Center Valley, PA (February 8, 2020) - Five players, led by junior Timmy Edwards with a game-high 25 points, scored in double digits leading the DeSales University men's basketball team past Wilkes University, 81-72, in MAC Freedom action on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.

The Basics

• Final Score: DeSales - 81, Wilkes - 72
• Records: DeSales (15-6, 8-2 MAC Freedom); Wilkes (9-12, 2-8 MAC Freedom)
• The win clinches a spot in the MAC Freedom postseason tournament for the Bulldogs for the eighth straight year and 18th time in team history.
• DSU sits in a three-way tie with both Eastern and Stevens with four games left in the regular season in the quest for a MAC Freedom regular season championship and home court advantage throughout the conference tournament.

How it Happened

• DeSales 9-4 early before Wilkes gained control of the game using a 17-6 run to take its largest lead of the game, 21-15, at the 9:17 mark of the opening half.
• The Bulldogs trailed 24-20 with 7:36 to go when they finished the half on a 17-3 run that included scoring 14 straight points during the stretch to take a 37-27 lead into the locker room.
• The run spilled over into the second-half as DSU scored the first five points of the half to take a 42-27 lead.
• The game went back-and-forth for the next several minutes as DeSales still had a double digit lead (71-60) with 3:54 left to play.
• Wilkes scored six straight points to pull within five (71-66) with 2:14 to go, but DSU hit six straight free throws over the next 1:20 to reclaim the 11-point advantage and never looked back from there.

Top Bulldog Performers

• Edwards continued his torrid play shooting 9-for-16 from the field and scoring 19 of his 25 points in the first-half.  He added six rebounds and four steals.
• Junior Mike Bealer added 14 points, hitting 4 3's.
• Sophomore Dat Lambert scored a career-high 13 points off the bench going 11-for-12 from the free throw line.
• Seniors Kweku Dawson-Amoah (12 points) and Ben Pratt (10 points) also reached double digits with each totaling four steals and Pratt dishing a team-high seven dimes.

For the Foes

• Rob Pecorelli had 14 points and added seven assists.
• Nickerson DeMelfi and Jake Robel each had 12 points.
• Mark Mullins finished with 11 points and Donovan Breeding was in double figures with 10 points.

Inside the Box Score

• DeSales had a 12-0 edge in fast break points in the win.
• DSU did a terrific job cashing in at the free throw line hitting 20-of-35 (82.9 percent).
• Wilkes won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding DeSales, 36-29.

Up Next

• The Bulldogs are back in action with a very important MAC Freedom contest on Wednesday when they host and look at avenge an earlier season loss to Stevens Institute of Technology beginning at 6:00 pm in Billera Hall.