The Misericordia University football team suffered their first MAC loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion, losing 36-35 in overtime to Wilkes despite Sam Gillison's three touchdown effort, Saturday at Mangelsdorf Field.
 
Gillison tied the school single-game record for TD receptions and had 176 yards on seven catches while Michael Gawlik ran for 121 yards on 20 carries and a score.
 
Brady Williams was 21-44 with 250 yards passing, three touchdowns and two interceptions and added a rushing touchdown in the loss.
 
Tavion Rogers led the defense with 13 tackles while Damian Diaz and Nick Yeager contributed with an interception each.
 
After going down 14-0 early in the game, Yeager's interception set up the Cougars on Wilkes' 47-yard line.   Williams found Gillison on the first play of the drive for a 47-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field with :32 seconds left in the first quarter.
 
Williams found Gillison again down the field on the Cougars very next drive as he leaped over two defenders to make a terrific grab for a 38-yard gain to the Colonels' 21-yard line.
 
After an offensive pass interference penalty, the Cougars faced first-and-25 from the Colonels' 36-yard line and eventually faced third-and-17 when Williams hit Gillison again on the right sideline for a 25-yard gain to the three-yard line.
 
Williams ran for a three-yard score on the next play to pull the Cougars even 14-14 with 9:50 left in the second quarter.
 
The Cougars trailed 20-14 at half, but Williams led a strong eight-play drive to open the second half that ended with a 10-yad TD run by Gawlik to give the Cougars their first lead, 21-20, with 11:23 left in the third quarter.
 
The drive began with three first downs on three consecutive plays. B. Williams hit receiver Isaiah Williams for a 13-yard gain which was followed by a 12-yard run by B. Williams. Gawlik rushed for 13 yards on the third play of the drive.
 
After a Colonels' touchdown and field goal, the Cougars trailed 29-21 with 7:26 to play.
 
On fourth-and-8 from the Colonels' 43-yard line, B. Williams found Gillison yet again at the five-yard line where he shook a tackle and got into the end zone for the score to cap a :59 drive.
 
B. Williams hit I. Williams for the two-point conversion to tie the score, 29-29, with 1:19 to go.
 
Zach Orzell and Diaz wrapped up the Colonels running back to force a punt and MU's Hail Mary pass was unsuccessful to force OT.
It took the Cougars just four plays to score in overtime as B. Williams hit Gillison in the back right corner of the end zone for six.
 
The PAT failed and Wilkes scored converted a fourth-and-12 on their ensuing drive for the game-tying TD.   The Colonels' secured the 36-35 win with a PAT just inside the right upright.
 
The Cougars are 4-2 overall and 4-1 in MAC play and will head to Lycoming, Saturday.