Thorpe delivers go-ahead layup with six seconds remaining 

BOSTON, Mass.  – Emerson College men's basketball sophomore guard Michael Thorpe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) converted the go-ahead layup with six seconds remaining to lift the Lions to a 62-60 win over Wheaton College on Wednesday afternoon in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup at Brown-Plofker Gym.

Wheaton freshman guard Agyei Gregory (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands/St. Andrews) tallied a team-high 13 points and six rebounds, while senior guard Will Bayliss (Manchester, N.H./Tilton School) added 11 points, a game-high six assists and three rebounds. Freshman forward Quinton Dale (Winthrop, Mass./Taft School) and junior forward Mike Cannon (New York, N.Y./Hyde School) combined for 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists. 

Emerson junior guard Eli Kell-Abrams (Berkley, Calif./Westtown School) finished with a game-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field including a 5-for-7 showing from long range and a 4-for-4 mark at the free throw line. Kell-Abrams also recorded six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Senior guard Jon Goldberg (Stowe, Vt./Rice Memorial) compiled 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Thorpe concluded the contest with eight points, four boards and six helpers. 

Tied 54-54 with 5:20 left to play, Kell-Abrams buried all four of his free throw attempts in the game to give the Lions a 58-54 advantage over a 2:16 span. Wheaton answered with a 6-2 run to even the score at 60-60 as Dale put home a layup at 2:53 and Bayliss canned back-to-back jumpers including the game-tying shot with 30-seconds remaining. 

After the hosts took a timeout with 31-seconds to go, Emerson dwindled down the shot clock under ten seconds before Goldberg found Thorpe for the game-winning layup. 

Emerson shot 41.4-percent (24-for-58) from the field, 46.7-percent (7-for-15) from long range and 53.8-percent (7-for-13) at the free throw line. The Lions held an 11-5 advantage in second chance points and dished out 18 assists. Wheaton went 34.5-percent (19-for-55) from the field and 68.0-percent (17-for-25) at the free throw line. The Lyons also won the matchup on the boards, 33-31, posted a 9-6 margin in points off turnovers and committed a season-low six turnovers in the game. 

The hosts led 39-31 at the break as Kell-Abrams poured in 17 points while hitting all five of his three-pointers in the half. Emerson shot 48.5-percent (16-for-33) from the field and 60.0-percent (6-for-10) from beyond the arc in the opening stanza. 

Wheaton (7-7, 2-3 NEWMAC) hosts WPI on Saturday inside Emerson Gymnasium at 3 p.m. Emerson (10-6, 3-2 NEWMAC) travels to MIT on Saturday for a conference clash at 3 p.m.

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