DOYLESTOWN, PA – Wilkes was outscored 35-21 in the second half as they lost their second straight Freedom Conference game 68-54 to the first place Aggies from Delaware Valley.
 
Wilkes falls below .500 with the loss as they sit 7-8 overall and 2-2 in the Freedom.  Delaware Valley continues to lead the Freedom with a perfect 4-0 mark and 9-6 overall record.
 
The first ten minutes of the first half was filled with mini runs, as neither team was able to take full control of the game.  Wilkes opened on a 4-0 run before Delaware Valley responded with six straight to take their first lead of the game three minutes in.  Both teams traded baskets over the next five minutes before Delaware Valley opened up a 13-10 lead their biggest of the opening minutes.  Tyler Jackson (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) quickly erased that lead with a three ball and Jeremy Hartman (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional) added two free throws to give Wilkes a 15-14 advantage at the 11:21 minute mark.  A Devin Dunn (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) Jumper and Mason Gross (Hughestown, PA/Pittston) three-pointer extended the Colonels lead to 20-13 the biggest lead of the half.
 
Delaware Valley quickly answered the Colonels 10-0 run as they scored eight straight including two straight three-pointers by sharpshooter Francis Arnold to put them up 21-20.  Wilkes fought back with another 10-0 run to once again give them a comfortable lead at 30-21 with 3:21 to go in the half.   In a tale of runs for both teams the Aggies would not go away as they countered with another 8-0 run to trim the lead to 30-29 and finished the half on a 12-3 run as the teams entered the half tied at 33. 
 
The second half started out similar to the first as both teams went on mini runs to keep the score close.  At the midway point in the half Wilkes clung to a 50-49 lead.  That would be the last lead of the game for the Colonels as they scored only four points in nearly ten minutes.  Delaware Valley surged to the finish with a 19-4 run as they won handily 68-54.  Wilkes went ice cold from the field as they missed 14 consecutive shots down the stretch and turned the ball over on five occasions.
 
Wilkes was 20-for-67 (29.9 percent) from the field and 7-for-28 (25.0 percent) from three-point range for the game.  Steve Stravinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston) led the Colonels with 13 points and seven boards but struggled to shoot the ball making 5-out-of-18 shots and just one from three-point distance.  Stravinski and Alec Wizar (Lebanon, PA/Annville Cleona) the leading three-point shooters in the Freedom finished 2-out-of-17 from beyond the arc.  Tyler Jackson (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) scored 11 points, dished out five assists and collected four steals while Cameron Hinkel (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood) posted 10 points.
 
Delaware Valley shot 47.1 percent (24-51) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) from distance and made 72.7 percent (16-22) of their foul shots.  Zach Sly paced the aggies with 18 points, five assists, and five boards.  Arnold finished with 17 points; nine boards and Manny Ochenje scored 12 and pulled down 13 rebounds.
 
Wilkes next game will take place on Wednesday, January 21 when they host DeSales University.  The game will tip at 8:00 p.m.