WILKES-BARRE, PA.  – The Wilkes University Colonels women's basketball squad hosted the Lycoming Warriors for a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom showdown at the Marts Center Wednesday night.
 
The Colonels (6-13, 5-8 MACF) hung tough with the Warriors (5-16, 5-8) in the first half, but the Colonels broke away in the third quarter to take a 55-48 victory.
 
The Navy and Gold struggled in the opening 4:47, falling behind 8-0 to the Warriors.  A pair of three-pointers from junior Katelyn Kinczel (Highland Heights, OH/Mayfield) helped fuel a Colonels comeback, sparking an 11-3 run that pushed the Navy and Gold to a 13-11 edge at the end of the first quarter.  The teams combined for five points in the first 8:53 of the second frame, but the Warriors attacked the paint and sank their free throws to take a 19-16 edge late over the Colonels.  Kinczel came through towards the end of the half once again, sinking a three-pointer with a well-placed pass from sophomore Julia Marino (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township) to tie the game up at 19 all heading into the locker rooms.
 
Both squads started hot in the third quarter, with each team scoring seven points in the first three minutes of play as the two sat at 26 all.  Lycoming sank a three, but the Colonels proceeded to go on a 15-2 run attacking the paint to take a 41-30 edge.  Lycoming finished the last 1:11 of the quarter with a five-point run to go into the fourth quarter with Wilkes up 41-35.  The Colonels continued to attack the paint in the fourth quarter, taking a 45-37 lead off of a pair of layups.  Lycoming would go on a 6-1 run to close within three, but a jumper by junior Brianna Horton (Verona, NJ/Verona) kept the Colonels lead at multiple possessions with 4:50 left.  The Colonels would build up their lead again to 52-43 off of a 6-2 run, but the Warriors got a quick layup into a three pointer to close within four with 1:36 left.
 
Marino would effectively close the game for the Colonels, driving into the paint with 1:08 left and sinking her and-one to put the Colonels ahead 55-48.  Marino recorded a career-high six steals for the Colonels in the victory and added on a team-leading 11 points and six rebounds.  Kinczel had 11 points to tie for the team lead, while first year Julianna Askins (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle) tied her career high in points with 10 points. 
 
The Colonels hit the road for their second-to-last MAC Freedom contest away from the Marts Center of the regular season Saturday afternoon as they travel to face the Delaware Valley Aggies at 1:00 p.m. in Doylestown, Pa.  The Colonels won the first game this year via forfeit, but are 6-19 in the live stats era against the Aggies.