WILKES-BARRE – Four players reached double figures led by Mark Mullins' (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) team-high 18 points and seven rebounds as Wilkes University fought off a tough Marywood University team to post a 74-70 victory Sunday afternoon on the second day of the 2018 Cross County Challenge.
 
With the win Wilkes moved to 9-2 overall. The Colonels have went 6-10 in Cross County Challenge games since its start during the 2011-12 season. Five of Wilkes' six victories have come at the expense of the Pacers while the other was a seven-point win over Scranton last season.
 
Neither team could create much separation through the first twenty minutes of play as the game went tied at 29 to the break.
 
Wilkes opened the second half with an offensive push as Connor Evans (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) nailed a three-pointer and added two free throws before Mullins went coast-to-coast for a transition score to give the Colonels a 36-32 advantage four minutes into the frame.
 
Marywood answered back as a three-pointer and inside bucket erased the Wilkes lead just three minutes later. The teams traded scores throughout the next four minutes before another Marywood three-pointer and four straight free throws put Pacers up 48-43 with 10:55 left in the game. Two minutes later Marywood took its largest lead of the game 54-46 with just under nine minutes remaining setting up the Colonels comeback.
 
Tommy Bowen (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) connect twice from the charity stripe to start the rally followed by a Marywood turnover that led to a Clay Basalyga (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) score inside cutting the deficit to four. Wilkes rebounded a Pacer missed three-pointer on the next possession and Mullins cashed in scoring in the paint and was fouled converting the three-point play as the Marywood advantage shrunk to 54-53 within a matter of two minutes of game time.
 
One possession later Marcus Robinson's (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) jumper gave the Colonels a lead they would never relinquish the final eight minutes of the game as Wilkes used a 9-0 run to take a 62-54 lead with under five minutes on the clock.
 
Marywood cut the lead to two with under :30 but three of four free throws from Jack Bova (Camillus, NY/West Genesee) down the stretch sealed the Wilkes win on the day.
 
Mullins finished 8-for-10 from the field on way to his 18 points. Robinson followed with 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting including three treys while adding five rebounds and a game-high seven assists. For his efforts Robinson was named to the All-Tournament Team. Evans added 12 points and Bova chipped in a season-high 11 points in 13 minutes off the Colonel bench.
 
Thomas Swartz led three Marywood players in double figures finishing with a game-high 22 points. Jeremy Ringland added 17 points and six rebounds for the Pacers.
 
Wilkes is idle through the New Year holiday before traveling to Selinsgrove, Pa. on Wednesday, January 2 for a non-conference tilt at Susquehanna University. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.