Wheelock Locks Down Eastern Nazarene, 83-59.

Quincy, Mass.- The Wheelock men’s basketball team began 2010 where they left off in 2009, defeating Eastern Nazarene College 83-59 for their third straight victory on the season. The win improves the Wildcats record to 7-2 while the Lions fall to 0-10 on the season.

Wheelock came out quickly, going up 12-4 to start the game with a smothering full court press, but Eastern Nazarene climbed back into the game to trail by two, 16-14, at the ten minute mark. ENC’s Mike McCoy (Alamonte Springs, FL) kept the Lions in the game, posting 9 points in the first frame. The Wildcat’s full court press paid off however, as they increased their lead to, 31-18, on the heels of three forced turnovers and back to back three pointers by Eric Rice, (Woburn, MA) and Patsy Dinuzzo (Beaver, Penn). The Wildcats quickly had the Lions in a formidable hole, leading 47-23 at halftime, with Wheelock’s Sherard Robbins (Malden, MA), leading all scorers with 13 going into the break.

Eastern Nazarene College started the second half looking to slice into Wheelock’s lead, but the Wildcat’s full court press continued to disrupt any flow to the Lion’s offense. CJ Gonzales (Fall River, MA) converted twice in the paint, however ENC still trailed by 25 at the fifteen minute mark.

Wheelock’s Robbins finished with a game high 26 pts as ENC’s McCoy led the Lions with 11 pts. ENC freshman Chima Ezeigbo (Roanoke, VA) had an impressive defensive showing in his first game for the Lions, tallying 6 blocks and 5 rebounds.

Eastern Nazarene (0-10) will go for their first win of the season on the road against Daniel Webster College on Thursday while Wheelock (7-2) seeks their fourth straight win when they visit Ana Maria on the same date.