Wheaton wins NCAA opener

BELTON, Texas - The Wheaton men's basketball team defeated University of Mary-Hardin Baylor 73-58 on Thursday night in a NCAA Division III Tournament first-round game.

Wheaton advances to play at the University of Dallas on Saturday night.

"I am proud of our guys," Wheaton coach Mike Schauer said. "I thought we played really well and I was pleased with the preparation and execution of our guys.

"I think we are fortunate that we get to play in a very good league, in the CCIW, so this was our 12th game against a regionally ranked opponent and you get used to the competition. We are used to playing good teams on the road, and they are certainly good, and I thought it showed at times tonight."

The two teams battled through a back-and-forth opening of the game, with the host Crusaders holding an 8-7 lead over the first four minutes. A 3-point basket by Andrew Jahns (Wheaton North) gave Wheaton a 10-8 lead with 15:25 left in the first half; it was a lead the guests would never relinquish.

Jahns' 3 sparked an 18-3 Wheaton run to put the Thunder up 26-10 with 6:30 left before halftime. The Crusaders rallied late in the first half, with Wheaton leading 31-14 with 3:30 remaining before halftime, UMBH closed out the first half with an 11-2 run as Wheaton held a 33-25 lead at halftime.

Ben Panner made two consecutive 3-pointers to open the second half and Jahns followed with a 3 as Wheaton scored the first 9 points of the second half to take a 42-25 lead with 17:20 remaining in regulation. The Thunder led by as many as 19 points, on two occasions in the second half.

Jahns led the Thunder with a game-high 25 points as he made five 3-pointers, with 6 assists. Ben Panner scored 21 points, with five 3-pointers and 5 assists. Sophomore forward Tim McCrary scored 17 points, with 10 rebounds and 5 assists.