MOUNT IDA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Championship– 2017 Wheaton Tip-Off Tournament
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Emerson Gymnasium, Norton, Mass.
FINAL: WHEATON 83, MOUNT IDA 66
NORTON, Mass. -- Tournament Most Valuable Player Liam Bruno (Newton, Mass.) scored 21 points as Wheaton shot 62 percent from the field in overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit to post an 83-66 non-league college men's basketball victory over Mount Ida in the championship game of the 2017 Wheaton Tip-Off Tournament Saturday afternoon at Emerson Gymnasium.
The host Lyons (3-0) trailed 34-25 at the break but battled back to forge a 56-56 tie with 9:16 remaining on a Bruno three-pointer, and after senior Joey DeFillippi's (Bristol, Conn.) trey created the final deadlock of the day at 59 with just under seven minutes to play for the visiting Mustangs (1-1), Wheaton took control of the contest with a 12-2 run in just over two minutes to grab a 71-61 edge with 4:37 to go. A lay-in by freshman Jonathan Friberg (North Attleboro, Mass.) cut Mount Ida's deficit to eight on the ensuing possession, but senior Ryan Fogarty (Walpole, Mass.) iced the Lyons' triumph by scoring 10 of his team's final 12 points to account for the final margin.
Fogarty joined Bruno with 21 points while grabbing five rebounds in the win for Wheaton, which received a double-double effort of 19 points, 12 rebounds and three steals from junior Duaka Ekwensi (Morris Plains, N.J.) along with 10 points and seven assists from sophomore Alex DuBrow (Foxboro, Mass.). Sophomore Robby Lowey (Foxboro, Mass.) grabbed 11 rebounds as well for the Lyons, who connected of 21-of-34 field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes of play after shooting 20 percent from the floor in the opening half. The hosts held a 40-34 edge on the glass and a 12-point advantage (30-18) in the paint.
Senior Brendan Cunningham (Quincy, Mass.) led four players in double figures with 16 points (including four three-pointers) in the setback for Mount Ida, while DeFillippi added 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals to earn all-tournament team honors. Friberg collected 12 points and four boards on the day for the Mustangs, who received 11 points from junior Dennis Ross (Portland, Maine). Sophomore Kevin Vanderhorst (Lawrence, Mass.) scored seven points and shared game-high rebounding honors with 12 caroms for the visitors, who shot 40 percent from the floor (23-58) and connected for nine three-pointers on the day.
Mount Ida heads to Newport, R.I. on Tuesday evening to take on Salve Regina in a non-league outing that tips-off at 7:00 p.m., while Wheaton travels to Bristol, R.I. on Tuesday afternoon to square off with Roger Williams in a non-league contest that begins at 4:00 p.m.