WHEATON, Ill. – The Wheaton College men's basketball team kicked off the 2026-27 season with its best offensive production at home in a decade, as the hosts blasted past Milwaukee School of Engineering 101-71 on Saturday night.
Wheaton's scoring binge marked their most points inside King Arena since Feb. 20, 2016, when they put up 101 in overtime against Augustana College.
Efficiency typified the offensive effort by Wheaton (1-0) throughout the contest. The home side shot 59 percent from the field overall, including a blistering 63.6 percent in the second half. The hot shooting extended beyond the arc as well – the Thunder hit 44 percent from deep (11 of 25).
MSOE (0-1) made their first two shots of the night, but after that, Wheaton would hold the lead for the remaining 38 minutes of game time. A fastbreak dunk by sophomore forward Brady Wynja and a fastbreak layup by junior guard Devin Martin put Wheaton in control at 13-8. The lead went into double digits at 21-10 following senior guard Soren Richardson's three-point splash.
The Raiders chopped the deficit down to 39-34 with three minutes left before halftime before sophomore guard Reid Olson sank four free throws on back-to-back possessions. Richardson concluded the half with another trey to put his team up 48-40 at the break.
Richardson and Olson were a deadly combination in the backcourt with a combined 28 points in the first half. Wheaton shot 53.6 percent from the field and converted half of their three-point attempts (6 of 12).
On the defensive end, Wynja was a menace in the paint. The 6-foot-6 sophomore blocked five shots and grabbed eight rebounds in the opening 20 minutes alone. His five blocks were the most in a game by a Thunder player since Anajuwon Spencer swatted five shots against Ripon College on Nov. 10, 2018.
Wheaton consistently kept a double-digit lead in the second half and made a big surge with 10 minutes remaining that put the game away. A 14-3 run put the hosts ahead 79-58, as junior guard Kyan VanderWoude threw down a pair of dunks and scored 10 points in just over two minutes.
With the game well in hand, the Thunder turned to their bench to close out the 30-point victory. A pair of free throws by junior guard Cayden Mudd allowed Wheaton to break the century mark with 1:21 remaining.
Richardson maintained his hot shooting all evening en route to 30 points. The senior lefty shot 10-for-18 from the field, 5-for-10 from three-point range and 5-for-5 at the free throw stripe. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists and snagged two steals.
Olson was next highest in scoring with 17 points, hitting 4-for-8 on three-pointers. Martin posted 13 points and six assists. Wynja recorded a double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Sophomore guard Carson Grier (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) and VanderWoude (10 points) rounded out the double-digit scorers.
Wheaton's lone blemish came at the free throw line, converting 56 percent (18-for-32). But ball security was another plus with 17 assists versus only eight turnovers. On the flip side, MSOE committed 16 turnovers that Wheaton turned into 21 points going the other way. The Thunder held healthy advantages in points in the paint (44-30) and on the fast break (19-6).
The Raiders was limited to 36 percent shooting on field goals and 16 percent on three-pointers (4-for-25). The two teams combined for 51 total fouls.
The Thunder return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 11 with a home game versus Illinois Institute of Technology. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside King Arena.
