Wilkes-Barre, PA (January 17, 2018) - Wilkes University finished the game on a 13-5 run snapping the DeSales University men's basketball three-game win steak, 72-66, in MAC Freedom action on Wednesday evening at the Marts Center.

The loss also snaps an incredible 12-game winning streak at the Marts Center with DSU's (12-4, 3-2 MAC Freedom) last loss at Wilkes coming in December, 2004.  Sophomore Tracy Simsick (Harleysville, PA) led the scoring attack with 20 points, while junior Luke Connaghan (Warrington, PA) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  Senior Connor Jones (Hawley, PA) also reach double figures with 10 tallies.

The Colonels (11-5, 4-1 MAC Freedom) got 18 points from Connor Evans, 13 points from Marcus Robinson, 11 tallies from Zach Brunner, and 12 points and six rebounds off the bench from Mason Gross.

With DeSales leading 61-59 after a lay-up from sophomore Ben Pratt (Allentown, PA) at the 3:59 mark, the Colonels countered with four straight points including a corner 3 from Robinson to take a 63-61 lead with 2:37 to go.

Simsick tied the game on the next possession but six straight points from Wilkes gave the hosts a 69-63 lead with 44 ticks left.  Connaghan converted a three-point play out of a timeout with 29 seconds left but Robinson broke lone on the ensuing inbounds pass for a wide open lay-up to push the lead back to five points and the Bulldogs were unable to answer on the other end.

The Bulldogs held a 29-25 lead at the half after scoring the final four points of the half.  The lead grew to as many as eight points early in the second-half (37-29) at the 17:12 mark and was still five at the 9:18 mark after a three from Simsick before there were six ties and three lead changes over the final eight minutes of the game.

Wilkes shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second-half to execute the comeback.  DSU converted just 39.1 percent from the field for the game and the Colonels out-scored the Bulldogs, 40-28, in the paint.

DeSales is back in action on Saturday when they host Misericordia University in a MAC Freedom contest set to begin at 4:00 pm.