SCRANTON, Pa. -- It had been five years since The University of Scranton and Wilkes University met in a men's basketball game. It took a little more than a half for the Royals to take control en route to a 71-53 victory on Monday evening in the opening game of the Cross County Challenge at Marywood University's Insalaco Arena.

Scranton was led by junior guard Travis Farrell (Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy), who scored 15 points and handed out five assists. Freshman guard Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and senior forward Matt Swaback (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) added 10 points as the Royals improved to 7-4 overall.

The Royals used hot shooting in the second half to pull away after taking a 31-27 lead at the break. Scranton shot 53.6 percent (15-for-28) after the break, including six of 10 from 3-point range. Nine players scored for the Royals, who also received nine points from sophomore guard Tommy Morgan (Greenlawn, N.Y./Chaminade) and eight points and six rebounds from senior center Nick Jaskula (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown), who made his first career start.

Scranton shot 48.2 percent from the field (27-for-56) and connected on half of their 18 3-point attempts. They also enjoyed a 36-31 advantage on the glass despite giving away some size in the paint.

While the offensive balance stands out in the box score, it was Scranton's work on the defensive end that led to the runaway victory. The Royals, who have now won three straight, held the Colonels (6-3) to just 35.7 percent shooting (20-for-56) for the game. Wilkes entered the contest shooting 41 percent from 3-point range, but connected on just one of nine attempts from beyond the arc.

The Royals also scored 11 points off 13 Wilkes turnovers, which included 10 steals by Scranton.

The game was the first matchup between the two schools since Scranton left the Freedom Conference to join the Landmark Conference for the 2007-08 academic year. With the win, Scranton improves to 74-35 in the all-time series against Wilkes, which dates back to the 1948-49 season.

Scranton returns to action Tuesday night when it faces King's College at 8 p.m. in the second day of action in the Cross County Challenge at Marywood University.

--ROYALS--