The win improves DeSales to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in Freedom Conference action. The Colonels dropped their second straight conference game to fall to 9-4 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
Wilkes led the entire second half before the Bulldogs put together their late run. The Colonels held a 49-45 lead pm a basket by Tom Kresge with 8:45 left in the game. But, that is when DeSales began their comeback.
Sedale Walton scored on a drive and Steve Kriczky hit one-of-two from the charity stripe to cut the Wilkes lead to 49-48. Kriczky then tallied a basket inside to give the Bulldogs a 50-49 lead with 6:40 remaining.
Four consecutive free throws by Phil Stricker pushed the lead to 54-49 at the 4:59 mark. Kriczky would converted a lay-up, and then came up with a steal and field goal to extend the lead to 58-49 with 3:18 left.
After Matt Gould hit a free throw for Wilkes at the 2:54 mark to make it a 58-50 game, Ed Lapinski knocked down one charity toss for the Bulldogs and Eddie Ohlson cashed in a field goal to make it 61-50 with 1:04 left and end any hopes for a Colonels comeback.
The first half featured nine lead changes and four ties before Wilkes settled for a three-point lead at intermission. The Colonels held their biggest lead of the stanza, 24-18, following a rebound and basket by Dan Adams with 7:41 left before halftime.
DeSales would answer with a 12-0 run to take their biggest lead of the half, 30-24. Kriczky started the spurt with consecutive three-pointers that tied the game at 24-24. Field goals by Stricker, Ohlson and Lapinski gave the Bulldogs a 30-24 edge with 4:01 remaining in the period.
Wilkes answered right back by scoring the final nine points of the half to head into the locker room with a 33-30 lead. After Steve Kline and Adams knocked down field goals from in close, Jeremy Kable connected on a three-pointer to put the Colonels on top, 31-30. A field goal by Adams with 30 seconds left in the period gave Wilkes their three-point halftime advantage.
Kriczky was 8-for-10 from the field, including a 5-of-7 shooting performance from three-point range, to finish with a game-high 23 points. Stricker contributed 17 tallies, while Ohlsen chipped in with 10 points and four assists.
Adams had 14 points, seven rebounds and four steals to lead three Wilkes players in twin digits. Kable contributed 11 points and Kline finished the day with 10 points and three assists.