WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Trailing by 14 points at the half, the Elizabethtown College men's basketball team mounted a comeback in the second half of its non-conference game at Wilkes Tuesday evening. Tyler Simpkiss scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the final 20 minutes and got the Blue Jays as close as four points, but the Colonels were able to outlast E-town 69-60.

Wilkes (4-1) used a trey from Steve Stravinski and a layup from Zachary Brunner to go ahead 5-0 in the early going before Lee Eckert put Elizabethtown (1-4) on the board with a fast break bucket.

Simpkiss and Eckert made back-to-back baskets to give the Jays their first lead of the game at 6-5 with 13:49 left in the first half. Josh Eden tacked on a jumper off a dish from Matt Lane to make it 8-5. E-town held its narrow lead for a few minutes, but Wilkes grabbed it back in a hurry.

Brunner initiated an 11-0 run for the Colonels that spanned nearly five minutes before the Blue Jays would score again. Tommy James broke E-town's scoreless streak with a pair of free throws to bring EC within six at 20-14.

A couple Wilkes' threes sent their advantage into double digits, where it would remain over the final 4:58 of the first 20 minutes. Simpkiss' free throws with 1:52 to go were Elizabethtown's final points of the half as they trailed 39-25 going into the locker room.

Joe Bodnar assisted on Simpkiss' opening bucket of the second half that started a 10-0 E-town run to put them right back into the game. Simpkiss, James, and Phil Wenger all connected on baskets in the paint. Matt Lapkowicz capped off the Jays' spurt with two foul shots to cut Wilkes' lead to four, 39-35, with 16:32 showing on the clock.

E-town continued to battle, not allowing the Colonels to pull away once more. The Jays kept the game within reach over the next nine minutes, but a key and-one play seemed to halt any Elizabethtown chance. Stravinski grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on the put-back, making his layup attempt and hitting the ensuing foul shot to make it 58-48 with 7:59 left.

Lane helped E-town get it back down to eight, but they would get no closer as Wilkes held off the Jays' rally attempt.

Simpkiss finished with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and ten rebounds to lead Elizabethtown. Wenger was a point behind, scoring 15 (7-of-8 at the foul line) and adding a team-high four assists.

Brunner led three Wilkes' players in double figures with 20. Stravinski had 16 and Alec Wizar recorded ten.

The men's basketball team returns home to Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday, November 29 to host Franklin & Marshall at 3 p.m.