Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton College men's basketball team pounded the ball into the paint and rode that advantage to a 76-54 victory over University of Chicago on Wednesday.

The No. 13-ranked Thunder improve to 5-0 while the Maroons fall to 4-2.

Nate Serenius hit a go-ahead three pointer to break a 5-5 tie five minutes into the game, and Wheaton held that lead for the rest of the game. The Thunder continued to add to its lead throughout the first half and went into the break up 39-26. Aaron Garriott's 11 points in the period led the way, with 10 points from Tim McCrary and eight points from Tyler Peters.

Wheaton came into the game averaging eight three-pointer baskets per game, but this night only took nine shots from beyond the arc. The hosts prefered to exploit the post and fed the paint continuously. In total, the Thunder came away with 50 points in the paint compared to 16 points by Chicago.

The Thunder kept its double-digit lead all the way through the second half to clinch its fifth-straight win.

McCrary used his variety of spin moves, reversals and leaners to pour in a game-high 24 points. The senior power forward also pulled down nine rebounds and blocked four shots.

The guards followed suit as well. Peters and Garriott drove the lane from the perimeter and combined to shoot 12 of 19 from the field. Garriott used his athleticism to get the first step past his defender and then glided to the hoop for a number of layups, ending up with 18 points. Peters also found holes in the defense and racked up 15 points.

For the game, Wheaton shot 45 percent from the field (28 of 62), 33 percent from three-point territory (3 of 9) and 68 percent from the free throw line (17 of 25). Spencer Schultze collected nine rebounds to go with his five points. The Thunder also won the turnover battle 18-7.

Chicago shot 40 percent from the field (20 of 50), 40 percent from long range (6 of 15) and 67 percent from the charity stripe (8 of 12). Steve Stefanou scored 10 points to lead the Maroons.

The Thunder will be on the road for the entire month of December. The team travels this weekend to Michigan to face Hope College and Calvin College in the CCIW-MIAA Classic.