Wheaton Runs Away With Zimmerman Classic Crown
Written by: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wheaton College used a run midway through the first half to help distance themselves from the Taylor Knights, winning by a 62-46 score. The duo of Kent Raymond and Ben Panner exploded to combine for 36 points for the Thunder.
Raymond shot 9-of-18 to lead all scorers with 23 points and garner Tournament MVP honors. Panner also landed on the team for his 13 points and strong overall tournament. Tim McCrary scored eight points and brought down a tournament-high 14 boards for the Thunder.
Wheaton fell behind early, but stifled the Trojans on the defensive end, limiting the Trojans to 17 first half points. They only commited 11 turnovers while controlling the glass and shooting 45% from the floor.
Jacob Bream finished with 14 points for Taylor, leading the way in a losing effort. Daniel Cox also broke into double digits, scoring 10. Alex Daniel scored two points, and also earned All-Tournament recognition for his strong night in the opening round. Michael Romes for Mount St. Joseph and Kevin Murray and Michael Cooper from Wittenberg also earned All-Tournament spots.
Wheaton stays perfect on the season, moving their record to 10-0 with the win. Taylor moved to 7-10 with the loss. The Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic celebrated its 25th year of competition, with Wheaton claiming the silver anniversary trophy.