MADISON, NJ – Marcus Robinson (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) scored a season-high 28 points as the Wilkes University men's basketball team nearly erased a late second half double-digit deficit before falling to FDU-Florham 80-77 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon. Wilkes still earned the No. 2 seed and a home game in the upcoming MAC Freedom semifinals as both teams chasing them in the standings also suffered losses on Saturday.

With the loss Wilkes dropped to 17-8 overall and 9-5 in the MAC Freedom. FDU-Florham finished its season at 7-18 overall and 4-10 in the conference.

Robinson put the Colonels on the scoreboard with a three-pointer at the 18:18 mark of the first half to make the score 5-3 after the Devils had scored five points in the first 45 seconds of action. FDU-Florham held a 9-5 lead with 15:16 on the clock but then Robinson and Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields) converted on consecutive threes to push Wilkes to its first lead at 11-9. Robinson's hot start continued as the senior nailed two more from distance to put the Colonels ahead 17-14 at the 12:22 mark.

Two Mark Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) free throws and a three from Jack Bova (Camillus, NY/West Genesee) capped an 8-0 run that put Wilkes ahead 22-14. A 12-4 run by the hosts evened the score at 26-26 with 6:43 left until halftime. Wilkes then went on a 9-2 run capped off by two Robinson conversions from the free-throw stripe to hold a 35-28 lead with 1:33 remaining. FDU answered with eight of the final 10 points in the half as Andy Fleurantin's buzzer beating three drew the home team to within one point at 37-36 at halftime.

The Devils regained the lead with a three-pointer on their first possession and built a 10-point advantage at 49-39 as they scored 12 of the first 14 points in the second half by the 15:06 mark. A Robinson three followed by a Mullins layup cut the deficit in half with 13:35 left. FDU-Florham then went on a 16-6 run to extend its lead to a game-high 15 points at 65-50 with 8:49 showing on the clock.

Wilkes responded with a 14-2 run to cut the lead to just three points with 4:51 still remaining. Robinson, Mullins, Pecorelli and Tommy Bowen (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) all scored in the run for the Colonels. Then Fleurantin's seventh three-pointer of the game and fifth of the half pushed the Devils lead back out to eight points at 74-66 with 1:35 left.

Pecorelli made two free-throws and Mullins converted a layup as Wilkes cut the lead to 74-70 with 56 seconds left. After a Devils turnover, Robinson was fouled and made both at the line as Wilkes trailed by just two and still had 47 seconds left. A FDU-Florham layup pushed its lead back to four but Robinson nailed his sixth three-pointer of the game to pull the Colonels to within one at 76-75 with 25 seconds left. The Devils made both free-throws and Pecorelli made a layup as the score still stood at one point but now only nine seconds remained. Anthony Mitchell made both at the line and the Colonels did not get off a final shot as the Devils secured the 80-77 victory.

Mullins finished with 20 points and nine rebounds while Pecorelli had 18 and seven for the Colonels.

Fleurantin finished with 21 points to lead FDU-Florham as he hit half of the Devils 14 three-pointers. Darren Davy added 14 points while Mitchell and Kenneth Larocca added 10.

Wilkes will host No. 3 seed Eastern University on Wednesday, February 20 at the Marts Center in the semifinal round of the MAC Freedom Championship at 7:00 p.m. The two teams split the regular season series. Wilkes won 94-74 at home on January 12 while Eastern won 79-69 on its home court on January 26. The winner will face the advancing team between No. 1 DeSales University and No. 4 Delaware Valley University in the championship game on Saturday, February 23.