Box Score
The Wilkes University men's basketball team headed to Madison, N.J. on Saturday, looking to defeat the FDU-Florham Devils for the second time this season. The Colonels beat the Devils 75-62 at home last December, and did so again on the road, defeating FDU 61-58, and grabbing their third straight victory.
The Colonels came into the game on a two game win streak, and were looking to make a playoff push in the second half of the season.
The game began with the teams exchanging baskets, and neither team being able to establish a steady lead. Each team had a player catch fire, as
Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) scored eight early points for Wilkes, and Ricky Fetske had eight for the Devils eight minutes into the contest. At the 12:01 mark the Devils held a 16-15 lead.
FDU had a four point lead with seven minutes left, but a three-pointer by
Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) brought the Colonels back to within one, and kept the Devil lead in check. With three minutes left the Devils had built up a game-high six point lead. Wilkes cut the deficit to three on
Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) free throws, making the score 33-30 at the break.
Wilkes was led by Gabriel in the half with nine points, while Kresge cooled down after a hot start, putting in eight points and pulling down four rebounds. FDU shot over 52 percent in the half, while Wilkes hit on 40 percent of its shots from the floor.
Early in the second half Wilkes tied up the score at 35 on two
Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) free throws, and soon after went up by two on a jumper by Kresge. The Colonels then extended that lead to 41-35 with 12 minutes left in the game.
With ten minutes left, Wilkes had a seven point lead, and was out-scoring the Devils 19-9 in the half. Wilkes retained that lead for the rest of the game, unable to establish an insurmountable lead, but keeping the Devils at bay at winning 61-58.
The Colonels were led by Gabriel with 19 points, while Kresge added 16 and Huch had 12, as the forwards for Wilkes combined for 47 points on the afternoon. Wilkes was out rebounded and shot a lower percentage from the field than the Devils, but prevailed on free throws down the stretch.
Wilkes will look to continue its win streak when it heads to Dallas, Pa. to take on Misericordia on Wednesday, Feb. 3. That game will begin at approximately 8:00 p.m.
