Box Score

CENTER VALLEY – DeSales jumped out to a 14-0 lead to start the game and the Colonels never recovered as the Bulldogs took a 65-50 Freedom Conference win. Steve Kline (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan), who was held scoreless in the opening frame, put in eight points to surpass the 1,000-point barrier for his career. In his three-plus seasons in a Wilkes uniform, Kline has scored 1,002 points and has pulled down 533 rebounds, becoming the ninth player in Wilkes men's basketball history to score at least 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds.   

 

The Colonels missed their first eight shots of the game before Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) ended the scoring drought with a layup with 15:33 to go in the first. Wilkes shot 27 percent in the first half, while DeSales was lighting it up, hitting 15-of-27 from the field as well as hitting five three-pointers. 

 

The Colonels were able to pull within 12 (20-8) after Gabriel hit a layup with 10:42 before the break. DeSales' Bob Zanneo drained three-straight three-pointers, while Darnell Braswell knocked down the other two for the Bulldogs. DeSales was also able to work the inside, scoring 18 points in the paint, eight of which were fast break points. 

 

The second half saw the Colonels out-score the Bulldogs 32-28 while hitting 48 percent from the field. Wilkes used a 10-2 run to pull within 15 (54-39), but would come no closer the rest of the way. 

 

Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) and Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) led the Colonels with 12 points each, while Paul Huch (Tuckerton, N.J./Pinelands Regional) had five rebounds and a game-high three blocks. The loss moved the Colonels to 10-9 overall and 6-6 Freedom Conference play. 

 

Wilkes will be back in action Saturday when they head to Madison, N.J. to take on FDU-Florham at 3 p.m.