Wilkes Women's Basketball Falls at King's 95-78

WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's basketball team fell to cross-town rival King's College 95-78 in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) action on Saturday afternoon.

The Colonels are now 8-15 overall and 2-10 in league play.

King's started the contest on a 7-0 run over the first three-plus minutes before Katelyn Kinczel (Highland Heights, OH/Mayfield) nailed a pull up three from the top of the arc to get Wilkes on the board.

Kinczel got the Colonels to within one point when she hit another three pointer with 5:32 left in the first quarter off an assist from Vanessa Whitecavage (Shenandoah, PA/Marian Catholic). The Monarchs went on a 6-0 run to force Wilkes to call a 30 second timeout with 4:24 on the clock and the score 13-6. King's ended the first quarter with a 25-17 lead.

Neither team was able to generate a run to pull away in the second quarter as the Colonels trailed 48-31 entering halftime.

Wilkes finished the third quarter on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 71-55 heading into the final quarter of play.

The Colonels were unable to make up the difference in the fourth as King's secured the victory.

Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) led Wilkes with a season-high 17 points to go with four rebounds. Kinczel added 14 points on four-of-six shooting from three-point range while Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) (12 points), Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) (11), Macy Berryman (Stroudsburg, PA/Pocono Mountain East) (11, five rebounds), and Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) (10) rounded out the Colonel scorers in double-figures.

Rebecca Prociak led King's with a game-high 25 points with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. Mackenzie Yori added 20 points and four rebounds among three other Monarchs who finished with double-digit points.

Wilkes returns to action on Tuesday when it will host Delaware Valley University for an 8:00 p.m. MAC Freedom game at the Marts Center.