BETHLEHEM, PA – Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) sparked the balanced Colonels attack with 16 points off the bench as the visiting Wilkes University men's basketball team picked up an important Landmark Conference road victory over Moravian University 77-66 Wednesday night at Johnston Hall.
 
Wilkes improved to 13-3 overall and 6-3 in Landmark play. Moravian dropped to 7-9 overall and 3-6 in conference contests.
 
Moravian jumped out to a quick lead early in the first half as a 17-4 run to start the game gave the Greyhounds a double-digit lead. Wilkes slowly started to chip away at the Moravian advantage as Argento began a furious rally with a jumper, layup and two three-pointer on four consecutive possessions. Argento notched 10 of his 16 in the two minute span giving the Colonels their first lead of the contest at 26-24 with 7:18 left in the first half.
 
The teams traded baskets over the next five minutes before back-to-back scores in the paint from Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) and two Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) free throws gave the Colonels a slim 38-34 lead at the break.
 
Moravian took back the lead four minutes into the second half using a layup in transition and three-pointer to do its damage. Wilkes fought back again, this time Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) flexing his muscle knocking down a jumper and then a deep trey to give Wilkes a 56-49 advantage with just under ten minutes left in the game.
 
Moravian pushed back one more time with under six minutes on the clock cutting the lead to three, but back-to-back three-pointers from Merrifield kept the Colonels ahead for good as Wilkes never relinquished the nine-point lead with 3:55 remaining in the contest.
 
Lesko led all Wilkes scorers with 18 points and seven rebounds. Merrifield followed with 17 points and four assists, while Fisher added 15 points and eight boards. Argento was the story off the bench in the first half hitting on 6-of-11 from the floor while posting seven rebounds.
 
Marquis Ratcliff, the Landmark's leading scorer, finished with 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting including four three-pointers.
 
Wilkes dominated the paint outscoring the Greyhounds 26-14 inside while holding a commanding 42-24 advantage on the glass.
 
Wilkes returns home Saturday for a Landmark matchup with No. 20 Catholic University starting at 2:00 p.m. in the Marts Center.