MADISON, N.J. – The Wilkes men's basketball team travelled to Landmark Conference leaders Drew University Wednesday evening, falling with just seconds left in a thrilling game 84-82 at the Baldwin Gym.

Wilkes falls to 11-3 overall with the loss and 5-2 in Landmark play, while Drew improve to 11-3 and remain undefeated in conference play 7-0.

The Colonels took the early lead, scoring seven of the game's first 10 points. A quick 5-2 run by Drew brought the hosts within one less than three minutes into the contest. Up 9-8, Wilkes built a 16-point cushion with clinical shooting over the next ten minutes of game time, out-scoring the Rangers 16-9 to take a 33-17 lead. Over that stretch, the Colonels didn't miss a single shot from the field, only missing two free throws. Lesko led the way on the run with seven points.

Wilkes maintained the double-digit lead into the break, taking a 44-34 advantage after 20 minutes of play. The Colonels shot 62.94% from the field in the first half, with the defense holding the Rangers to 37.5%.

The two teams traded shots to open the second half, with Wilkes narrowly growing their lead to 15 with 12:12 to play, up 61-46. Seven makes from beyond the arc helped the Rangers on a 25-14 run to cut the Colonel advantage to just four points with five minutes to play, down 75-71. Drew continued to chip away at the lead, raining three-point shots, getting within a possession with 2:55 to play 80-77. Merrifield hit two free throws, before Drew went on a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the game, punctuated by a triple by Malcolm Newman with five seconds left to play.

Wilkes were unable to hit a last chance three of their own, and the hosts were victorious 84-82.

Lesko led the Colonels with 25 points and four assists, sharing the assist lead with Merrifield and Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey). Becker and Merrifield were the other two Colonels in double-digit scoring with 21 and 12 respectively. Becker also led in rebounds with eight.

Josh Kline led Drew with 20 points, while Pat Higgins led with 10 assists. David Musial led in rebounds with 12.

Wilkes returns to the Marts Center for their next contest, kicking off a two-game homestand on Saturday, January 18 against Susquehanna University. Tip-off against the River Hawks is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.