The Benedictine University men's basketball team opened the season by holding off Wheaton on the road in a back-and-forth contest on Wednesday night to claim a 60-59 decision over a team that received 45 votes in the preseason Top 25.
Drew Stokes scored 13 points and
Trevor Montiel opened with a double-double, tallying 10 points and 11 rebounds. Stokes hit a jumper with just over three minutes to play, giving Benedictine a lead they would not relinquish.
Nick Howard posted an electrifying dunk to key a second half rally and also nabbed 11 rebounds. After shooting 51 percent in the first half, Benedictine shot only 28 percent in the second but relied on the defense to tally the season opening win.
Benedictine (1-0) hosts Lake Forest on Saturday afternoon as a start of three games in six days to open the year continues.
