Kelley Scores 17; Wilkes Women's Basketball Falls 68-44 to DeSales
CENTER VALLEY, PA – Senior guard
Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) scored 17 points but the Wilkes University women's basketball team fell 68-44 to DeSales University Friday night in Billera Hall. DeSales completed the season-opening Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) sweep as the Bulldogs also beat the Colonels by a 24-point margin during Thursday's game by a 79-55 score.
DeSales opened the game with an 8-2 lead by the 6:00 minute mark of the first quarter. A layup and three-pointer on back-to-back trips up the floor from Kelley pulled the Colonels to within one point at 8-7 but the Bulldogs then went on a 9-3 run to close the quarter leading 17-10.
The home side continued its run by starting the second quarter on an 18-2 run to take control of the game with a 35-12 lead. A three-pointer by freshman guard
Julia Marino (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township) and a jumper by Kelley helped Wilkes head to the locker room for halftime with the final five points and trailing 35-17.
A bucket by sophomore guard
Baylee Guedes (Palmerton, PA/Palmerton) to open the third quarter pulled the Colonels within 16 points but the Bulldogs would build their advantage to a game-high 29 points with the lead standing at 53-24 with 2:37 left in the third quarter.
The Colonels outscored the Bulldogs 17-13 in the final quarter behind six points from sophomore guard
Katelyn Kinczel (Highland Heights, OH/Mayfield) and five from senior forward
Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West).
Kelley added a game-high seven rebounds to go with her 17 points. Smicherko finished with seven points, four rebounds, and a game-high four assists. The Colonels were plagued by 25 turnovers in the game.
Amelia Saunders came off the bench to lead DeSales with 17 points. Averi Jordan added 12 points in the victory.
Wilkes has a bye week before returning to action with a home-and-home series with FDU-Florham on Thursday, February 25 and Friday, February 26. The MAC Freedom action gets started from the Marts Center at 7:00 p.m. Thursday of that week.
