LANCASTER, PA – The Wilkes University men's basketball team dropped the Consolation Game of the Sponaugle New Years Tournament hosted by Franklin & Marshall College at the Mayser Center to Alfred University 72-60 on Thursday afternoon.

Wilkes fell to 3-8 overall following the neutral site loss as Alfred, out of the Empire 8, improved to 7-2 overall.

The Colonels were led by 16 points and eight rebounds from Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge). Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) came off the bench to score a career high 14 points and tied his career high with five rebounds. Drake Marshall (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) rounded out the Colonels in double figures with 11 points while adding four rebounds and four assists.

Sean Coller (Hershey, PA/Hershey) hit a three pointer with 16:34 left in the first half to give Wilkes its first lead of the game at 5-4. The Colonels then used a seven-point run to take a 14-11 lead following two buckets by Matthew Davidheiser (Reading, PA/Exeter Township) with 10:28 left until the break.

A Shafer three gave the Colonels their biggest lead at 18-14 and Davidheiser connected from beyond the arc to reestablish a lead for the Navy and Gold at 21-20 with 6:00 left in the first half. The Colonels continued to lead until the Saxons took a 28-27 lead on a pair of free throws with 1:09 showing. Another Shafer three ball tied the score at 30-30 but Alfred made a layup in the closing seconds to take a 32-30 lead into the locker room.

Coller made his second three pointer of the game to start the second half, giving Wilkes the lead. Marshall followed with a layup as the Colonels led 35-32. Joey Zvorsky (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) answered a 5-0 Saxons run with a jumper to tie the game at 37-37 with 17:05 remaining. Alfred then used a key 19-6 run to grab a 13-point lead. It was a deficit the Colonels could not overcome as they could only close to within 10 twice over the final nine minutes of play.

 Mike Schmidt led Alfred with 15 points while Elliot Bowen added 12 and Cole Eells 11.

The Colonels return to the Marts Center looking to snap a four-game slide as they play host to TCNJ on Sunday, January 2 for a non-conference tilt at 1:00 p.m.