Written by Athletic Communications Intern, Cammi Quirk

SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton men's basketball team lost a hard-fought 77-74 battle to Wilkes University on Wednesday night at the John Long Center.

The Basics

• Final Score: Wilkes 77, Scranton 74
• Records: Scranton (19–5, 12–5 Landmark), Wilkes (15–9, 10–7 Landmark)
• Landmark Conference Standings

How It Happened

• The Royals fell behind 16-4 early in the first half but responded with a steady stretch of offense led by Nick Ruisi, Brendan Carr, and Sammy Tornabene to work their way back into the game.
• Ruisi opened with a putback layup, while Tornabene added an and-one finish and Josias Carbon converted a fast-break reverse layup to help chip away at the deficit.
• Carr helped bring the Royals even with strong finishes inside and a deep three-pointer to tie the teams at 25. The Royals entered the half down 31–37.
• Scranton battled back early in the second half behind Tornabene, who knocked down multiple three-pointers, including a corner three, while Ben Robinson added a floater to keep Wilkes within reach.
• Carr drilled a three-pointer to put the Royals ahead 49–47, and key baskets from Carbon and Robinson helped maintain a narrow edge as the teams traded possessions.
• Midway through the half, ball movement and timely shooting kept the game tight, highlighted by Robinson setting up Ruisi for a layup and Ruisi later burying a three to tie the game.
• In the final minutes, Tornabene and Carbon each finished strong at the rim, but it wasn't enough to keep Wilkes at bay. The Colonels closed out the game 77–74.

Inside the Box Score

• FG%: Scranton 46.6%, Wilkes 63.8%
• 3PT: Scranton 8–21, Wilkes 5–12
• FT: Scranton 12–15, Wilkes 12–20
• Rebounds: Scranton 25, Wilkes 27

Top Performers

• Sammy Tornabene: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
• Brendan Carr: 14 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 block
• Nick Ruisi: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
• Josias Carbon: 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Ben Robinson: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
• Jon Spatola: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals

Up Next

• Scranton returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 21, visiting Catholic University at 2:00 p.m.