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Wilkes University Athletics

THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WILKES UNIVERSITY COLONELS
THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE WILKES UNIVERSITY COLONELS WILKES UNIVERSITY COLONELS
Steve Finkernagel
78
Winner Wilkes WUMB 5-1 (1-0)
76
Eastern EUMB 2-4 (0-1)
Winner
Wilkes WUMB
5-1 (1-0)
78
Final
76
Eastern EUMB
2-4 (0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wilkes WUMB 45 33 78
Eastern EUMB 42 34 76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Colonels Extend Win Streak to Five With 78-76 Win at Eastern

Colonels Extend Win Streak to Five With 78-76 Win at Eastern
 
ST. DAVIDS, PA – Junior sharpshooter Steve Stravinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston) scored a game-high 28 points and added nine rebounds to lift visiting Wilkes University to a 78-76 victory over Eastern University Wednesday night in both teams' Freedom Conference opener.
 
With the victory, Wilkes (5-1, 1-0 Freedom) extends its win streak to five, its only loss coming in the season opener on November 15 against Richard Stockton. Eastern falls to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.
 
The game remained close throughout the first ten minutes of the first half before the Colonels used a 9-1 run to take a 35-27 lead with 4:44 left on the first half clock. Stravinski netted two of his game-high six three-pointers during the stretch and Alec Wizar (Lebanon, PA/Annville Cleona) added another Wilkes triple to lead the rally.
 
Eastern responded with a quick run of their own to cut the Wilkes lead to one before Jeremy Hartman (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional)'s layup just before the halftime buzzer sounded gave the Colonels a 45-42 advantage at the break.
 
Wilkes continued its hot shooting in the second half as John Goffredo (Bangor, PA/Pius X) nailed a deep three-pointer and Hartman added another inside score to put Wilkes up 59-52 with 12:59 remaining in the contest. One of two free throws from Zachary Brunner (Mechanicsburg, PA/Mechanicsburg) at the 6:03 mark gave Wilkes its largest lead of the second frame at 72-64.
 
From there, Eastern went on a 10-2 run over the next five minutes and tied the game at 74 when Malcolm Garrison scored a transition layup with 1:07 on the clock. Wilkes used two free throws, one from Stravinski and one from Brunner, to take back the lead 76-74 before Eastern answered with a jumper to tie the game yet again at 76 with just :11 remaining.
 
Wilkes drew up one last play and Wizar answered the call scoring inside the paint on a driving layup and was fouled on the play with four seconds left putting the Colonels up 78-76. Wizar would miss the free throw shot, but the Eagles were unable to convert on the following possession as Wilkes held on for the road conference victory.
 
Stravinski was efficient shooting throughout the game finishing 9-for-15 from the field and 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Wizar added 11 points, none bigger than the game-winner with seconds remaining. Brunner and Goffredo each added nine points with Brunner also pulling in a team-high 11 boards.
 
Wilkes held a decisive advantage on the glass outrebounding Eastern 46-34 including 11 offensive rebounds leading to 15 second chance points.
 
Garrison led Eastern with 22 points and six rebounds. Austin James chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds, while Austin Carroll and Anthony Parenti added 12 points and 11 points respectively.
 
Wilkes welcomes Manhattanville College Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the Marts Center for its home Freedom debut.
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