WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes men's basketball team battled through the evening but came up short, falling to Drew University 92-82 Wednesday night at the Marts Center.

Following the action, the Colonels fell to a 13-9 overall record and 8-7 in the Landmark while Drew improved to a 17-5 overall record and 11-4 in the conference. 

Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) got the scoring started for Wilkes with a driving layup, but a layup and three quick triples by Drew gave the Rangers an early 11-5 lead. Drew extended the margin to as many as 10 points midway through the first half, but a 10-point swing by the Colonels brought them back within one possession.

Drew pushed the lead back out to 51-45 at halftime, but Wilkes' defense began to tighten in the final minutes, holding the Rangers to just a few baskets early in the second half. On the other end, Lesko kept the Colonels within striking distance, with two field goals and a pair of free throws to tie the contest at 51, but the Rangers responded with a 9-3 of their own to keep the advantage. Wilkes continued to trim the lead to six on multiple occasions as the teams traded baskets in a back-and-forth contest.

A late 10-6 run from the Colonels brought them back within 10, but despite the strong effort, Drew's efficient shooting down the stretch allowed the Rangers to secure a 92-82 victory.

Lesko led Wilkes with 26 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Colin Ackerman (Manasquan, NJ/Wall Township) added 18 points and six assists, Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) scored 15, and Eli Becker (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds.

For Drew, Ben Manns paced all scorers with 19 points, while Eli Yusavage and Andre De Los Reyes each had 13. David Musial and Marc Herasme also reached double figures, helping the Rangers shoot 50 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three-point range.

The Colonels hit the road for Elizabethtown College on Saturday, February 14, as they enter the final stretch of regular season match ups.