box score
Misericordia shot nearly 50 percent from the field and attempted 25 more free throws than Wilkes University that eventually led to a 74-64 win to open Freedom Conference play. The Colonels had four players score in double-figures, but hit just 38 percent from the field as they fell to 3-2 on the year.
Twenty five of the Cougars' 31 free throws came in the second half as they hit 64.5 percent from the line (20-31), while Wilkes had just four trips to the charity stripe in the final period.
Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) made Wilkes' first two buckets of the game to give the Colonels a 4-3 lead, but it wouldn't last long as jeff Slanovec hit a three-pointer with 18:36 to go to give Misericordia a 6-4 advantage. They would not lose the lead the rest of the way. Slanovec finished with a game-high 19 points, hitting 7-of-10 shots from the field including 5-of-7 from behind the arc.
The two teams exchanged buckets midway through the first, but the Cougars held at least a two-point advantage. With 8:03 to go in the first, Ethan Eichhorst made a layup to give the Cougars a 22-18 advantage. Over the next six minutes, Wilkes would score just two points and found itself down 29-22 with 2:28 to go in the half.
Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) finally ended the scoring drought after making a 15-foot jumper with 2:28 to go before the break. Misericordia eventually took a 33-25 lead into the locker room at the half.
Wilkes opened the second half on a 7-2 run and pulled within one (35-34) with 17:17 to go after Huch made a layup, but would come no closer the rest of the way. He finished with 13 points and had both of the team's blocks.
Misericordia used an 8-2 run with 10:12 to go to lead by nine after Eichhorst hit from the outside. Slanovec hit a long-range jumper with 7:10 to go to put it up 57-47. The Cougars would keep a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) led the team with a season-high 18 points, while Kresge finished with 15. For the first time this season Wilkes was out-rebounded (41-33) even though
Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) and Huch finished with seven each.
The Colonels fell to 3-2 on the year and will look to even their conference record Saturday when they host FDU-Florham at 3 p.m. in the Marts Center.
