Steve Finkernagel

COLONEL MEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS LVC MONDAY IN NON-LEAGUE SHOWDOWN

12/5/2011 10:54:00 AM

(Complete Game Notes)

COLONEL MEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS LVC MONDAY IN NON-LEAGUE SHOWDOWN

Wilkes Colonels (5-1) vs. Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen (5-2)
Monday, December 5, 2011 - 7:00 P.M.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Marts Center
Internet Live Audio: ESPNWilliamsport.com
Play-By-Play: Trevor Turner

Live Stats

Live Audio

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes returns to the Marts center for their third non-league contest of the year and fourth home contest of the 2011-12 campaign. The Colonels are winners of four straight upending DeSales University 77-60 Saturday to remain perfect (2-0) in Freedom play. Wilkes and Lebanon Valley are 1-1 over the past two seasons as LVC grabbed an 80-61 win at home last year while Wilkes claimed a 71-65 victory in the Marts Center in 2009-10.

LAST TIME OUT
Senior center Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) poured in a season-high 20 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead visiting Wilkes University to a 77-60 Freedom Conference victory at DeSales University Saturday afternoon at Billera Hall.

Hinze enjoyed his best outing of 2011-12 finishing an efficient 9-for-11 from the field. Senior forward Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) was equally as impressive finishing with 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting including two three-pointers. Senior guard Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) joined Hinze and Huch in double figures with 12 points, five rebounds, and three helpers.

Junior guard Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) and sophomore forward Pat Furst (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks West) added nine points and seven points respectively off the bench.

The Colonels shot season-highs 57.7 percent (30-52) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-11) from behind the arc. They also took care of the basketball finishing with just 10 turnovers throughout.

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 17.5 ppg (3rd in the Freedom) and 3.3 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 52.5 percent (32-61) from the field and 91.2 percent (31-34) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 27.0 ppg and 14.7 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 55.8 percent (24-43) from the field.

His best game in a Wilkes uniform this season came last Saturday in the Colonels easy victory at DeSales. Hinze poured in a season-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor including a monster dunk late in the second half to seal the Wilkes' conference road win. He also flexed his muscle on the glass finishing with five rebounds and three blocks.

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 8.0 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in all six contests this season recording two double-doubles.

MULLINS FOR MAYOR
Mullins, the Freedom's third leading scorer, averages 17.5 ppg and 3.3 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 52.5 percent (32-61) 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 10.5 ppg and 2.5 apg in 23.8 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 7.5 ppg, hitting on 47.4 percent (9-19) of his three-point attempts. Fellow guards junior Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) and sophomore Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt as Thomas averages 1.8 ppg in 11.2 mpg, while Richardson averages 3.7 mpg.

THE FRESHMEN
The Colonels feature seven true freshmen this season, including Wilson, Cameron Hinkel (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood), 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 four starts under his belt averaging 3.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg in 16.3 mpg.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 351-153 (.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 5-1
351-153

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.

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