Steve Finkernagel

WILKES MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. DELAWARE VALLEY

1/10/2012 9:44:00 AM

(Complete Game Notes)

WILKES MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. DELAWARE VALLEY

Wilkes Colonels (9-3, 2-0) vs. Delaware Valley Aggies (2-9, 0-2)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - 8:00 P.M.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Marts Center

Live Stats

Live Audio (ESPNWilliamsport.com / Play-By-Play: Trevor Turner)

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes continues its home stretch of 2012 with a Freedom matchup against defending conference champion Delaware Valley at 8:00 p.m. in the Marts Center. Wilkes enters the game on a three-game win streak following an easy 74-46 victory against Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Saturday to close out its non-league slate. Delaware Valley took both games of the home/away series last season as well as posting a thrilling 69-66 win in the Freedom semifinals in Doylestown.

LAST TIME OUT
Senior Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) scored a game-high 21 points and junior Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) came off the bench to add 18 more tallies as Wilkes University cruised to a 74-46 win over visiting Penn State Wilkes-Barre in non-league action Saturday afternoon at the Marts Center.

The two teams traded baskets in the early going as Wilkes took a slim four-point lead after a Breznitsky three-pointer with 12:40 on the first half clock. After the Mountain Lions took their first lead of the game late in the first frame, Mullins connected on two of three free throws and Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) flexed his muscle down low to put the Colonels up 24-17 with 4:19 left until the break. Another Mullins' jumper followed by two more charity tosses from the senior sharpshooter setup Wilkes' final possession of the half. Breznitsky took a Hinze pass at the top of the key and buried a three-pointer while also being fouled on the play. The junior calmly sank the free throw to complete the four-point play as Wilkes led 36-24 at the half.

The second half was all Wilkes as the Colonels found their rhythm offensively hitting four of their six three-point attempts and 10-of-14 free throws outscoring PSU Wilkes-Barre 38-22 in the stanza. The lead grew to as many as 22 after two Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) free throws as the Wilkes defense stiffened allowing just 31.8 percent (14-44) shooting for the Mountain Lions throughout.

Mullins was efficient on the floor finishing 7-for-16 from the field and 7-for-9 from the charity stripe. He also added five rebounds and four assists. Breznitsky reached a season-high on the afternoon in just 16 minutes of action not missing a shot all game. He went 5-for-5 from the field including a season-high five three pointers. Hinze joined Mullins and Breznitsky in double figures finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds.

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 backcourt attack averaging 16.3 ppg (5th in the Freedom) and 3.8 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 46.6 percent (62-133) from the field and 85.7 percent (48-56) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 29.2 ppg and 14.9 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 60.0 percent (57-95) from the field (1st in Freedom).

His best game in a Wilkes uniform this season came in the Colonels easy victory at Penn College. Hinze poured in 22 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and a season-high 12-for-14 from the charity stripe. He also flexed his muscle on the glass finishing with 12 rebounds and one block for his third double-double of the year.

HUCH INSIDE AND OUT
At 6-5, Huch is a matchup nightmare 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 16.1 ppg (6th in Freedom) and 7.6 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in 10 of 12 contests this season recording two double-doubles. Huch went for a career-high 29 points in the Colonels win at Marywood shooting 13-for-16 from the field.

MULLINS FOR MAYOR
Mullins, the Freedom's fifth leading scorer, averages 16.3 ppg and 3.8 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 and a 23-point outpour at Marywood making 7-of-10 from behind the arc including his first four. Mullins is shooting 38.3 percent (23-60) from three-point range including a career-high seven three-pointers at Marywood (7-for-10). Mullins went for a game-high 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists in the win over PSU Wilkes-Barre.

ROOKIE TAKEOVER
Wilson, who earned Freedom Player of the Week in early December, 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 11.0 ppg and 2.8 apg in 25.8 mpg reaching double figures in seven of 12 contests.

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 8.3 ppg, hitting on 43.2 percent (16-37) of his three-point attempts. Breznitsky went for a season-high 18 tallies against PSU Wilkes-Barre on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting from behind the arc. Fellow guards junior Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) and sophomore Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt as Thomas averages 1.6 ppg in 9.7 mpg, while Richardson averages 3.7 mpg.

THE FRESHMEN
The Colonels feature six 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), and Lee Strause (Port Carbon, PA/Pottsville Nativity). Hinkel has six starts under his belt averaging 3.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg in 15.3 mpg. Hartman has started three times averaging 2.1 ppg in 9.6 mpg.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 355-155 (.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.

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF MARTS
The Colonels have been very successful playing at home under Rickrode, putting together a 206-52 (.798) 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 5-0 at home this year with wins over PSU Hazleton, Baptist Bible, Misericordia University, PSU Wilkes-Barre, and Lebanon Valley.

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