WILKES-BARRE – Five players scored eight-or-more points for the Wilkes University men's basketball team in a 61-55 non-conference game over TCNJ Monday night at the Marts Center.

Wilkes improved to 7-13 overall with the victory while TCNJ dropped to 8-11.

The Lions got off to a nice start, leading 11-3 with 5:30 gone in the first half. The Colonels then went on an 8-0 with buckets by Jason Eberhart (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) and Joey Zvorsky (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) to start the run and two layups from Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) to tie the score with 10:10 left in the first half.

A jumper by Drake Marshall (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) gave Wilkes the 14-13 lead with 6:43 on the clock. Wilkes would finish the half on a 12-7 run leading 26-20 as Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) finished the scoring with a three with 36 seconds left.

Fisher opened the second half with a basket down low as Wilkes grabbed its largest lead of eight points. TCNJ would grab momentum with a 16-7 run to go ahead 36-35 with 13:53 on the clock. Shafer responded with a three and two minutes later Nickerson DeMelfi (Newbury Park, CA/Newbury Park) would hit from distance as well but the score stood 44-44 with 7:23 left.

Marshall hit two free throws to put the Colonels ahead and Shafer followed with a layup off a nice feed from Marshall as Wilkes took a four-point lead. After a Lions three, Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) answered with one from beyond the arc as the Colonels led 51-47 with 5:30 left.

The three-point shooting continued with Sean Coller (Hershey, PA/Hershey) getting in on the act as he made the score 54-49. After the Lions closed to within one it was Fisher who scored in the paint and Marshall who would clean up a Fisher miss with a tip in to put Wilkes ahead 58-53 with under two minutes to play.

Both teams were unable to score until TCNJ made two free throws with 27 seconds left to make it a one possession game. DeMelfi nailed down the victory for Wilkes as he made both ends of a one-and-one with six seconds remaining and hit one of two from the stripe with under a second left for the 61-55 victory.

Fisher recorded his fifth straight double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Merrifield and Marshall added nine points while Shafer and DeMelfi had eight for the Colonels.

TCNJ was led by 18 points from Danny Bodine while Maysean Burch added 11 points and four assists.

The Colonels outrebounded the Lions 42-27.

Wilkes will return to Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play on Wednesday night when they host Lycoming College at 8:00 p.m.