Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Wilkes (2-1) at Lebanon Valley (2-1)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 / 7:30 p.m. 
LVC Gymnasium / Annville, PA

LIVE STATS
GoDutchmen.com 

LIVE AUDIO
ESPNWilliamsport.com

AT A GLANCE
WU follows up a 1-1 record at the Scotty Wood Tournament at Muhlenberg College with a trip to Annville for a Freedom-Commonwealth crossover matchup with Lebanon Valley on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. The Colonels defeated the Dutchmen last year at home 71-65.

LAST TIME OUT
The Colonels split a pair of games at the Scotty Wood Tournament, losing to Gallaudet 74-66 on Friday afternoon before defeating Rosemont in the consolation game on Saturday, 76-47.

WU held a 43-26 halftime lead over Gallaudet, before the Bison used a 33-3 second half run to take the 8-point victory. Jr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) went for his 2nd career double double with 20 points and 12 boards, both career-highs. Sr. G Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) added 13 points while Jr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) grabbed 10
rebounds to go along with nine points and 3 steals.

Rebounding in game two, the Colonels used a 28-8 first half run to gain a 17-point halftime advantage before going on to win by 29 points. Huch, Hinze and DeRojas each had another strong performance, combining for 45 points and a 65.5 FG% (19-29). Huch was named to the all-tournament team, averaging 11.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 4.0 apg with 4 steals, 2 blocks and a 47.6 FG% (10-21) in the two games in Allentown.

THE CAPTAINS
The trio of captains for the Colonels this season are Sr. G Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly), Jr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) and Jr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land). The leading returning scorer for Wilkes, DeRojas is also the only senior on the team.

Stepping up their leadership roles for the team this season are Huch and Hinze, who have both earned valuable playing time during their two years on campus. Starting 20 games last season, Huch was 4th on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and 3rd in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and added 35 steals and 30 blocks.

Hinze started each of the last three games for the Colonels last season and five times scored in double-figures, including a double-double (13 pts, 10 rebs) against John Jay.

THE CENTURY MARK
Already hitting the 1,000-point mark, DeRojas currently sits 182 points outside the WU top 10 with 1,145 career points. The 22 points he scored in the season opener against PSU Hazleton was his 20th career 20-point game as he went 6-15 from the floor, including 4-11 from 3-point range. He added 31 more points on 11-21 shooting this past weekend.

A pure shooter, he has hit 175-489 3FGs (35.8%) in his three-plus seasons, including 62 as a freshman.

DeRojas has a career average of 14.6 ppg with those 20 20-point games and 4 30-point games, including a career-high of 37 points last year at Lycoming and two seasons ago against Alvernia.

FROM THE FOUL LINE
In addition to being lethal from the outside, DeRojas has also been successful from the charity stripe. He's hit 224-257 career free throws, an 87.2 percentage, including a season-best 94 as a sophomore. He's gone 10-10 from the line so far this season.

ALL-AROUND THREAT
Huch has contributed a lot of ways for WU so far this season, as he's 3rd in scoring at 11.0 ppg, 2nd in rebounding with 7.7 rpg and 1st in assists (13), blocks (5) and steals (8). He also has a 50.0 FG%, going 15-30 from the floor.

Last year Huch scored in double-figures seven times, including a season-high 20 points at Misericordia, and had a 40.4 FG%. His 8 steals against FDU tied a WU record, while also collecting 5 boards, 4 blocks and 12 points. Huch also led the team in steals and blocks.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Entering his first year as a full-time starter in 2010-11, Hinze has been a force so far for WU down low, as he leads the team with 8.0 rpg and is 2nd with 13.7 ppg. He also has an incredible 69.2 FG%, going 18-26 from the floor through 3 games.

Posting his 2nd career double double with career-highs in both points (20) and rebounds (12) against Gallaudet, Hinze averaged 16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and had a 68.2 FG% (15-22) in two games at the Scotty Wood Tournament.

Playing in 50 games with 8 starts in his first two years on campus, Hinze led the Colonels in FG%, connecting on 61.5 percent (96-157) of his shots while scoring in double-figures eight times.

THE TRANSFER
After transferring from Broome C.C., Jr. G Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) began his WU career by scoring 16 points on 6-13 FGs against PSU Hazleton last Monday. After playing in eight games as a freshman at Division I
Binghamton, Mullins averaged 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game and was 1st team all-conference last season before coming to Wilkes.

In high school in New York, Mullins was a two-time all-conference performer and an all-state selection as a senior.

POST EFFICIENCY
So. C Bernard Edmonds (Exeter/Wyoming Area) has been extremely efficient through three games this season, averaging 7.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg in just 10.7 mpg and has a 62.5 FG% (10-16). Per 40 minutes of action, Edmonds is averaging 28.8 ppg and 12.5 rpg.

BACKCOURT RESERVES
So. G Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) saw his minutes increase as last season went on, starting four of the last five games and averaging 29.6 mpg over the final six. He reached season-highs in points with 8 in each of the final two games and had a season-high 6 boards in his first career start against Manhattanville.

Fellow So. G Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) started 17 games a season ago but will look to add depth as he comesoff the bench at the point this year. 2nd on the team with 54 assists in 2009-10, Breznitsky had a 1.42 assist-turnover ratio in his first season. In his first collegiate game he scored 7 points and dished out 5 assists, getting at least 5 in four of his first five games.

THE FRESHMEN
The Colonels welcome in seven freshmen this season, including Gs Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick), Matt Hayes (Wharten, NJ/Morris Hills) and Mike Boylan (Dover, NJ/Morris Knolls), and Fs Pat Furst (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks West), F Brendan Sheldon (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley), F Allen Heggs (Woolwich, NJ/Episcopal Academy) and F Aaron Wass (Gloucester, VA/Gloucester). Furst has received the most playing time in the early going, getting two starts and averaging 19.3 mpg with 11 points and 7 rebounds.

Backing him up at the 4-spot is Sheldon, who has one start and is averaging 17.7 mpg in his three games of work, scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 boards. He collected 4 assists against Gallaudet and blocked 3 shots against Rosemont.

Thomas has played in all 3 games so far this season, adding to an already talented backcourt, while Wass, Boylan, Hayes and Heggs each have received playing time.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 19th season at the helm, compiling a 331-142 (.699) career record heading into the season. He has taken the Colonels to the conference playoffs 15 times, including 10 straight from 1992-93-2001-02. He has also led Wilkes to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-95-1998-99), including four Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and one Final Four appearance. He's also a four-time NABC Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and a three-time Freedom/MAC Coach of the year.

Wilkes Under Rickrode:
1992-93 16-9 MAC Playoffs
1993-94 20-6 MAC Playoffs/ECAC South Playoffs
1994-95 25-5 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1995-96 28-2 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1996-97 20-6 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1997-98 26-5 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1998-99 25-4 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1999-00 16-9 MAC Playoffs
2000-01 23-3 Freedom Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
2001-02 15-11 Freedom Playoffs
2002-03 17-7
2003-04 18-9 Freedom Playoffs
2004-05 15-10 Freedom Playoffs
2005-06 14-10 Freedom Playoffs
2006-07 12-11
2007-08 13-12 Freedom Playoffs
2008-09 15-11 Freedom Playoffs
2009-10 13-12 
                 331-142

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF MARTS
The Colonels have been very successful playing at home under Rickrode, putting together a 191-49 (.796) record. In 1997-98, when the Colonels advanced to the Final Four, they went 17-0 and the next year went 14-0, moving on to the Elite Eight. Last season Wilkes went 6-4, including an 81-78 overtime victory over Manhattanville.