WILKES-BARRE – Visiting Moravian College held a decisive advantage inside the paint out-rebounding Wilkes University 60-41 including 26 offensive rebounds on way to a 75-63 victory over the Lady Colonels Thursday night at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes falls to 2-6 overall following the home non-conference defeat while Moravian improves to 4-2 on the season after the road win.
 
Moravian used its inside game to take a 17-7 lead midway through the first quarter before Nicole Farrell (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren) scored in the paint off a pretty assist from Ashley Haywood (Stuyvesant, NY/Virginia Episcopal). Moravian went inside again and used three straight Wilkes turnovers to build the advantage to its largest of the frame up 25-11 with 2:08 left in the first. The Greyhounds settled for a 29-14 lead after one quarter of play.
 
Haley Mesaros (Royersford, PA/Pope John Paul II) began her own run for Wilkes scoring the second quarter's first four baskets for the Lady Colonels to cut the deficit to 31-22 with 5:15 left in the half. A quick 8-0 run from Moravian over the next three minutes pushed the lead back to 17 as the visitors led 39-22 following two Camille McPherson free throws. Four Wilkes free throws, two from Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) and two from Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) capped the scoring with the Lady Colonels trailing 45-26 at the break.
 
The Greyhounds extended the lead to 24 after the third quarter outscoring Wilkes 21-16 over the ten minute frame. From there, Wilkes responded scoring 21 fourth quarter points including three-pointers from Mesaros and Asdone Hooper (Hanover, PA/Hanover Area) to move to within seventeen down 73-56, but the surge fell short with neither team scoring a basket over the game's final two minutes.
 
Mesaros led all scorers with a season-high 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting including two three-pointers. Gianna Roberts (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) came off the bench to add 14 points and six rebounds.
 
Moravian saw three players reach double figures including McPherson's 18-point, 10-rebound double-double to lead the way. Moravian owned the glass throughout the contest converting the 26 offensive rebounds into 44 points in the paint.
 
Wilkes remains idle until Wednesday when the Lady Colonels host Keystone College for a non-league matchup at 7:00 p.m. at the Marts Center.