box score

DALLAS – The Wilkes University men's basketball team trailed by as many as 14 with less than five minutes to play, but a late surge fell short as Misericordia pulled out a 77-71 win over the Colonels. The Cougars' win snapped the Colonels three-game win streak.

The Cougars were red-hot from the field as they hit 50 percent for the game, including 53 percent in the first half. They also drained 6-of-13 three-pointers for 46.2 percent. Seven players scored for the Cougars, but four reached double-figures with Marcus Little leading the way with 17.

Misericordia led from the opening tip as it jumped out to a 10-4 lead with 16:05 to go in the first half when Jeff Slanovec made a layup for one of his two baskets on the night. Wilkes pulled within one (20-19) after Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity), who finished with 16 points, made a layup with 6:08 to go before the break. The Cougars would go on a 14-4 run just before the half, leading 34-23, their largest of the game. Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) would cut the lead to single digits with a put-back with one second to go before halftime. Misericordia would go to the locker room with a 34-26 lead.

Mark Williams opened the scoring in the second half for the Cougars with a layup, giving them a 36-26 lead with just over 19 minutes to go. They would keep a double-digit lead until 3:41 to go when Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) hit a jumper to make the score 68-59. During that stretch, the Colonels trailed by as many as 18 with just under seven minutes to go, but a 19-5 run over the next four minutes brought Wilkes within four (69-65) with 2:19 to go. It would come no closer the rest of the way.

Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) led the way for the Colonels with 23 points, while Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) finished with a career-high 20 points, most of which came in the second half.

Wilkes fell to 12-8 overall and 3-6 in Freedom Conference play and will return home this weekend to host Manhattanville at 3 p.m. in the Marts Center on Saturday.