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WILKES-BARRE — Wilkes’ new year’s surge had seen the Colonels get stronger as the clock ran down.

It was happening again on Wednesday. Until DeSales stepped in.

The Bulldogs zapped Wilkes’ momentum after halftime with a big run of their own, and the perennial Freedom Conference contenders came away with a 76-67 win.

What had been a 41-35 Colonels lead after a strong start to the second half dissolved as DeSales went on a 20-4 charge to sweep the season series and snap Wilkes’ impressive five-game win streak. According to DeSales, it was the Bulldogs’ 11th straight win at the Marts Center after losing on their first 15 trips to the gym.

The Colonels (11-11, 6-5) had been averaging 87.6 points per game (79.6 in regulation) during their streak.

“I give credit to them. They played good defense,” Wilkes coach Izzi Metz said. “They went with a four-guard lineup and they got in us a little bit. And as a result, we turned the ball over 21 times. We turned it over at their place (a one-point loss last month) 19 times. I thought that was going to be the key to the game. We had to better with the basketball.

“Because we turned it over and we got sped up, that resulted in some quicker shots. That, I thought, was really the difference in the game. … We shot ourselves in the foot.”

Senior guard Alec Wizar scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Colonels. Marcus Robinson scored all 16 of his points in the second half and Steve Stravinski turned in a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

An up-tempo start for the Colonels was stunted midway through the first half when they went cold from the field, missing six straight shots before surrendering the lead.

DeSales (16-6, 8-3) used a 15-3 run to move in front, taking a 26-22 lead into the locker room. It was Wilkes’ lowest scoring half in nearly a month, a Jan. 13 loss to Misericordia. A big culprit was a 1 for 14 performance from long range.

“Our offense led to maybe some defensive lapses,” Metz said. “Because I thought we guarded well for long stretches of the game. But I think our turnovers, some of them stayed on the floor and led to run-out lay-ups for them.”

It stretched to 1 for 16 at the start of the second half. But when Stravinski drained one from the top of the arc — putting the Colonels back in front 32-30 — things started to click.

Wilkes led by six after a 3-point play by Stravinski, only to see the Bulldogs regroup and go on their decisive run to take control of the game.

A few late threes put the Colonels in position to press late in the game to try and make things interesting, but DeSales never let Wilkes get closer than six down the stretch.

“Offensively we never got into a rhythm,” Metz said. “And I think that hurt us on the defensive end as the game wore on. I think we got a little mentally fatigued.”

DeSales 76, Wilkes 67

DeSALES (76) — Kuity Slanger 5-8 7-10 17, Brian Laird 3-10 9-9 17, Aaron Burton 4-7 0-0 8, Brandon Bridy 1-2 5-8 7, Cody Deal 5-12 5-6 17, James Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Jacob Battle 0-4 0-1 0, Luke Connaghan 3-3 0-0 6, Ryan Callahan 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 23-49 26-34 76.

WILKES (67) — Connor Evans 1-5 3-4 6, Marcus Robinson 5-16 3-3 16, Alec Wizar 7-17 2-2 18, Steve Stravinski 3-8 4-5 11, Zach Brunner 4-4 1-2 9, Tommy Bowen 0-0 0-0 0, John Goffredo 0-0 0-0 0, Clay Basalyga 2-4 1-2 5, Quinlin Parsons 1-3 0-0 2, Zach Walser 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 14-18 67.

Halftime — DeSales, 26-22

3-point goals — DSU 4-14 (Deal 2-4, Laird 2-5, Burton 0-1, Bridy 0-1, Battle 0-3); WU 7-32 (Robinson 3-13, Wizar 2-10, Evans 1-4, Stravinski 1-4, Basalyga 0-1)

Wilkes guard Alec Wizar (left) scored a game-high 18 points, but DeSales prevailed in the second half on Wednesday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL021116WILKES1.jpg.optimal.jpgWilkes guard Alec Wizar (left) scored a game-high 18 points, but DeSales prevailed in the second half on Wednesday. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Wilkes senior Steve Stravinski (20) reaches for a loose ball over DeSales’ Kuity Slanger and Aaron Burton on Wednesday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL021116WILKES2.jpg.optimal.jpgWilkes senior Steve Stravinski (20) reaches for a loose ball over DeSales’ Kuity Slanger and Aaron Burton on Wednesday. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Guard Connor Evans (3) and Wilkes didn’t have much room to operate against DeSales’ defense on Wednesday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL021116WILKES4.jpg.optimal.jpgGuard Connor Evans (3) and Wilkes didn’t have much room to operate against DeSales’ defense on Wednesday. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

By Derek Levarse

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Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse