out firing, opening the game by hitting five of its first six shots and doing most of its damage in the paint. Kyan VanderWoude, who entered the contest averaging 14 points per game in conference play, was the primary contributor early, scoring three layups in the first five minutes. The Thunder also got to the free-throw line early, converting five of six attempts across three trips.

Wheaton, which entered the game fourth in the CCIW in assists per game, showcased its ball movement early with four assists in the opening minutes. Devin Martin contributed two early assists and converted an and-one opportunity.

VanderWoude stayed hot, scoring 11 of Wheaton's first 24 points. The Thunder offense was nearly unstoppable through the first 10 minutes, shooting 71.4-percent from the field while holding North Park to 41.2 percent shooting, including a 1-for-7 mark from three-point range. With 10:05 remaining in the half, Wheaton held a 34–19 advantage. Soren Richardson, second in the CCIW in scoring, knocked down two quick threes to extend the lead further.
North Park found itself in early foul trouble, sending Wheaton into the bonus at the eight-minute mark. The Thunder attempted 11 free throws in the first 14 minutes of the half, making nine. VanderWoude had 17 points with 4:47 remaining as Wheaton continued to pour it on, going on a 10–0 run capped by a Carson Grier dunk to extend the lead to 26.

The half concluded with Wheaton leading 57–35, though North Park closed on a slight run, holding the Thunder to 1-for-5 shooting to end the period. Transition offense proved to be a major strength for Wheaton in the first half, keeping the Vikings on their heels throughout.
VanderWoude led all scorers at the break with 19 points, while Richardson and Grier added 11 and 10, respectively. Wheaton controlled the game statistically, holding advantages in rebounding (18–14) and assists (11–7). North Park struggled from deep, converting just one of its 13 three-point attempts in the first half.

Both teams came out hot to begin the second half, with North Park hitting five of its first six shots and Wheaton converting three of its first four. The Vikings began to chip away at the lead by earning multiple and-one opportunities, cutting the deficit to 16 with 14:47 remaining.

As Wheaton's shooting cooled, North Park continued its push. The Thunder went 1-for-5 from three during the stretch, while the Vikings shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and held Wheaton scoreless for 2:39, trimming the lead to nine with 11:03 remaining. Four North Park players shot 75 percent or better from the field in the half, signaling a shift in momentum.

A 14–2 run by the visitors brought the game within five as the CCIW matchup tightened late. A Richardson layup re-energized the crowd at King Arena as both 10-win programs battled for positioning in the conference playoff race.
With 6:33 remaining, Richardson buried a contested three-pointer from nearly 30 feet to push the lead back to eight, giving him 24 points on the night. After a timeout, Richardson tipped a pass to force a jump ball, resulting in a Wheaton possession. VanderWoude followed with a turnaround jumper to restore a double-digit lead.

That three-pointer proved to be the spark Wheaton needed, igniting an 11–0 run over 3:29. Two free throws from Grier extended the Thunder's advantage back to 16.
A floater by Reid Olson with 2:52 remaining effectively sealed the outcome, as Wheaton closed out a 94–85 victory. What appeared poised to become a tight finish ultimately turned into a gritty effort from both sides, with each team battling through second-half shooting slumps.

Wheaton finished the night shooting 35-for-64 (54.7 percent) from the field and 6-for-15 from three-point range. The Thunder went 18-for-27 from the free-throw line, outrebounded North Park 39–34, and held a 20–16 advantage in assists.

Richardson led all scorers with 26 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the line. He added six rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal in an all-around performance.

VanderWoude sparked the Thunder early and finished with 24 points on 11-for-14 shooting (78.6 percent), along with three rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Grier recorded his third double-double of the season, leading the game with 10 rebounds and adding 16 points. The freshman also contributed three assists, a steal, and a block.

Martin continued to build on his sixth-best assist average in the conference, dishing out eight assists while shooting an efficient 5-for-6 from the field.

Wheaton look to climb further up the conference standings when it hosts Augustana in a key conference matchup on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in King Arena. Wednesday's matchup against Augustana is the start of the second half of the CCIW schedule.