WILKES-BARRE – Gianna Roberts (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) poured in a game-high 13 points as thirteen different players reached the scoring column in Wilkes University's 77-58 victory over Penn State Wilkes-Barre Wednesday night in the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes captured its first win of the 2016 season in its opener while Penn State Wilkes-Barre fell to 4-2 overall on the young season.
 
Wilkes raced out to an 23-6 lead after one quarter thanks to a trio of three-pointers from Chelsea Erkes (Wernersville, PA/Conrad Weiser), Sierra Smith (Syracuse, NY/West Genesse) and Missy Oertner (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland). The advantage grew to 35-19 following a transition layup from Asdone Hooper (Hanover, PA/Hanover Area) with 4:04 left in the half. Another jumper from Oertner and back-to-back scores from Roberts including a three-point play in transition, put Wilkes ahead 42-23 with just over a minute remaining in the half. Two more layups from Roberts capped the Wilkes scoring in the first half with the score growing to 46-28 at the break.
 
A quick 12-0 run over the first three minutes of the third quarter extended the lead to 58-28 as Catey McFadden (Doylestown, PA/Archbishop Wood) continued the Wilkes barrage from behind the arc and Haley Mesaros (Royersford, PA/Pope John Paul II) and Emily Sofranko (Jim Thorpe, PA/Marian Catholic) hit back-to-back layups in the rally. Two straight jumpers from Ashley Haywood (Stuyvesant, NY/Virginia Episcopal) gave Wilkes its largest lead of the game up 66-32 with 3:01 left in the third stanza.
 
Penn State chipped away at the Wilkes lead throughout the final frame, but scores from Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) and Autumn Washington (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) kept the Wilkes lead over twenty over the final four minutes of play.
 
Roberts added seven rebounds to her 13 points in her first collegiate game to lead Wilkes. Oertner followed with nine points and four assists while Mesaros added eight points and four rebounds. Sofranko finished with seven points and a team-high six assists.
 
Wilkes found a rhythm offensively throughout the game hitting on 37.5 percent (30-80) of its shots from the floor while canning four three-pointers in the contest.
 
Aleana Lloyd paced Penn State Wilkes-Barre with a team-high 12 points and six rebounds.
 
Wilkes returns to the court this weekend competing in the Susquehanna University Tip-Off Tournament in Selinsgrove, Pa. The Lady Colonels open against Washington College (Md.) on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.