WILKES-BARRE - Hot shooting from deep propelled the Wilkes University women's basketball team to a 71-68 victory over visiting Lebanon Valley College in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Crossover Challenge game at the Marts Center Thursday night. The Colonels hit 11 three pointers in the game including four in the fourth quarter.

With the victory Wilkes ends the season with a 3-7 overall record.  LVC dropped to 3-8 with the loss in the battle of No. 6 seeds out of the MAC Freedom and MAC Commonwealth.

LVC grabbed a 6-2 lead after two minutes of play but then senior guard Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) hit from behind the arc and first year guard Julia Marino (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township) made a driving layup to gve Wilkes its first lead at 7-6 with 5:06 remaining in the first quarter. Sophomore guard Katelyn Kinczel (Highland Heights, OH/Mayfield) then came off the bench to provide a spark as she hit three-consecutive shots in a one minute span including two three-pointers to push the Colonels ahead 17-10 and force a timeout from the Dutchmen. First year center Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) scored with under 10 seconds left in the opening quarter but Kennedy Kuffa sank a half-court shot at the buzzer to make the score 19-13 Wilkes after 10 minutes.

Lebanon Valley would complete an 11-0 run to take a 21-19 lead with 6:50 left in the second quarter before Kelley banked in a three to put Wilkes back in front. A Marino jumper and five-points by sophomore guard Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) provided the Colonels with a 7-0 run to give them a 29-25 lead with two minutes left until half and Wilkes would take a 31-29 lead into the break after another Babcock score.

Sophomore guard Brianna Horton's (Verona, NJ/Verona) trey with 4:34 left in the third quarter put Wilkes back ahead 41-39. Sophomore center Ariel Reed (Woodbury, PA/Northern Bedford) made a jumper and the free-throw after contact to again give the Colonels the lead at 44-42 with 2:24 on the clock. LVC would close the frame by scoring six of the final eight points to lead 48-46 heading to the final 10 minutes.

Horton hit a three to open the fourth after corralling an offensive rebound to keep the Colonels possession alive. Reed then gave Wilkes the lead again with a driving layup as she went past her defender, forcing a Dutchmen timeout with 8:00 left. Senior forward Gabby Smicherko (Edwardsville, PA/Wyoming Valley West) then stole the ball and on the following possession set up Babcock for a layup with a nice inside feed to give Wilkes a 53-50 lead. Horton stayed hot from deep on the next trip. Reed's hot second half continued when she made a jumper from the top to put the Navy and Gold up 60-55 with 6:00 left.

LVC would go on an 8-0 run to retake the lead before Kinczel swished a three to even the game at 63 with 3:07 left. Two free-throws by Marino gave Wilkes the lead with 2:19 on the clock. After a Dutchmen turnover Babcock collected an offensive board and made the layup with contact. After two LVC free-throws Horton nailed another three from the top of the arc to push the lead to 70-65 with 1:30 left. Allison Bimmer answered with her own three and then the Dutchmen forced a shot clock violation to get the ball back down two with 34 seconds left. Wilkes sealed things off and got a key stop by forcing a tough layup. After a turnover on an inbounds pass, Marino took a charge on the ensuing fast break and Kelley then made one of two free throws with 12 seconds left to up the lead to 71-68. Wilkes got one final stop when Smicherko blocked a three attempt at the buzzer to give the Colonels the thrilling victory.

Babcock led Wilkes with a season high 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and she added a career best four assists. Horton followed with 12 points on four made threes and Kinczel scored 11 with three makes from deep. Kelley also scored in double figures with 10 points, including three triples and she tied with Shober for the team lead with five rebounds. Reed tied her career high with nine points on 4-for-4 shooting from the floor.

Emily Mealey, the MAC Commonwealth leading scorer during the regular season, scored a game high 26 points to lead LVC. Daelyn Stabler added 16 while Kuffa and Bimmer scored 11. Mealey completed a double-double with 12 rebounds.

The two teams traded the lead 17 times and the score was tied nine times in the back-and-forth game.