WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's basketball team hosted Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) leader DeSales University, falling 65-54 at the Marts Center Wednesday evening.

Wilkes dropped to 10-10 overall and 5-6 in the MAC Freedom with the home loss while DeSales moved to 18-3 overall and remained unbeaten in the conference at 12-0.

DeSales scored the first five points of the game before Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) put Wilkes on the board 3:25 into the first half. Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) then made a layup and Fisher hit two free throws to give the Colonels their first lead at 6-5. Joey Zvorsky's (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) three tied the score at 11-11 with 11:36 remaining in the half. Following a bucket by the Bulldogs, Argento and Drake Marshall (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) hit back-to-back threes as Wilkes led 17-13. A five-point DeSales run put the visitors back ahead with 7:38 left.

With DeSales leading 21-19, Marshall made three straight driving layups to put the Colonels ahead 25-21 with 4:59 left. The first half ended with Wilkes holding a 27-24 lead.

Over the first three minutes of the second half DeSales went on a 9-0 run before Marshall made a layup to stop the run. The Bulldogs then extended its run to 14-2, leading 38-29 with 14:59 left in the game. Colin Ackerman (Manasquan, NJ/Wall Township) scored which was followed by Marshall and Argento buckets to make the score 40-35 with 10:37 left. DeSeale again went ahead by nine before a Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) three.

DeSales took its first double-digit lead on a Jordan Holmqvist three at 50-39 with 6:29 remaining. A Zvorsky layup and free throw with the foul followed by a Fisher layup forced a Bulldogs timeout as they led 50-44. By the 3:43 mark the Bulldogs built their lead back to 11 leading 57-46. Marshall hit a jumper but following a Wilkes timeout Devin Atkinson drilled a three to put DeSales up 12 at 60-48 with 2:54 left. The Colonels were unable to cut the lead to less than 10 over the final three minutes as DeSales won 65-54.

Marshall recorded his second double-double of the season as he led Wilkes with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Fisher added nine points and seven rebounds and Zvorsky added eight and four.

DeSales was led by Holmqvist's 18 points and four assists while Atkinson added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Colonels shot 39.3% (22-for-56) from the field, 21.1% (4-for-19) from three, and 75.0% (6-for-8) from the free throw line. The Bulldogs shot 43.4% (23-for-53) from the field, 40.9% (9-for-22) from three, and 62.5% (10-for-16) from the line. Wilkes led 36-24 in points in the paint, 15-6 in points off turnovers, and 16-2 in fast break points. DeSales had 10 turnovers and Wilkes tied its season-low with eight. DeSales outrebounded Wilkes 38-31. There were eight lead changes and the score was tied five times in the game.

Wilkes travels to New Jersey to face FDU-Florham in MAC Freedom play on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.