COLONELS TRAVEL TO FREEDOM RIVAL DESALES SATURDAY

12/2/2011 10:42:00 AM

(Complete Game Notes)

COLONELS TRAVEL TO FREEDOM RIVAL DESALES SATURDAY

Wilkes Colonels (4-1, 1-0 freedom) vs. DeSales Bulldogs (2-3, 0-1 freedom)
Saturday, December 3, 2011 - 3:00 P.M.
Center Valley, PA / Billera Hall

Live Stats

Live Audio

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes takes to the road for their first away conference contest of the year as the Colonels travel to Center Valley, Pa. to face preseason favorite DeSales University. Wilkes holds a 23-20 advantage in the all-time series with the Bulldogs. The teams split the season series last year as each team won on the road. Wilkes took a 72-64 win in Billera Hall after DeSales captured an 89-57 win in the Marts Center.

LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) poured in a career-high 26 points on 12-for-16 shooting to lead host Wilkes University to a 78-50 victory over Misericordia University in both teams' Freedom Conference opener Wednesday night in the Marts Center.

Seniors Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) and Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) joined Wilson in double figures finishing with 13 points and 10 points respectively. Freshman Cameron Hinkel (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood) added eight points and four rebounds, while senior Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) contributed six points and a team-high nine boards. Sophomore Brendan Sheldon (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) had a solid effort off the Colonel bench finishing with eight points, five rebounds, and three helpers.

Wilkes shot a season-high 48.5 percent (33-68) and a blistering 41.2 percent (7-17) from beyond the arc. Although the Wilkes offense was firing on all cylinders, the Colonel defense clearly was the difference in the contest holding Misericordia to a season-low 50 points. Wilkes limited Misericordia to just 31.9 percent (15-47) shooting from the floor and 33.3 percent (5-15) from behind the arc.

The Cougars had trouble starting their offense throughout due to the Wilkes pressure defense that caused 19 Cougar miscues leading to 25 points. Wilkes also had their way inside the paint outscoring Misericordia 32-10.

THE CAPTAINS
The trio of captains for the Colonels this season are Mullins, Huch and Hinze. The top three returning scorers for Wilkes, Mullins, Huch, and Hinze are the senior leaders of this year's squad.

Mullins leads the offensive attack averaging 18.6 ppg (Tied for 1st in the Freedom) and 3.0 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 52.8 percent (28-53) from the field and 90.6 percent (29-32) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 25.2 ppg and 15.8 rpg.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Hinze enters his second year as a full-time starter in 2011-12 and has anchored a Colonels frontcourt loaded with experience and depth at all positions. Hinze topped the conference in field goal percentage (61.4 %) last season, and continues to be the premier big man in Freedom play this season shooting over 46.9 percent (15-32) from the field.

His best game in a Wilkes uniform came last year in a loss against Delaware Valley last year when he poured in a career-high 32 points and grabbed five rebounds and three assists. He went 9-of-12 from the floor and 14-of-18 from the charity stripe in the contest.

HUCH INSIDE AND OUT
At 6-5, Huch is a matchup problem for opposing defenses every night as the senior guard-forward can play on the perimeter as well as with his back to the basket. He provides productivity in three different categories for Wilkes scoring points, grabbing rebounds, and blocking shots. He's off to a hot start this season filling the stat sheet averaging 15.8 ppg and 8.8 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in all five contests this season recording two double-doubles.

MULLINS FOR MAYOR
Mullins, the Freedom's leading scorer, averages 18.6 ppg and 3.0 rpg through the Colonels hot start. Mullins had a career performance in the loss against Dickinson pouring in 26 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the floor while grabbing four rebounds in 37 minutes of action. He also found a way to get to the free throw line all night finishing 14-for-16 from the stripe. He followed that performance with a 19-point effort in the win over BBC. Mullins is shooting 52.8 percent (28-53) from the field (7th in the Freedom).

ROOKIE TAKEOVER
Wilson had a career night in the Colonels blowout win over Misericordia to start the conference campaign. The rookie point guard finished with 26 points on an efficient 12-for-16 shooting from the floor while hitting both of his three-point attempts. For the season, Wilson is the leading freshman scorer in the conference averaging 11.4 ppg and 2.5 apg in 24.6 mpg.

BACKCOURT RESERVES
Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) saw his minutes increase as last season went on, providing a spark off the bench. He continues to provide a spark off the pine this year averaging 7.2 ppg, hitting on 56.3 percent (9-16) of his three-point attempts. Fellow Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) and Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt as Thomas averages 2.2 ppg in 9.6 mpg, while Richardson averages 3.0 mpg.

THE FRESHMEN
The Colonels welcome in seven true freshmen this season, including Wilson, Hinkel, Trevor Gilliam (Powhatan, VA/Blessed Sacrament Huguenot), Mike Sharpe (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley), Jeremy Hartman (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional), Rodney Hill, and Lee Strause (Port Carbon, PA/Pottsville Nativity). Hinkel has three starts under his belt averaging 3.0 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 16.0 mpg.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 350-153 (.696) career record. He has taken the Colonels to the conference playoffs 16 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
2010-11 15-10 Freedom Playoffs
2011-12 4-1
350-153

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF MARTS
The Colonels have been very successful playing at home under Rickrode, putting together a 204-52 (.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 is 3-0 at home this year with wins over PSU Hazleton, Baptist Bible, and Misericordia University.

Print Friendly Version