Wheaton, Ill. -- Returning to King Arena for the first time in a month and resuming its CCIW schedule, the Wheaton men's basketball team welcomed Carroll University to town on Wednesday night. The Thunder used a strong first-half performance to eventually secure a narrow 85-84 win on home floor, matching their one-point home victory over Elmhurst one month ago. Tonight's result extends Wheaton's home winning streak against Carroll to 12 consecutive games, with the Wisconsin side having not won in King Arena since February 1990. The Thunder now own a season record of 8-5 with a 2-2 mark in conference action.
Wheaton put up 48 points in the opening period for the third time this year courtesy of an impressive 61% field goal conversion rate and ten made free throws. The hosts finished with a 51% shooting percentage on the night and a 77% mark from the line. Carroll shot over 50% from the floor in each half but made just seven of its 15 foul shots. Both squads struggled from three-point range on Wednesday, with the Pioneers logging a 31% measure to the Thunder's 28.6%. Wheaton won the rebounding battle at a 36-32 count while the visitors edged the turnover tally, and the Thunder's +10 margin at the free throw line proved pivotal down the stretch. Carroll registered an impressive 62 points in the paint and logged 18 on the fast break compared to Wheaton's 11. But the Thunder enjoyed considerably more bench production in this evening's matchup and out-muscled the Pios in second chance scoring at a 20-14 measure.
Soren Richardson led Wheaton in scoring for the ninth-straight game with 25 points, matched his career-high in steals with five, sank all eight of his free throw attempts, and brought down five rebounds.
Carson Grier scored 17 points on 66% shooting and grabbed a joint team-high six rebounds.
Devin Martin tallied 15 points and a game-best eight assists while collecting four boards.
Kyan VanderWoude matched Grier on six rebounds, and he was joined on six points by
Kyle Neibch and
Reid Olson.
Grier opened the scoring with a layup in the lane on the Thunder's initial possession, and the first five made baskets in tonight's contest came from inside the paint. Carroll earned its largest and last lead of the game at the 16:51 mark of the first half from a 7-4 advantage. Olson drained a triple on Wheaton's next trip down the floor to kick-start a 15-0 run for the home side, and the Thunder would hold the lead for the rest of the night. The Pios drew back within seven points on three occasions in the remainder of the first half, but Wheaton's well-timed baskets and ability to get to the free throw line helped the hosts stay in front on the scoreboard. Five-consecutive points from Carroll's leading scorer pulled the guests back to an eight-point deficit heading into the last minute of the opening period, but Martin (
pictured right) sank a three-pointer to cap the first half scoring and give Wheaton a 48-37
halftime tilt.
The Thunder cooled off from beyond the arc in the second half, and the Pioneers found more joy in the interior, leading to a 47-37 scoring split in Carroll's favor after halftime. But Wheaton showed resiliency down the stretch and its free throw shooting along with key defensive stops proved to be just enough to earn the win. The hosts' lead ballooned up to 16 points in the first three minutes of the second half, but Carroll refused to go away and mounted a 6-0 run four minutes later to claw back within single digits. A jumper and a three-ball from Richardson halted this momentum shift, but the Waukesha outfit logged another 7-0 surge to pull within five at 68-63. The junior tallied two more successful jump shots before the Pios answered with a three-pointer and jumper of their own to make it 74-70 with five minutes remaining in the game.
The two teams traded baskets over the following three minutes before a clutch layup by Richardson seemingly put Wheaton in firm control with an 81-74 advantage under the two-minute mark. But a quick 4-0 swing for the visitors pulled Carroll back to a one-possession deficit with 75 seconds still left to play. Richardson drew a whistle on the next trip and coolly drained both foul shots before his Pioneer counterpart missed two free throw attempts at the other end. Martin sank one to give the hosts an 84-78 edge with 30 seconds left, but a layup-steal-layup sequence kept Carroll alive with 15 seconds remaining. Martin's free throw conversion on Wheaton's next possession ended the Thunder's scoring for the night, and the Pioneers found themselves with one chance to tie the game and send it into overtime. But their ensuing three-point try fell short and could only be put back in from close range for two as the horn sounded, giving the Orange and Blue a dramatic and hard-fought victory.
After tonight's exciting return to conference play, Wheaton will take the short drive over to Naperville this weekend to face North Central College in its next contest. Tip-off between the local rivals is set for 4:15 PM on Saturday.
