Men's Basketball
Lebanon Valley 80, Wilkes 61

Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. - Anthony Trautman broke a program record with nine steals and Danny Brooks scored a career-high 21 points as Lebanon Valley cruised past Wilkes, 80-61, in a non-conference game Tuesday night.

The Dutchmen (3-1) won their third straight thanks to solid inside shooting and a tough defense that generated 16 steals, also a program record. Trautman bested Steve Horst '00's individual program record of seven steals set in 2000, while the previous team high was 15 against York in 1999.

Offensively, Brooks was outstanding on the inside, shooting 9-for-14 for 21 points with seven rebounds - all offensive - to lead four LVC scorers in double digits. Of LVC's 80 points, 54 came in the paint as Brooks and Grant Becker (13 pts, 3 asts, 3 stls) dominated in the post. Trautman added 14 to his defensive outburst, and Joe Meehan had 10 points with five helpers. LVC shot 53.8% for the game.

Wilkes' big scorer Chris DeRojas scored 18, but was held to just two points in the second half as LVC ran away with a 20-point lead after taking a 38-32 edge into the break. Tyler Breznitsky came off the bench to add 13, and Matt Mullins had 12 for the Colonels (2-2).

Wilkes led early on before the Dutchmen took control with a Brooks layup four minutes in, and they never trailed again, taking the lead to as much as eight just before the half but going in up 38-32 after Breznitsky made an acrobatic spinning layup at the buzzer.

The second half was all LVC as the Dutchmen clamped down defensively and held Wilkes to just nine buckets made. After the Colonels brought it within seven at 45-38 early in the half, LVC embarked on an 11-2 run to blow the game open, and back-to-back Meehan fastbreaks put the lead safely at 20 with 9:19 left. Wilkes never got closer than 15 down the stretch run.

LVC will be back at home Sunday to host McDaniel at 4 p.m.