Basketball

lWilkes University 62, Delaware Valley College 53

WILKES-BARRE (PA) - Jeremy Kable scored a career-high 24 points and Tom Kresge added 17 to lead Wilkes University to a 62-53 Freedom Conference men's basketball win over Delaware Valley College.

The victory not only improved the Colonels to 10-9 overall and 2-8 in the conference, it also snapped the team's seven-game losing skid. Delaware Valley saw its records fall to 4-17 overall and 2-8 in conference play.

The opening eight minutes of the first half were played on virtually even terms. The teams traded the lead three times before the Aggies assumed a 12-11 lead on an Isaiah Pinckney basket with 11:24 left in the stanza. However, that would be the last time the Colonels trailed the rest of the way as Kable hit consecutive 3-pointers to lift his team to a 17-12 lead with 10:48 showing on the clock.

Delaware Valley fought back and tied the game at 20-20 on a jumper by Zack Van Dyke with 3:03 left in the stanza. After Kable and Van Dyke traded treys make it 23-23, Kable scored off a Chris Gulla assist to give Wilkes a 25-23 lead at intermission.

The Colonels continued to hold a slim lead throughout the first seven minutes of the second period before embarking on a 10-1 spurt and a 41-31 lead with 10:25 left. Bill Gelsomini hit a trifecta for Delaware Valley to pull his team within 41-34. After Wilkes' John DeFeo scored inside, Pinckney converted a drive to make it 43-36 with 7:42 showing on the clock.

However, Kable connected for his fifth 3-pointer of the game with 6:39 left to push the lead back to double-figures 46-36. Thanks to some solid free throw shooting by Wilkes, the Aggies were unable to get any closer than seven points the rest of the way, and that did not come until the final minute of play.

Kable, who hit 5-of-12 from three-point land, scored his 24 points in 23 minutes of action. Kresge hit 6-of-10 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, while also grabbing eight rebounds.

Pinckney and Van Dyke tied for team-high honors in scoring for Delaware Valley with 14 tallies apiece. Pinckney also handed out four assists, while Van Dyke had six rebounds and three steals. Gelsomini and Eric Lawton added eight points apiece in the loss.