CHICAGO -- The 6th-ranked University of Chicago men's basketball team opened the new year with a dominant 94-73 victory of Wheaton College on Saturday afternoon at the Ratner Athletic Center. The Maroons improve to 10-1 on the season, the team's best start to a season since 1997 when the team started the year 22-1.

The Maroons the game strong with points on six of the first seven possessions of the game to stretch the lead to 14-0 in just under four minutes of action. Eamonn Kenah was the catalyst of the run with the opening three and a pair of layups inside, one through contact for an and-one, for eight of the team's first 14 points.

The Thunder would answer back quickly with a 13-4 run of their own to cut the lead to five, but the graduate student duo of Nick Roper and Shane Regan would combine to score 11 of the team's next 13 points as a 13-0 run would stretch the lead back to 18 at 31-13. Again, Wheaton would not go away as Soren Richardson would cut the UChicago lead back to 13 with a 7-2 run, but three consecutive threes by Eamonn Kenah and back-to-back by Noah Pit would give the Maroons their largest lead of the game at 42-20.

The game of runs would continue into the second half as a 12-3 run for the Thunder would cut the lead back to 13. Wheaton would continue to try to claw their way back into the game, and they would cut the lead to 10 multiple times, but the Thunder would never be able to cut the lead to single digits. With the lead down to 10 at 71-61 with under seven minutes to go, UChicago would respond with a 19-5 run to extend the lead to the largest of the game at 90-66 as they would close out the 94-73 victory on their home floor.

Nick Roper was the catalyst for the Maroons all game long as the St. Louis, Missouri native tallied 25 points and 15 rebounds on 10-14 shooting from the floor, and his 15 rebounds are the most in an illustrious collegiate career for the graduate student.

Eammon Kenah added 16 points after a hot start, and Joe Berry tallied 14 to help close out the win down the stretch. Shane Regan and Noah Pit also finished in double figures with 12 and 11.

With the win, the Maroons wrap up non-conference play with a 10-1 record. The team returns to action on Saturday, January 10, with a top-6 showdown at the Ratner Athletic Center to open UAA play as the #6 Maroons battle #4 WashU at 1 PM.