SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Deona Garcia (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) opened the scoring with a bucket from beyond the arc as the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team never lost the lead in the 51-44 victory over Wilkes University on day two of the Puerto Rico Classic on Tuesday. The Wolves improved to 4-7 overall, while the Colonels dropped to 3-7 on the season. Leanna Heitmann (East Syracuse, N.Y.) put up eight points, 11 rebounds, five assists a block and a steal, while Sara Macary (Naugatuck, Conn.) added nine points, four rebounds and an assist.

Fatmata Barrie (Staten Island, N.Y.) forced a turnover 40 seconds into the opening quarter to set up Garcia's three-point shot off the assist from Heitmann with 9:03 on the clock. Wilkes responded with a two-point basket, but Barrie pulled up for a jumper in the paint to maintain a three-point lead. The teams traded basket before Regan Holden knotted the game at eight off a made free throw, but back-to-back buckets by Macary gave WestConn a 12-8 edge. Wilkes cut the deficit to within three to close out the first period as the Wolves held the 15-12 lead.

WestConn opened the second with a 9-0 run with jumpers from Cameron Froehlich (Brookfield, Conn.) and Gianna Castellano (East Haven, Conn.) and a three-pointer by Niyama Adadevoh (Amherst, Mass) through five and a half minutes of action. Two consecutive baskets by Wilkes narrowed the gap to eight before Barrie's two-pointer padded the lead to 10.

In the third quarter, the Colonels shortened the deficit to within two but a three-pointer by Macary kept the offense hot for the Wolves. WestConn closed out the third with a 11-9 scoring edge for a 42-34 lead going into the final period. The teams traded baskets in the fourth but Heitmann's jumper in the paint gave the Wolves it's largest lead of the night with 11 to keep a 51-40 lead with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Wilkes closed out the game with four straight points.

WestConn returns to the States to face Little East Conference opponent UMass Boston on the road on Tuesday, January 6 at 1 p.m.