WILKES-BARRE – Wilkes University's Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) scored a game-high 21 points and Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) added 18 more tallies as the Colonels topped cross-town rival King's College 58-55 in Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom action Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at the Marts Center. The two teams finished a weekend of joint efforts to raise money for the Kay Yow Breast Cancer Fund, as both teams accepted donations and wore pink for the game. 
 
Wilkes kept its postseason hopes alive with the victory improving to 8-15 overall and 4-8 in league games. King's, who remains in the final spot in the postseason race, dropped to 12-11 overall and 6-6 in MAC Freedom contests. The win for Wilkes was their first over the Monarchs since 2014, a span of 10 games.
 
Wilkes began the game with some hot shooting as Giordano connected on a three-pointer and Kelley scored in transition to give the Colonels a 7-0 advantage three minutes in. Another trey from Giordano and score from Kelley kept the Colonels ahead 12-3 midway through the opening frame. A bucket from Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) pushed the lead to 11 before King's Lindsey Dippre stopped the Wilkes' run with a three-pointer one possession later. King's began to chip away at the lead, but back-to-back layups from Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) including one right before the quarter buzzer sounded gave Wilkes a 23-14 advantage after one.
 
Wilkes continued its hot shooting in the second quarter as two free throws from Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) followed by another Giordano three-pointer gave the Colonels its largest lead of the game at 28-16 with 8:43 left in the first half. King's wouldn't go away using a 5-0 run over the next six minutes of the second quarter to cut the deficit to 31-25 with 2:34 on the clock. One of two free throws from Giordano capped off a 15-point half for the senior giving Wilkes a 32-25 advantage at the break.
 
After the break, King's pulled to within five at 35-30 with 4:25 to go in the period after a Mackenzie Yori three-pointer, but the Colonels responded with a three-pointer by Kelley and a layup from Smicherko to push the Wilkes lead back to 10. After Wilkes grew the edge up to 11, King's pulled to within seven going into the fourth after a Steeber bucket just before the buzzer.
 
In the fourth Wilkes used a 7-0 run spanning the first three minutes of the frame to take a 50-38 lead. Another trey from Giordano and an inside bucket from Gianna Roberts (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) capped off the scoring run. After a Monarch timeout, King's responded with a 7-0 run of their own to make it a 50-45 game with 4:12 on the clock. Four straight points at the line kept Wilkes ahead 54-45 before another three from King's followed by one of two free throws brought the Monarchs back to within five trailing 54-49 with 1:33 remaining.
 
The Monarchs forced a shot clock violation on the next possession, and King's got as close as it had been since Wilkes led 3-0 after Steeber nailed a three to make it 54-52 with 40 seconds left. The Colonels called a timeout, followed by a foul which put Kelley at the line, and she made both to push the lead back to four at 56-52. After another timeout, King's three-point attempt was short off the front iron and Giordano grabbed her 12th rebound of the game. Vanessa Whitecavage (Shenandoah, PA/Marian Catholic) made one-of-two free throws to make it a 57-52 lead, and King's posted a lay-up to make it a one-possession game again with just over 20 seconds to go. That's as close as the Monarchs would come, as Kelley made one of two from the line to stretch the advantage to four giving Wilkes the win on Senior Day.
 
Giordano enjoyed one of the finest game's in her Wilkes career on senior day finishing 5-for-9 from the field including 5-of-8 from long range. Kelley added seven rebounds to go with her 18 points while Smicherko added six points and seven boards.
 
Steeber topped King's with 19 points and six rebounds while Mackenzi Yori and Dippre followed with 10 points each. King's leading scorer, Rebecca Prociak who averaged 17.6 points per-game, was held to just two points all from the free throw line.
 
Wilkes continues its push for a postseason berth on Wednesday when the Colonels travel to Delaware Valley University for a 6:00 p.m. MAC Freedom contest. Delaware Valley is tied with Wilkes at 4-8 in league games entering Wednesday.