Last modified: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 1:48 AM EST Wheaton's Anthony Weeks, right, plays some tight defense on Salve Regina's John Williamson during Tuesday night's season-opener. (Staff photo by Mike George) Defense does job for Lyons BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF NORTON - Brian Walmsley had to look no further than the line that read 12-for-41 field goals made, 29.3 percent. That said it all why his Wheaton College men's basketball team was able to emerge victorious in its season opener, an 84-65 verdict over defending Commonwealth Coast Conference champion Salve Regina University Tuesday at the Emerson Gymnasium. Yes, it was senior guard Brendan Degnan of Narragansett, R.I. scoring 18 points during 16 minutes of action during the second half to finish with 27 points. Yes, it was an attention to the backboard which resulted in 47 grabs of a rebound. And yes, the 15 assists totaled on 27 field goals made left a healthy impression upon sharing the basketball. But it was the Lyons' man-to-man defense, forcing a slew of one-shot Salve Regina possessions, not allowing the Seahawks to make a three-point field goal during the second half (0-for-14) and surrendering just 15 second-half points in the paint Owning merely a six-point (39-33) lead at intermission and just a four-point margin (49-45) nearing the nine-minute mark of the second half, the Lyons limited the Seahawks to 1-for-7 shooting with three turnovers over the first four minutes of the second half, to just one field goal over a five-minute span at the midway mark, just five field goals over the first 13 minutes. "What we're trying to buy into is to play 10 guys, wear teams down. We had the energy to contest their shots," said Walmsley as Wheaton never relinquished its lead, the Lyons' guards - Anthony Weeks (13 points), Will Bayliss (six rebounds, six assists), Brian Grossman (nine points) and Degnan (six rebounds) - contributing just as much with their defensive energy as with their offensive production. The undertaker though was rugged 6-foot-5 senior center Shawn Daily out of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. who was a presence in the paint, actively engaging Seahawk drivers to the basket (two blocks), fetching nine rebounds - all while having three fouls by intermission. "He made himself big," Walmsley said of Daily, who totaled just four points. "He made it tough for their guys. He did a good job contesting shots. He's our defensive player. And Brendan (Degnan, the six-foot guard) is everything we want in a player. He's a high character guy." Salve Regina had four players in double scoring figures, but scored just 14 points off of 13 offensive rebounds, while also missing 11 of its 24 free throws. The Lyons shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half, had nine players contribute points - 22 points from the guards, nine by Degnan, eight from Weeks - hitting six trifectas as well. Other than an early four-point deficit, the Lyons secured the first of three 10-point leads with a 15-3 surge over a three-minute stretch at the midway mark with a trio of three-pointers and a pair of offensive rebounds for baskets from 6-foot-6 junior forward Cliff Desravines of Somerville. Degnan was the game-changer at the offensive end of the floor for Wheaton during the second half. He hit two free throws, then two three-pointers to create a 61-49 lead at the 12-minute mark. Then a daring drive to the basket and two more charity tosses boosted the Lyons' lead up to 17 points. "We can keep rotating guards," added Walmsley, getting 19 minutes from sophomore Scott Faucher and 17 minutes (along with five points, three rebounds and two assists) from freshman Jaycob Morales. "When we get (6-10 junior) Mike Hall back, we can add some depth to the frontcourt (with Daily, Desravines and freshman Ryan Clinesmith). They're all a little bit different (in styles), that's why we keep rotating them all in."