WILKES-BARRE – Six different Colonels scored eight or more points to lead a balanced attack as the Wilkes University women's basketball team posted a 63-47 Landmark Conference victory over visiting Juniata College Saturday afternoon at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes improved to 5-4 overall and recorded the program's first Landmark Conference victory moving to 1-3 on the season in league play. Juniata dropped to 1-9 overall and 0-3 in conference games following the road defeat.
 
The teams traded scores to start the game before a three-pointer from Julianna Askins (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle) and inside bucket from Madison Robel (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) gave the Colonels a 11-7 lead with under two minutes left in the opening stanza. Emma Stout (Bangor, PA/Bangor) went on a 5-0 run by herself over the final :30 hitting a trey followed by a bucket as the horn sounded to give Wilkes a 16-7 advantage after one.
 
The Wilkes lead grew to as many as 13 midway through the second quarter thanks to a bucket from Yamirelis Matos (Springfield, MA/Chicopee) and two free throws from Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) as the Colonels held a 24-11 advantage with 5:15 left in the first half. Juniata responded scoring three times over the final four minutes to trail by nine at the break 26-17. Defense was the calling card for Wilkes in the first half limiting the Juniata offense to just 17.6 percent (6-34) from the field.
 
Juniata used the third quarter to begin its comeback attempt as the Eagles outscored Wilkes 20-14 over the frame including a 9-4 run to finish including a steal and layup as time expired. Wilkes continued to hold the lead at 40-37 after three.
 
The Colonels responded to start the fourth quarter as transition scores from Matos, Marino and Babcock put Wilkes ahead 48-39 with seven minutes left. Following an Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) score inside the paint, Taylor Simpson (Dunmore, PA/Lawrenceville School) knocked down a triple as the lead grew back to thirteen as Wilkes began to pull away up 55-42 with under four minutes remaining. Wilkes put the game away over the next several possessions with scores from Babcock, Matos and Shober as the Colonels took their largest advantage up 18 with under two minutes left in the contest.
 
Matos and Shober each finished with 12 points and combined for nine rebounds to lead the attack for Wilkes. Julia Marino (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township), Babcock, Simpson and Stout all tallied eight points each. Babcock led the way on the glass with nine rebounds.
 
Bri Bodtorf led Juniata with a game-high 13 points.
 
The Colonels return to action next Saturday when they travel to familiar MAC Freedom foe Delaware Valley University for a non-conference tilt scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Doylestown, Pa.