BOSTON, Mass. - Junior Michael Sheng (Altadena, Calif.) dished out an overall game-high 18 points to lift the Emerson College men's basketball team to a season opening 73-57 win over the Wentworth Institute of Technology at Tansey Gymnasium on Tuesday night in day one of the Coaches vs. Cancer Greater Boston Shootout. 

Emerson starts off 2016 with a record of 1-0 as Wentworth fall to 0-1. 

Wentworth's largest and only lead came nine seconds into the first half at 19:50 and would come after a easy layup from Jovanny Lamisere, but their lead was short lived. With 9:42 on the clock, Emerson gave themselves an 11-point cushion at 24-13 after junior John Geary (Duxbury, Mass.) drained a three-point bucket. 

The Lions went up 11 points two more times over the next six minutes before the Leopards began to creep back after Sam Knollmeyer's layup put Wentworth within seven at 30-23. Neither team registered a point through next 1:25. Sheng closed out Emerson's first half scoring with a three-pointer from downtown as the Lions entered the second half with a 35-25 lead over Wentworth. 

Emerson's offense became unstoppable come the second half. After Zach Bergeron missed a three-point jump shot, junior Jared Jackson (Marco Island, Fla.) recovered the defensive rebound and drove up the lane for a layup that gave the Lions its largest lead of 23 at 55-32 with 12:05 left to play. Sophomore Mac Sashin (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) aired a jump shot at 5:58 to break a scoreless three minutes as the Lions continued to put more distance between them and the Leopards.

Garrett Dintaman and Alec Buresh put up five points for Wentworth through the final minute of regulation to put the score at 73-57 and would be the final after Buresh's three-point attempt bounced off the rim. 

Sheng led Emerson with an overall game-high 18 points with six assists. Junior Corey Fitz (Los Altos, Calif.) and Geary followed with 12 points apiece - Fitz had five assists, two steals and five rebounds while Geary had four rebounds. Sophomore Geoffrey Gray (Newton, Mass.) chipped in 10 points to go along with six rebounds and two steals. Freshman Ben Holding contributed a team-high eight rebounds in his collegiate debut. 

Jason Ganley had a team-high 14 points for the Leopards to go along with six rebounds. Matt Vartanian followed Ganley with seven rebounds while Knollmeyer led the Leopards with three assists. 

Both Wentworth and Emerson continue action on Wednesday in day two of the Coaches vs. Cancer Greater Boston Shootout. The Lions will take on Pine Manor at 7:30 p.m. while the Leopards will take on Emmanuel at 5:30 p.m.