NEWARK, N.J. – The Wilkes University women's basketball team dropped a road non-conference contest at Rutgers-Newark 59-43 Monday night.

Wilkes fell to 2-4 overall this season while Rutgers-Newark improved to 5-3.

The Lady Colonels were led by eight points and nine rebounds from Catey McFadden (Doylestown, PA/Archbishop Wood). The Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom rebounding leader also added a career-high four blocks and two steals.

The Scarlet Raiders jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 3:07 of the game before Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) hit a jumper with 6:40 left in the first quarter to get Wilkes on the board. Rutgers-Newark would lead 17-7 at the end of the first frame.

A jump shot with 5:50 left in the second quarter clock by Gianna Roberts (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) cut the Rutgers-Newark lead to seven points at 23-16 but the Scarlet Raiders closed on a 13-4 run to lead 36-20 at the halftime break.

Rutgers-Newark's lead would grow to a game-high 19 points with 3:57 left in the third before Wilkes cut the deficit to 13 points when Nicole Farrell (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren) made a layup to close a third quarter that the Lady Colonels won 14-11.

A Jamie Campbell (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) layup pulled Wilkes within 11 points at 54-43 with 2:48 left in the game but the Lady Colonels could not cut into the lead any further.

Farrell scored a season-high seven points and grabbed a career-high tying eight rebounds. Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) scored four points and collected a career-best seven rebounds. She also contributed two blocks and two steals while Campbell led Wilkes with three assists.

Rutgers-Newark was led by 17 points from Faith Ashby. Nicole Skelly added nine points and 12 rebounds and Autumn Webster put in eight points and grabbed 10 boards.

The Lady Colonels bench outscored the Scarlet Raiders bench 17-4 in the game.

Wilkes is right back on the court tomorrow night when it opens up a stretch of three home games in five days against the University of Valley Forge. The game is set to tip-off at 6:00 p.m. at the Marts Center.