BENNINGTON, VT - The Wheelock College men's basketball team trimmed a double-digit deficit to four points before suffering only its second loss in six all-time meetings with Southern Vermont College, dropping a 71-67 decision on Saturday during New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play in Mountaineer Gymnasium. The Wildcats fell to 6-9 overall and 2-3 in the league, while the hosts improved to 11-5 and 5-1 behind their sixth straight win.

Wheelock senior Daniel Main (Hopedale, MA/Hopedale) tallied a team-high 19 points behind 8-of-8 free-throw shooting to go along with six rebounds and three steals. Junior Eric Rice (Woburn, MA/Woburn) approached a double-double with 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Classmates Max Kaim (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cypress Bay) and Kyle Pierce (Burlington, MA/Burlington) and freshman Paul Coucci (Dartmouth, MA/Dartmouth) each added eight points, with Pierce providing four assists and Coucci nailing two three-pointers.

Junior Ben Naaktgeboren (Cambridge, NY/Cambridge) totaled 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals for the Mountaineers, while classmate Taeshon Johnson (Pittsfield, MA/Denmark College) turned in 21 points and eight boards.

The visitors got out to a 10-2 lead thanks to six points from Rice and were up by a 16-7 count following junior Elliot Hernandez's (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cypress Bay) fast-break bucket at 12:08 of the opening half. Southern Vermont scored the next nine points in a 2:12 span, and a three-pointer at 8:55 gave the hosts their first lead. Wheelock regrouped, as Coucci's second three in 3:34 pushed his team up by a count 26-21 at 3:18 before the hosts began a 23-6 run that bridged intermission. The Mountaineers led 31-28 at halftime.

Southern Vermont twice went ahead by 13 points during the second stanza, including at 51-38 before the Wildcats recorded a 7-0 run. The final four points came off the hand of Main, making the score 51-45 at 10:39. The hosts pushed their lead back out to 10 before Wheelock twice crept within five and later netted five straight points to produce a 65-61 margin on Pierce's jumper at 1:43. Two Main free throws kept the Wildcats within striking distance at 67-63 with 1:13 left, but the hosts scored the next four points to ice the victory.

Wheelock caps a four-game road swing on Tuesday with an NECC contest against Lesley University at 8 p.m.