Four Finish in Double-Figures but Wilkes Women's Basketball Falls at Eastern
ST. DAVID'S, Pa. – Four players finished in double-figures for scoring but a second quarter run downed the Wilkes University women's basketball team 82-68 at Eastern University in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) action on Saturday afternoon.
The Colonels now stand at 3-5 in conference and 7-11 overall.
Eastern started the scoring with a jumper28 seconds into the game, while Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) nailed a three-pointer to get Wilkes on the board with 9:15 on the clock assisted by Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West). The Eagles responded to the bucket with a 6-0 run to jump ahead 8-3 before Smicherko converted a layup with 7:40 remaining in the quarter.
Eastern pushed its lead to six with a three-pointer at 7:06, however the Colonels responded with a 7-0 run to take the lead at 12-11 with just over five minutes in the opening stanza. Smicherko keyed the run with four points on a layup and two free throws.
The Eagles finished the first quarter on a 9-3 run as Wilkes trailed 20-15 as the first horn sounded.
Eastern started the scoring in the second quarter with a three-point play, but Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) put an end to the run with a layup at 9:18 to cut the deficit to 23-17. The Eagles pushed their lead to double-digits after a 4-0 run took the score to 27-17 with just over seven minutes remaining until halftime.
Eastern pushed its lead back to 10 with a 4-0 run that was matched by layups from Kelley and Caster to keep the difference at six with a 27-21 score and 5:21 on the clock. From there, the Eagles finished the final five minutes of the first half on a 17-6 run, entering halftime with a 48-35 lead.
Caster began the scoring with two free throws to make the score 44-29 just 18 seconds into the third quarter. Eastern matched the free throws with a layup, which was instantly matched with a layup from Giordano. Caster hit two free throws at 9:42 after pulling down an offensive rebound and getting fouled, starting an 11-4 run to make the score 48-38 at the 4:55 mark. The Eagles responded with a 10-6 to end the third quarter with a 58-44 advantage.
Each team matched baskets through the first four-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, but with Eastern leading 68-53, the Colonels began a 12-5 run to get the deficit down to seven at 72-65 and 59 seconds on the clock. The Eagles, however, finished the contest on a 10-3 run to seal the game.
Giordano led all scorers with a game-high 20 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists. Caster finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and three steals, Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) added 12 points, while Smicherko contributed 10 points and four rebounds.
Minika Glenn led Eastern with 19 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench. Jaelyn Harris added 16 points and four rebounds while Viki Kneis contributed 14 points and six rebounds.
Wilkes returns to action on Monday when it will head to the University of Valley Forge for its final non-conference game starting at 7:00 p.m.
