DANBURY, Conn. - Senior guard Tayejon Lynch (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) had 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists to lead the Western Connecticut State University Wolves to a 78-44 win over the visiting Emmanuel College Saints in the opening round of the WestConn Men's Basketball Holiday Classic this evening at Feldman Arena.  WestConn improves to 6-4 with its third victory in a row and will face the New Jersey City University Gothic Knights in the tournament finals tomorrow at 2 p.m.  New Jersey City defeated Muhlenberg College, 49-37, in the other first round game tonight, and the Saints will play Muhlenberg in the consolation game tomorrow at Feldman Arena at noon.  Emmanuel is now 6-5, Muhlenberg is 5-5 and New Jersey City is 9-2.  

WestConn used a 10-2 run in the middle of the first half to take a double-digit lead, 23-13, with 5:39 left before the break.  Lynch scored four of the 10 points for the Wolves.  WestConn continued to build on its advantage and led, 38-30, at halftime thanks to a pair of free throws by freshman Avery Taitt-Christina (Queens, N.Y.) in the closing seconds of the first stanza.  The Wolves dominated the second half as well, outscoring the Saints 40-24, after intermission.  WestConn held Emmanuel to a 22-percent shooting percentage from the floor and forced 22 turnovers.  WestConn shot 52.8 percent from the field and 80 percent from the foul line.  Senior forward Nick Boyce (Jamaica, N.Y.) added 13 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks for the home team, while Cameron Snowden paced the Saints with 11 points,.  Fourteen Wolves scored points in the game.