Box Score

For the second time in as many games, Chris DeRojas (Kingston, Pa./Bishop O'Reilly) led the Colonels with 27 points, this time leading Wilkes to an 89-86 win over Ramapo in the final game of the Wilkes-Barre Challenge. 

 

DeRojas scored an individual-high 54 points over the weekend and was named to the All-Tournament team along with teammate Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land), who put in 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the final game. 

 

Wilkes was only able to attempt four shots over the first five minutes to start the game, converting just one – a three-pointer by Chris Gulla (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) 43 seconds into the contest. By that time, Ramapo held an 11-3 advantage after Kevin Findlay converted a layup with 15:08 to go in the first. 

 

Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) finally scored the second field goal for the Colonels on a layup with 14:11 to go. Ahmad Hassan gave the Roadrunners a 14-5 lead – their largest of the game with 13:58 to play before the break after knocking down a three-pointer. Hassan finished with 15 points on the day, hitting all three of the Ramapo three-pointers.

 

Ramapo would keep the advantage until Gabriel knocked down a pair of free throws with 3:40 to go in the first. The Colonels would not lose the lead again as they took a 42-35 advantage at the half. Gabriel's free throws were the start of an 11-4 run to close out the half for Wilkes. 

 

For the fifth time this season, Wilkes shot better than 50 percent, hitting 53.6 percent from the field, including 57.7 in the first half.  Ramapo managed to hit one more field goal than Wilkes (31-30) but attempted 27 more shots hitting 37.3 percent from the field. The Colonels were out-rebounded for just the third time this season as the Roadrunners grabbed 45 boards, 25 on the offensive side, while the Colonels pulled down 43. 

 

DeRojas made a layup with 18:04 to play in the game, giving the Colonels a 49-39 lead. Wilkes would hold a double-digit lead until Andre Kenny converted a layup with 10:30 to go to pull the Roadrunners within nine (68-59). Kenny's layup would be the start of an 11-4 run that eventually pulled Ramapo within two (72-70) with 5:59 to go when Kevin Findlay knocked down a pair of free throws. 

 

The Roadrunners would cut the lead to one (78-77) with 4:18 to go when Findlay made a driving layup in traffic but it would be the closest they would come. The Colonels eventually led by five with just over two minutes to play after Chris Gulla (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) made his only free throw, giving Wilkes an 86-81 lead. 

 

Ramapo used a 5-1 run to pull within two with 29 seconds to go after Kenny hit the front end of a pair of free throws, which would be the last time the Roadrunners would score. 

 

Five different players scored in double-figures for the Colonels with Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) putting in 13 while Steve Kline (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and Gabriel added 10 each. Tim Wesley scored a team-high 21 points for Ramapo, while Findlay put in 16 while pulling down nine rebounds. 

 

The win improved Wilkes to 6-3 on the year and will return to action on Wednesday when it travels to Manhattanville at 8 p.m. for a Freedom Conference matchup. 

 

 

Chris DeRojas (Kingston, Pa./Bishop O'Reilly) - Wilkes

Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) - Wilkes

 

Joe Flanagan – E-twon

Kyle McConnell – E-town

 

Kyle Stackhouse – King's

Kevin Conroy – King's

 

Ahmad Hassan - Ramapo