Basketball

Delaware Valley College 77, Wilkes University 66


DOYLESTOWN (PA) - Isaiah Pinckney scored 27 points as Delaware Valley College downed perennial Freedom Conference power Wilkes University at home for the third consecutive year with a 77-66 triumph.

The Aggies snapped a four-game losing streak as they improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Colonels fell from the unbeaten ranks as they are now 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the Freedom.

Trips to James Work Gymnasium have proven to be nightmares for Wilkes in recent memory. The Aggies notched an 85-70 home victory in 2005. Last year, the Colonels, who eventually reached the conference championship game, dropped a 93-84 decision in Doylestown just three weeks after an 89-42 rout of Delaware Valley in Wilkes-Barre.

Pinckney played all 40 minutes and went over the 25-point mark for the third time this season. He was 7-for-17 from the field (3-for-3 from beyond the arc) and 10-for-14 from the foul line. Pinckney also added six assists and four rebounds.

The game was tied at 8-8 as Steve Kline dunked home a basket for Wilkes with 12:47 to go in the first half. However, the Aggies went on a 15-0 run, keyed by Brian Hilinski's six points, to take a commanding 23-8 advantage with 8:22 left on the clock. Delaware Valley eventually took a 37-21 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Aggies still held a 12-point lead, 48-36, with 11:53 remaining, before the Colonels went on an 11-3 spurt to pull to within five. Pinckney followed with a trey but, Jeremy Kable and Kline had back-to-back layups to make it a 51-47 ballgame 7:01 remaining.

With the shot clock winding down, Delaware Valley's Jason Seipt hit a big 3-pointer from the corner and Joe Rod followed with a layup on the next possession to build the advantage back up to nine. John Kelly responded with a 3-ponter for Wilkes, but Pinckney hit four straight free throws for a 60-50 advantage with 4:53 to go. The Colonels never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Bill Gelsomini and Rod has big afternoons for the Aggies as they notched 11 and 10 points respectively. Rod also added a team-high seven rebounds. Seipt contributed nine points and six assists while Hilinski finished with eight points and four assists.

Kable kept Wilkes in the game with a team-high 19 points, including a 5-for-13 effort from 3-point land. Tom Krege notched 13 points and seven rebounds while Kline added a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 boards.