WILKES-BARRE – Wilkes University's Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields) scored a game-high 23 points and Mark Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) added 16 points to lead the Colonels to a 79-63 MAC Freedom victory over local rival Misericordia University Wednesday night at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes improved to 10-12 overall and 3-8 in conference games following its sixth home victory of the season. Misericordia dropped to 7-15 overall and 3-8 in MAC Freedom contests. The teams split the season series with the Cougars picking up a home win early in the conference slate.
 
The teams traded baskets early in the first half before a 16-7 Colonels run gave the hosts its largest lead of the opening frame 38-26 with 2:25 remaining. Mullins hit a pair of triples and Pecorelli followed with a strike from long distance as Wilkes used a full court press to create turnovers leading to open looks. The senior duo combined for 29 of Wilkes' 44 first half points combining for five three-pointers and four steals.
 
The Colonels continued to use the three-point line to do its damage as a Donovan Breeding (Manassas, VA/Osbourn) triple forced a Misericordia timeout four minutes into the second half with Wilkes leading 51-37.
 
Misericordia answered back using a 17-0 run over the next six minutes moving to within two trailing 60-58 with 9:15 left in the game. Buckets from Pecorelli and Drake Marshall (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) stopped the Cougars run keeping Wilkes ahead 64-58 just two minutes later.
 
The lead grew back to double figures with a score from Mullins and two free throws by Breeding as Wilkes led 69-58 with 6:56 left in the game.
 
Wilkes was able to put the game out of reach over the final four minutes of play pushing the advantage to 19 points capped off by two transition scores from Jake Robel (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) including a monstrous dunk with just over two minutes on the clock.
 
Pecorelli enjoyed a fine shooting game finishing 8-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from long range adding seven rebounds and three assists. Mullins also excelled shooting from the perimeter finishing 7-for-16 and 2-for-6 from three-point range grabbing six rebounds and three helpers. Robel rounded out the double figure scorers for Wilkes posting 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
 
Noah Rivera led Misericordia with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Diby Keita was the other Cougar in double figures with 10 points.
 
Wilkes continues its late season stretch of games Saturday traveling to cross-town rival King's College for a matchup at 3:00 p.m.