Center Valley, PA (February 15, 2011) – The DeSales University men's basketball team lost for the first time in nine games and in the process wasted a chance to clinch the #1 seed in the Freedom Conference playoffs with a 72-64 loss to Wilkes University on Tuesday night in Billera Hall.

The Bulldogs (18-6, 9-4 Freedom) are now in a must-win situation on Saturday at FDU-Florham, needing a win to assure themselves the #1 seed in the post-season.  DSU could still earn the #1 spot with a loss, but would need other results across the conference schedule to fall its way for that to happen.  A win alone would clinch the top spot for the fourth consecutive year.

The win by Wilkes coupled with the Misericordia win over King's and the Delaware Valley win over Manhattanville on Tuesday means that the four playoff teams are set with DeSales currently sitting in first at 9-4 and Wilkes, Delaware Valley, and Misericordia all tied for second at 8-5.  The playoff seeding however is up in the air and will depend on Saturday's results.

Senior Brian Hunter led the Bulldogs on Tuesday, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.  Sophomore Brett Moyer totaled 12 points and handed out four assists and sophomore Brian Kerwin finished with 11 points.  Freshman Mike Coleman added eight points off the bench and freshman Paul Pammer equaled Hunter's team-high total of six boards.

Junior Paul Huch led the Colonels with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Senior Chris DeRojas finished with 15 points, junior Kendall Hinze added 14 points and eight rebounds, and junior Matt Mullins totaled 13 points in the win.

Wilkes used an early 13-0 run to take a 15-5 lead before the Bulldogs stormed back with 10 straight points to tie the game at 15 midway thru the first half.  The game was still tied at 21 at the five minute mark when DeSales out-scored the Colonels 12-4 to end the half, taking a seven-point edge into the locker room.

The Colonels came out on fire in the second, hitting four three-pointers over the first three minutes, three by Mullins, to quickly tie the game at 36.  That was the sixth tie of the game as the two teams would see the scoreboard tied 10 more times including the final time at 64-all with 3:34 to go.

Wilkes untied the game with a free throw from Bernard Edmonds on the next possession and the Bulldogs went cold from the field missing their last eight shots and committing two costly turnovers over the final three minutes giving Wilkes the win in Billera Hall.

DeSales gave the ball up 21 times on Tuesday night, marking the first time since the first two games of the season that the Bulldogs have turned the ball over 20+ times.  Wilkes shot 56.7 percent from the field in the second half, out-scoring DSU, 47-32, over the final twenty minutes.  The win is the first for Wilkes in Billera Hall since December, 2005 and also snaps a 12-game winning streak for DeSales in the season series.

DSU gets some much needed rest over the next three days before traveling to FDU-Florham on Saturday when they will get a second shot at clinching that #1 seed in the Freedom post-season.  Tip is set for 3:00 pm.