FREDERICK, MD – With the game tied at 70, Rutgers Newark's Mark Thomas broke free through the lane hitting a shot with :10 left to lift the Scarlet Raiders over Wilkes University in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship Tournament Friday afternoon.
 
With the defeat Wilkes concluded its 2018-19 season with a 19-10 record, marking the second straight season of 19 wins for the program. The back-to-back 19 win seasons are the most since the 2000-01 season when the Colonels finished 23-3 and won the conference title as well as a berth in the NCAA tournament. Rutgers Newark improved to 15-12 overall following the victory and advanced to the semifinals where it will play Grove City College.
 
In a game that saw 12 lead changes and the score tied 16 times throughout, it was fitting for the ending to be dramatic. Trailing by four with just over seven minutes remaining, the senior duo of Marcus Robinson (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) and Connor Evans (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) brought the Colonels back as Robinson scored in the paint and Evans connected on a three-pointer to give Wilkes a 57-56 lead.
 
After a Rutgers Newark bucket and subsequent free throws from Robinson, Evans drilled his lone trey of the game to push the Colonel advantage to 64-61 and what looked like a little breathing room. The advantage was short-lived though as Thomas made good on a three-pointer at the top of the key to tie the game with 2:00 left.
 
Following a Wilkes timeout, Evans missed a shot inside and Thomas was fouled where he buried both free throws to give the Scarlet Raiders a 66-64 lead with 1:47 on the clock. Tommy Bowen (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) answered for the Colonels notching two of his game-high 22 points with a score in the paint tying the game yet again with 1:20 remaining.
 
On the ensuing possession, Rutgers Newark scored on a designed set taking back the advantage and forcing another Wilkes timeout with :55 left. The Colonels responded again and went back to its senior point guard and Evans delivered with a driving score to tie the game at 68 with :39 remaining.
 
Rutgers Newark brought the ball back down the floor setting up a play for Thomas who came off a screen and down the lane scoring from six feet away while also drawing a foul with :18 left. Thomas missed the free throw and Evans advanced the ball to half court where he found Robinson who was fouled on a drive just missing the shot. Robinson calmly sank both free throws tying the game for the final time with :10 on the clock.
 
Rutgers Newark went back to Thomas on its final possession and he delivered with a running floater from below the free throw line that fell for the 72-70 lead.
 
After a pair of timeouts, Wilkes drew up one last play for the game-winning three-pointer but a long shot from Robinson bounced off the rim and Rutgers Newark survived and advanced in the tournament.
 
Wilkes opened its largest lead of the first half after Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields) nailed a three-pointer, Robinson cashed in three times at the free throw line and Zach Walser (Marcellus, NY/Bishop Ludden) connected on a jumper as the Colonels led 11-4 seven minutes in. Rutgers Newark erased the deficit two minutes later using a 7-0 run capped by an Xavier Townes layup tying the game at 11.
 
The teams traded baskets over the next seven minutes of play before back-to-back inside scores from Bowen put Wilkes ahead 26-25. A three-pointer and layup in transition capped Rutgers-Newark scoring rally late to give the Scarlet Raiders a 33-29 advantage at the break.
 
The loss overshadowed a fine effort from Bowen who finished with 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting including a 7-of-10 mark from the foul line. He added seven rebounds playing 32 minutes in the game. Robinson followed with 18 points and four boards while Pecorelli finished with 14 points in 38 minutes. Evans chipped in nine points and several timely buckets late.
 
The loss also meant the end of the careers of Wilkes' five seniors Bowen, Robinson, Evans, Walser and Clay Basalyga (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights). The group won 64 games over four years, made three trips to the MAC Freedom tournament including two trips to the championship game, as well as two berths into the ECAC Championship Tournament.