WILKES-BARRE – Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) poured in a game-high 21 points to lead four Colonels in double figures as the Wilkes University men's basketball team opened its 2023-24 season with a 87-61 victory over visiting Keystone College Thursday night at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes led by five seven minutes into the first half as a jumper from Lesko and Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) three-pointer put the Colonels ahead 16-11. From there it was a 20-4 run over the next seven minutes thanks to 9-for-14 shooting over the stretch to push the advantage to 36-15. Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) scored inside followed by a Lesko trey that forced a Keystone timeout with 6:09 left in the half.
 
Keystone chipped away cutting the lead down to 14 with 3:45 on the clock, but the Colonels went back inside to Fisher who flexed his muscle down low for six more points and Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) added a three-point play as Wilkes led  49-27 at the break.
 
Keystone responded to start the second half using a 9-0 run capped off by a Brandon Scott transition layup to cut into the Colonel advantage trailing 49-38 with 17:32 on the clock.
 
Back-to-back three-pointers from Lesko and Merrifield kept the Colonels double-digit lead at 57-40 with 13:33 left in the second half. Keystone continued to keep things close trailing by 12 with 8:55 left, but two buckets from Fisher and a three-point play from Lesko kept the Colonels a comfortable advantage up 68-51 with under seven minutes.
 
Lesko converted a score inside and Merrifield added five straight points to push the lead over twenty again as both teams began to clear their respective benches with under 3:30 left in the game.
 
Lesko finished 7-for-15 shooting including two treys while adding 11 rebounds and two blocks for the double-double. Fisher was equally as efficient notching 17 points on 8-of-10 from the floor and six rebounds. Merrifield posted 16 points and five rebounds while Argento rounded out the double figure scorers adding 12 points and three boards.
 
As a team Wilkes shot 47.7 percent (31-65) from the field including eight threes. The Colonels also dominated the paint outscoring the Giants 44-30.
 
Kamdyn Ayers led all Keystone scorers with 14 points and five rebounds.
 
Wilkes is back in action on Wednesday when the Colonels travel to Lebanon Valley College for a non-conference matchup scheduled for 7:30 p.m.