ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Wilkes University men's basketball team shot 54 percent (40-74) from the field and held Keystone to 39 percent (26-67) in its 96-68 victory in the first round of the Scotty Wood Tournament at Muhlenberg on Friday afternoon.

The Colonels improved to 2-0 with the victory.

Through the first six minutes, the Giants held a 13-10 lead before Wilkes went on a 25-9 run to open up a 35-20 lead with 6:01 until halftime. Keystone chipped away at the lead in the last six minutes but the Colonels entered the half up 46-38.

For the second game in row Wilkes scored 50 points in the second half, keyed by a 33-12 run over the first 11:50 of the second half to take a 27-point lead at 77-50.

The Colonels' lead did not sink below 22 for the remainder of the game with Wilkes notching its largest lead of the game at 28 when Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields) hit a jumper with 27 seconds left to reach the final score.

Marcus Robinson (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) led the Colonels with a game-high 27 points along with three rebounds and two steals. Tommy Bowen (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) finished with 16 points, his first time reaching double figures, and Connor Evans (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) rounded about the double-digit scorers with 10 points. Mason Gross (Hughestown, PA/Pittston) added nine points and a game high six rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.

Deion Monroe and Perry Belcher led Keystone with 14 points and six rebounds each, with Belcher adding a game-high seven assists. Khyle Diaz (12 points) and ShaShawn Drayton (11 points) rounded out the scorers in double figure.

The Colonels turned 17 Giants turnovers into 36 points, in addition to winning the battle in the paint with 46 points to Keystones' 34. Wilkes' bench more than tripled the scoring output of the Giants 35-10.

The Colonels advance to the finals, where they will face the winner of Muhlenberg and Merchant Marine with the time to be determined following the late game.