Box Score

ST. DAVID'S – Eastern's Tyrik Tucker blocked a potential game-tying layup by Michael Donatoni (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) as time expired to preserve a 60-58 Eagle win over the Wilkes University men's basketball team. Tucker finished with the team's only two blocks for the Eagles.

 

The Colonels shot better from the field and pulled down more rebounds, but the difference was at the free throw line where the Eagles hit 21-of-31 from the charity stripe. Wilkes only had 14 attempts at the line. 

 

Wilkes had two players score in double-figures with Steve Kline (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) leading the way with 15 points, while Chris DeRojas (Kingston, Pa./Bishop O'Reilly) put in 13. The Colonels shot 47.9 percent from the field, including a red-hot 53.8 percent in the second half. Eastern was a three-man wrecking crew with Jason Reels, Tucker and Martin Soaries combining for 46 of the team's 60 points. Reels led the way with 19 points, 10 of which came from the free throw line. 

 

The Eagles led most of the first half until Chris Gulla (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) made a layup with 3:28 to go before the break to give the Colonels a 22-21 advantage. Wilkes eventually took a 26-24 lead into the locker room. 

 

The Colonels led the entire second half until Martin Soaries made a go-ahead layup with 27 seconds to go, giving the Eagles a 59-58 lead. Carlos Pujols drained a free throw with four seconds to play, closing out the scoring for both teams.  

 

The loss is the third-straight for the Colonels as they moved to 9-7 overall and 5-4 in Freedom Conference play. Wilkes will return to action Wednesday when they host King's College at 7 p.m. in the Marts Center.