MBB Stumbles at Wheelock

BOSTON - The Wheelock College men's basketball team surged to an 89-76 win over New England Collegiate Conference foe Mitchell College on Thursday night behind a triple-double by Nicholas Fenton.

The Wildcats snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 4-10 (2-4 NECC) on the season. The Mariners dropped to 4-9 overall (3-4 NECC).

In the first half, Wheelock jumped out to an early double-digit advantage as back-to-back breakaway layups from Anthony Williams put the home team up 17-6. Mitchell fought back over the next few minutes and cut the deficit to 19-15 with 11:38 to go on a jumper from Parris Hill. Wheelock used a quick 5-0 spurt to reclaim a comfortable advantage and headed into the break leading 38-28.

The second half saw the Wildcats attempt to run away with the contest as they turned a 44-34 game with 15:28 remaining into a 56-36 advantage a little less than three minutes later. A three-pointer by Matthew Eason sparked the run that included a barrage of fast break layups as Wheelock attacked the paint and surged to a 20-point cushion.

After a deep trifecta from the right wing by Derek Fournier reestablished a 20-point lead for the Wildcats, the Mariners came right back. A 16-6 run that featured two traditional three-point plays and seven points by rookie Domenico Santiago left Mitchell trailing 67-57 at the 6:31 mark.

However, Wheelock weathered the storm and built its lead to as large as 78-61 in the final minutes. The Wildcats were led by Fenton's triple-double that featured 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, including two steals for good measure. Williams had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Joe Reedy nabbed a double-double of his own with 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Devin Brown rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points.

The Mariners were led by Hill who poured in a game-high 28 points and added nine caroms. Santiago had a big game as well as his double-double featured 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and a game-high 15 rebounds. Donavan McClean added 14 points and shared team-high honors with three assists.

Wheelock returns to action on Saturday, January 23 when it continues NECC play at Newbury College with a 2 p.m. tip. Mitchell returns to action at Becker College on Saturday at 3 p.m.