On Tuesday night, the Wesleyan men's basketball team showcased their exceptional skills with a remarkable 82 - 59 victory over Emmanuel from Silloway Gymnasium. This win not only improved their record to 5 - 0 for just the second time in the past six seasons but also demonstrated the prowess of their high-flying backcourt duo of Shane Regan '25 and Nicky Johnson '25.

Wesleyan's Backcourt Duo Shines in Impressive Win

Early Game Dominance

In a game where Wesleyan never trailed, the Cardinals asserted their dominance right from the start. A 7 - 0 run turned a 7 - 4 lead into their first double-digit advantage just over five minutes into play. Emmanuel called an early timeout to try and halt the momentum, but Wesleyan continued to push, netting three - pointers on consecutive trips down the floor. This 14 - 0 run gave them a commanding 20 - 6 lead, with Johnson and Regan combining to either score or assist on all 20 points. This early burst set the tone for the rest of the game.The Saints began to fight back, thanks to Vondre Chase off the bench. The junior scored 15 of his career - high 23 points in the first half alone. At one point, he scored 11 of Emmanuel's 13 total points in a span of 4:30, cutting the Cardinals' lead down to single digits. However, six unanswered Cardinal points turned the tide again, as an 8 - 1 run stymied the Emmanuel momentum and gave Wesleyan a 42 - 27 lead.

Second Half Comeback Attempt

Emmanuel continued to fight, ultimately getting to within six points of the Cardinals in the early stages of the second half. But Johnson canned a triple before converting a drive to the rim, and Jackson Cormier '26 scored a layup 42 seconds later. This 7 - 0 Wesleyan run made it 57 - 44 Cardinals, and Chase's triple proved just a minor bump in the road. Wesleyan then went on a 19 - 3 run in just 6:33, sparked by three - point makes from Zach Wolinski '28 and Sam Pohlman '26. This gave them more than enough cushion to win comfortably down the stretch.

Player Performances

Regan finished with a team and season - high 22 points (9 - 14 FG) with five assists in just 25 minutes of action, despite dealing with foul trouble at times. Johnson totaled 14 points, eight assists, six rebounds, three steals, and only one turnover in 30 minutes. Ben Lyttle '27 joined the pair in double figures with 12 points. Fritz Hauser '26 grabbed a season - high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points. Pohlman and Wolinski both finished with nine points. Josh Cameron '27 had five points and seven rebounds (four offensive) off the bench.

Team Statistics

As a team, Wesleyan shot a season - high 47.1 percent on their field goal attempts. They went 10 - for - 27 from three, finishing with 10 + makes from three - point range for the third straight game. Wesleyan also outperformed Emmanuel in rebounding, finishing with a +16 margin (45 - 29). They outscored the opposition 16 - 5 in second chance points and achieved a 22:8 assist - to - turnover ratio, while forcing 15 turnovers on the defensive end.After enjoying a few days off, Wesleyan will host Farmingdale State on Saturday at 2 PM. This will be the sixth straight season in which the two teams have met, with Wesleyan winning the first four meetings but the Rams have won two straight since including a 73 - 70 triumph last season.