Steve Finkernagel

COLONEL CAGERS TRAVEL TO LYCOMING FOR NON-CONFERENCE ROAD TEST

12/8/2011 3:28:00 PM

(Complete Game Notes)

COLONEL CAGERS TRAVEL TO LYCOMING FOR NON-CONFERENCE ROAD TEST

Wilkes Colonels (6-1) vs. Lycoming Warriors (7-0)
Saturday, December 10, 2011 - 1:00 P.M.
Williamsport, Pa. / Lamade Gymnasium
Internet Live Audio: ESPNWilliamsport.com
Play-By-Play: Todd Bartley

Live Stats

Live Audio

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes takes to the road for their fifth non-league contest of the year and fourth road contest of the 2011-12 campaign. The Colonels are winners of five straight upending Lebanon Valley College Monday 82-74. Wilkes and Lycoming are 1-1 over the past two seasons as Lycoming grabbed a 72-71 win in the Marts Center last year while Wilkes claimed an 82-70 victory in Lamade Gymnasium in 2009-10.

LAST TIME OUT
Seniors Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) and Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) combined for 37 points and 20 rebounds each recording double-doubles to lead Wilkes University to an 82-74 non-league victory over Lebanon Valley College Monday night at the Marts Center.

The action was fast and furious in the first half as Wilkes built a 13-point halftime lead thanks to 16 first half points from Huch. The senior forward went 6-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from behind the arc in a near flawless first half offensively for the Colonels. Wilkes continued their hot shooting as of late connecting on 59.4 percent (19-32) of their first half attempts from the floor including 44.9 percent (4-9) from long range.

Wilkes kept their double-digit lead through the first eight minutes of the second frame before two straight Lebanon Valley three-pointers cut the deficit to four, 53-49 with 12:08 left in the contest. Back-to-back scores inside the paint from Huch and Hinze put the Colonels back up eight at 59-51 just two minutes later. The Flying Dutchmen would not go away that easily using a 6-0 run to bring Lebanon Valley to three, 61-58 with just under seven minutes remaining.

From there, two free throws from Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) followed by a Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) drive and score extended the Wilkes advantage back to seven, 67-60, with 4:59 left on the clock. Lebanon Valley made it interesting thanks to two Wilkes turnovers late cutting the lead to 74-72 with 1:14 left to play setting up the final few possessions. Wilkes spread the floor on offense and let Wilson go to work off the dribble where the rookie point guard would be fouled with :49 left. Wilson calmly sank both free throws to put Wilkes up 76-72. On their next possession, Lebanon Valley unintentionally stepped on the sideline out-of-bounds committing their costliest turnover of the night. Mullins hit two more free throws following a Flying Dutchmen foul to seal the non-league home win for Wilkes.

Huch finished 7-for-10 from the field including a 6-for-6 performance at the charity stripe. He added one block, two steals, and two assists to complete the box score. Hinze was equally as effective finishing with 15 points and 10 boards, including five on the offensive glass. Wilson contributed 13 points and three helpers, while Mullins continued to his double figure streak chipping in 11 points and four assists.

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 16.6 ppg (5th in the Freedom) and 3.3 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 49.3 percent (35-71) from the field and 92.3 percent (36-39) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 28.4 ppg and 15.4 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 58.5 percent (31-53) from the field (3rd in Freedom).

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 16.7 ppg (4th in Freedom) and 8.3 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in all seven contests this season recording two double-doubles.

MULLINS FOR MAYOR
Mullins, the Freedom's fifth leading scorer, averages 16.6 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 49.3 percent (35-71) from the field (10th in the Freedom).

ROOKIE TAKEOVER
Wilson, the reigning Freedom Men's Basketball Player of the Week, 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 10.9 ppg and 2.6 apg in 23.6 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 7.9 ppg, hitting on 42.9 percent (9-21) of his three-point attempts.

Fellow guards junior Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) and sophomore Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt as Thomas averages 1.6 ppg in 10.1 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 five starts under his belt averaging 2.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 16.1 mpg.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 352-153 (.697) 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 6-1
352-153

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF MARTS
The Colonels have been very successful playing at home under Rickrode, putting together a 205-52 (.797) 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 4-0 at home this year with wins over PSU Hazleton, Baptist Bible, Misericordia University, and Lebanon Valley.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Lycoming enters today's non-league contest with a perfect 7-0 overall record after posting a 71-50 victory against Juniata College on Tuesday. Sophomore forward Kevin Anthony leads the Warrior offensive attack averaging 16.1 points and 4.3 rebounds shooting 53.2 percent (41-77) from the field through the first seven games. Junior guard Anthony Martin follows with 15.0 points and 2.4 rebounds. Senior center Mike Bradley contributes 10.4 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds, while sophomore forward Michael Rudy chips in 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Lycoming averages 81.4 ppg, while yielding 68.7 ppg.

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