ANNVILLE, PA – Wilkes University's Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields) and Marcus Robinson (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) combined for 51 points and the Colonels used a 16-0 run to start the second half to break open a close game on way to an 88-68 victory over Bethany College Saturday evening in the first round of the 2018 Rinso Marquette Tournament at Sorrentino Gymnasium.
 
Wilkes remains unbeaten to start the season standing 2-0 advancing to the championship game tomorrow (Saturday) against the winner of host Lebanon Valley College and Bryn Athyn College at 3:00 p.m.
 
Neither team led by more than five points throughout a back-and-forth first half. A driving layup from Marcus Robinson (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) followed by two free throws from the senior guard pushed Wilkes ahead 40-35 at the break. Robinson and Pecorelli provided most of the offense in the first 20 minutes combining for 25 points including three of the Colonels four three-pointers in the first frame.
 
Wilkes blew open the game over the first five minutes of the second half thanks to more hot shooting from Robinson and Pecorelli. After a missed jumper from Bethany, Robinson cashed in on a transition layup followed by a deep three-pointer from Pecorelli. Mark Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) added a score in the paint following another Bethany miss before four more points from Pecorelli, another trey and free throw that pushed the advantage to 51-35.
 
Robinson converted an old-fashioned three-point play followed by scores from Landon Henry (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) and Mullins to cap off the furious Wilkes run to take control of the contest.
 
Bethany got no closer than 17 points over the final 14 minutes of play as Robinson, Pecorelli and the rest of the Colonels continued their offensive onslaught cruising to its second straight twenty-point victory to start the season.
 
Pecorelli led all scorers with 29 points on 9-for-17 shooting including 3-for-5 from three and 8-for-10 from the foul line. The junior added six rebounds, three assists and four steals to fill the box score for Wilkes. Robinson followed with 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Mullins was the third Colonel in double figures finishing with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Wilkes shot 46.0 percent (29-63) from the field and 42.9 percent (6-14) from behind the arc. The Colonels also dominated the paint scoring 44 points inside the lane while converting 18 Bethany turnovers into 27 points.
 
Trey Shifflett led Bethany with 19 points and six assists.