The Emerson College men’s and women’s basketball teams swept a Saturday doubleheader on the Hank Smith Court. The men’s team escaped with a 79-76 victory over the Wheaton College Lyons, while the women defeated the Framingham State University Rams 85-75.

Men’s basketball head coach Bill Curley said the difference between Saturday’s win and the Lions’ last two losses to Wheaton was an improvement in execution.

“That might have been the first time where we had multiple efforts from everybody,” he said. “That was awesome to see how hard they were scrambling and getting around and moving.”

Women’s basketball head coach Bill Gould appreciated the team’s resilience after a narrow loss to Emmanuel College on Dec. 4.

“I think this game, our kids were very much locked in on, ‘Hey, this is how we play, this is what we’re gonna do,’” he said.

Men’s basketball vs. Wheaton

Wheaton struck first with an early 7-2 lead before junior guard Guillermo Gasset Ruiz nailed a three-pointer with 13 minutes left. The Lions soon got hot from the perimeter, as a pair of threes by Gasset Ruiz and another from sophomore guard Hank Gramlich gave the Lions a 16-9 lead with 10:31 remaining.

The visitors chipped away and eventually tied the game at 21 with a layup at the 6:51 mark. Junior forward Shay Roban nailed two free throws to put the Lions back in front, and they extended their lead with a corner three from senior guard Brendan McNamara. Despite a late surge by Wheaton, the Lions hung on for the rest of the period and took a 38-31 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Emerson wasted little time extending its lead, as a dunk by senior center Linus Helmhold and another Gasset Ruiz three put them up 43-35 with 18:12 to play. Wheaton went on several runs to trim the deficit, but threes from McNamara and Helmhold kept them at arm’s length. Emerson comfortably led 50-42 with 15:46 remaining.

Wheaton’s scoring runs quickly evaporated that comfortability, as the Lyons drilled a three with 13:50 left to trim the deficit to one. After fighting for the lead over the next few minutes, the Lions built a six-point cushion with less than nine minutes remaining, up 63-57. Despite Emerson clinging to small leads throughout the period, Wheaton got closer at the free-throw line, making it a 67-65 game with over five minutes left.

After a series of free throws and threes from both teams, senior guard Jacob Armant’s and-one layup gave the Lions a 76-75 advantage with two minutes remaining. As Wheaton missed late opportunities to win the game, Emerson led by three after free throws by McNamara and junior guard BJ McNeil.

Wheaton called a timeout after McNamara’s free throw with two seconds left, earning it with 0.5 remaining. They called a second timeout with 0.2 left to advance the ball to half-court. Their last-second miracle attempts missed the mark, and Emerson survived the wire-to-wire thriller.

McNamara and Gramlich led the Lions with 13 points apiece, while Gasset Ruiz buried four threes en route to a 12-point performance. Efficient shooting defined the Lions’ victory, as they nailed 25 of their 50 field goal attempts and 11 of their 21 threes (52%).

McNamara said he was proud of the team’s efforts throughout the victory, especially with how they rode the “waves of momentum.”

“We got up, and they punched us back. We had a lot of our guys in foul trouble, but guys stepped up,” said McNamara. ”That’s a testament to every day, guys [are] earning it, and people are just ready for their moment.”

The senior co-captain also reflected on the “long road” he’s had after missing his junior year due to an ankle injury, adding that his confidence is returning “at the right time.”

“I’m just happy to be out there,” he continued. “I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself..I’m just happy to be out there with my teammates and very grateful to have such supportive and empowering teammates and coaches.”

Curley believed the Lions did a good job sticking to their game plan even as Wheaton mounted brief comebacks.

“What we were doing was adequate enough just because of [the players’] effort—their effort was tremendous,” he said. “We didn’t have to rely on going to the next level. We could keep the game plan intact and not vary from it.”

He added that the team’s focus has improved over the last few games, particularly after a loss to nationally ranked Tufts University on Nov. 18.

“Since that Tufts game, they kind of realized, ‘Okay, I have to work a little bit. I can’t just show up and tie my shoes and go play,’” Curley said. “It’s the little things that we weren’t doing early on. They’re starting to do that.”

McNamara said the key lies in understanding how hard it is to win in the NEWMAC, adding, “Just like we think we’re going to kill other teams, they think they’re going to smack us.”

He also believes the Lions must work to leverage the “many weapons” they have.

“We [have] a lot of pieces we can count on, and when we put it all together, I don’t see anyone being able to beat us,” McNamara said. “But that’s the puzzle for the whole year.”

At 4-3 overall and 2-0 in the NEWMAC, the men’s basketball team will head to Bridgewater State University on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Framingham State

The Lions held a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, which included sophomore guard Jessie Silk scoring the team’s last nine points of the period behind layups, mid-range jumpers, and a three-pointer. Emerson’s offense erupted in the second quarter, leading by as many as 22 off of threes by senior guards Bri Frongillo and Sofia Canter. The Rams cut into the Lions’ lead with threes of their own, though Emerson still held a 46-32 advantage at the break.

“That second quarter, goodness gracious,” Coach Gould said. “I mean, Jesus, you’re not getting much better than that.”

Despite the Lions maintaining a wide margin, a 10-0 Ram charge brought them within seven, 50-43, with five minutes left in the third quarter. Buckets by Canter, Frongillo and first-year guard Annie Ferguson kept Emerson up throughout the period. After a three by FSU with one minute remaining, junior forward Elise Arnold got to the rim for a layup at the 32-second mark, and the Lions led 63-53 heading into the fourth.

The Lions pushed their lead to 15 after sophomore guard Lindsay Gould’s three-pointer at the 9:11 mark. Another FSU run brought the lead to seven, 68-61, with 6:30 to play. Emerson mounted another streak behind free throws and two-point jumpers, and led 81-66 after a Silk three with 3:10 to go. The Lions hung onto a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, remaining unbeaten at home with a 4-0 record.

Silk dropped a team-high 26 points—15 of which came in the first half—along with six rebounds and seven assists. Frongillo tallied 14 points, four rebounds and two assists, while junior guard Kendra Dodd finished with nine points, two rebounds, and an assist.

Coach Gould praised Silk for her “tough” play, emphasizing that she is only going to get better.

“The fact that she’s this good and still has a lot of room to grow is fantastic,” he added.

As the Rams trimmed the deficit in the second half, Coach Gould’s message to his team relied on defensive communication and offensive execution.

“We are very much a ‘one end of the court helps the other end,’” he added. “Obviously, everybody says that, but…for us, it really is both ways. We went back to basics at both ends of the court and did a pretty good job.”

Following a 66-48 win over Suffolk University on Tuesday, the Lions will return to the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym to face the Salem State University Vikings on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.