WILKES-BARRE, PA – DeSales shot 56.0 percent from the field and Cody Deal scored 37 points to carry the Bulldogs over the Colonels 82-71 on Wednesday evening.

The Colonels drop two games below .500 at 7-9 overall and 2-3 in the Freedom Conference, while the Bulldogs improve their record to 11-5 and 3-2 in the Freedom.

DeSales started the game on a 7-2 run with Deal scoring on three straight shots, before Wilkes responded with a 15-2 run to see them go up 17-9 with 14:31 remaining in the half.  Alec Wizar (Lebanon, PA/Annville Cleona) scored six points during the run for the Colonels.  Wilkes retained a six point lead for the next seven minutes as each team cooled off some and prevented one another from going on a big run.

Steve Stravinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston) sank 3 three-throws after being fouled on a three-point shot attempt to extend the Colonels lead to 26-19 with 6:53 to go in the half.  Devin Dunn (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) helped solidify the seven point lead with a three-pointer of his own to put the Colonels up 31-24 with 2:32 remaining in the first twenty minutes of play.  DeSales did not go away and scored nine straight points to end the half including a big three-pointer by Deal as time expired, that gave DeSales the 35-31 lead at the break.

Brian Laird and Deal continued their hot shooting as they scored the first eight points of the second half for the Bulldogs to extend their lead to 43-33 with 16:52 to go in the game.  Mason Gross (Hughestown, PA/Pittston) scored five straight for Wilkes and Stravinski drilled a three to trim the lead to 45-41 just three minutes later.  Laird made another three before Wizar answered with a deep ball of his own to trim the lead to 50-46 at the midway point in the second half.

With Wilkes trailing by seven Tyler Jackson (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) went on a run of his own scoring five straight points to bring the Colonels within one possession at 58-56.  That was the closest Wilkes would get over the remaining six minutes of the contest as Deal hit a dagger three to send DeSales up seven with just under four minutes to go.  DeSales was a perfect 16-for-16 from the foul line for the game, helping to ice the game in the final minutes.

Wilkes finished the game shooting 40.7 percent (24-59) from the field but struggled from deep connecting on only 32.3 percent (10-31) of their three-point attempts.  Four Colonels scored in double figures led by Jackson's 17 and four assists.  Stravinski scored 14, Wizar 12 and Gross finished with 12.

DeSales was lights out from the field making 56.0 percent (28-50) of their shots including a very impressive 55.6 percent (10-18) of their three-point attempts.  Deal finished with 37 points (21 in the first half) on 14-of-21 shooting (5-8 from three-point range) and five rebounds.  Laird scored 22 points, 19 after the break on 7-of-12 shooting.  Big man Ryan Callahan scored 14 and grabbed seven boards for the victors.

Wilkes heads to Madison, NJ on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. contest against Freedom Conference foe FDU-Florham.