WILKES-BARRE – Visiting Marywood University used a 10-0 run to start the second half in defeating the Wilkes University men's basketball team 92-84 in non-conference action Tuesday night at the Marts Center.

Wilkes fell to 2-3 overall with the loss while Marywood improved its record to 3-4 overall following the road win.

Drake Marshall (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) and Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) got the Colonels off to a hot start as the two combined for 10 points including two dunks by Fisher to hand Wilkes a 10-4 lead four minutes into the first half. Over the next two minutes the Pacers used a 7-0 run to grab their first lead of the contest at 11-10.

Matthew Davidheiser (Reading, PA/Exeter Township) hit a three pointer and then two free throws to put the Colonels back ahead with the score 22-21 with 9:37 remaining in the half. Marywood then went on a 9-3 run over the next two minutes to grab its largest lead of six points at 30-24. Davidheiser stopped the run with a three and a layup before Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) connected from deep as Wilkes went on a quick 8-0 spurt to take a 32-30 advantage. Jason Eberhart (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) hit from distance to tie the score at 37-37 with 3:53 left in the first half but it was the Pacers who scored eight of the next 11 points to hold a 45-40 lead heading into the break.

Both teams were shooting over 50 percent at the intermission with Wilke at 51.6 percent (16-for-31) and Marywood at 51.9 percent (14-for-27). Marshall and Davidheiser led all scorers with 12 points each in the first 20 minutes.

A 10-0 Pacers run to open the second half put the Colonels in a 15-point hole to climb out of. Fisher stopped the run by getting Wilkes on the second half scoreboard with two layups, the second including an additional free throw after contact. With 9:27 remaining in the game Marywood still held a 15-point lead at 67-52.

Two free throws by Marshall cut the deficit to 10 points as Marywood led 78-68 with 3:59 left. The Colonels finally were able to cut the Pacers lead to under 10 as Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) made a putback and hit the free throw after receiving contact to make the score 82-73 with 1:57 remaining. Following two Pacer free throws, Shafer and Sean Coller (Hershey, PA/Hershey) nailed threes on back-to-back possessions to cut the lead to five at 84-79 with 1:08 on the clock. Marywood iced the game at the stripe from that point adding eight free throws compared to just one made three and one layup from the Colonels down the stretch to win 92-84.

Marshall led the Colonels with 20 points while adding seven rebounds. Davidheiser ended the night with career highs with 18 points, nine rebounds, and four assists as he was one rebound shy of his first career double-double. Fisher scored 16 points and added three blocks. Wilkes ended the night shooting 46.9 percent from the floor (30-for-64).

Six players scored in double figures for Marywood as they shot 50.0 percent for the game (28-for-56). Brandon Reed (18), Jason Holman (18), Brendan Franko (16), Matt McKenna (15), Corey Perkins (10), and Caleb Vigil (10) reached double digits on the night with Perkins adding team highs of seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. The Pacers went 32-of-39 (82.1 percent) from the free throw line on the night as they outscored the Colonels by 16 points at the line.

The Colonels are off through the holiday break before returning to the Marts Center on Wednesday, December 1 to open Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play hosting DeSales University at 8:00 p.m.