Steve Finkernagel

WILKES MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MANHATTANVILLE

1/12/2012 2:23:00 PM

(Complete Game Notes)

WILKES MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MANHATTANVILLE

Wilkes Colonels (10-3, 3-0) vs. Manhattanville Valiants (7-7, 1-2)
Saturday, January 14, 2012 - 3:00 P.M.
Purchase, N.Y. / Kennedy Gym

Live Stats

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

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes looks to make it five straight wins when the Colonels travel to Purchase, N.Y. for a Freedom matchup with Manhattanville at 3:00 p.m. in Kennedy Gymnasium. Wilkes remains perfect in Freedom play with a convincing 84-59 victory against Delaware Valley on Wednesday. Wilkes holds a 5-1 series lead over the past three seasons taking both contests in 2010-11 including a 66-47 win in Purchase on February 5th.

LAST TIME OUT
Four Colonels reached double figures in a balanced scoring attack as host Wilkes University cruised to an 84-59 Freedom victory over Delaware Valley College Wednesday night at the Marts Center.

Wilkes jumped out to an early 12-4 lead after a three-pointer from Jeremy Hartman (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional) and an inside score from Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) with 14:!5 on the first half clock. The Wilkes advantage grew to 31-20 when Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) nailed a deep trey with 5:35 left in the half. After the teams traded baskets, the Colonels used two scores in the final minute of the frame to take a 37-24 halftime lead. Hinze scored on a turn-around jumper in the post and Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) broke down his defender for an easy two at the hoop to close out the first half scoring barrage.

The Colonels began the second half where they left off in the first using a 13-0 run in the first four minutes of the stanza to take a commanding 50-26 edge. Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional), Hinze, Wilson, and another three-pointer from Hartman gave Wilkes all the offense it would need in the second frame. Delaware Valley came no closer than 17 points (62-45) midway through the half as Wilkes continued to fly through Freedom play without many miscues both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Hinze led the Colonels attack with a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds. He went 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe as the Aggies had no answer for the senior post throughout. Wilson was stellar running the point in just his third conference contest finishing with 16 points (8-for-11 shooting) and three assists in 28 minutes of play. Huch added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Hartman enjoyed a career night pouring in 10 points including the two treys.

Wilkes held a decisive advantage on the glass outrebounding Delaware Valley 40-28 throughout including 13 offensive rebounds. As a team Wilkes shot a blistering 55.4 percent (36-65) from the field while holding the Aggies to just 42.9 percent (24-56) from the floor. Jeremy Beckett led Delaware Valley with 17 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. Nate Lewis added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds in the defeat.

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 15.4 ppg (7th in the Freedom) and 3.9 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 44.8 percent (64-143) from the field and 86.0 percent (49-57) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 29.5 ppg and 14.8 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 61.0 percent (64-105) 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. Hinze finished with 18 points and eight boards in the win over Del Val.

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 16.0 ppg (5th in Freedom) and 7.5 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in 11 of 13 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 seventh leading scorer, averages 15.4 ppg and 3.9 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 11.4 ppg and 2.9 apg in 25.9 mpg reaching double figures in eight of 13 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 45.0 percent (18-40) 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) and sophomore Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt as Thomas averages 1.5 ppg in 9.6 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 14.5 mpg. Hartman has started four times averaging 3.0 ppg in 10.2 mpg hitting for a career-high 10 points in the win against Del Val.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 356-155 (.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 207-52 (.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 6-0 at home this year with wins over PSU Hazleton, Baptist Bible, Misericordia University, PSU Wilkes-Barre, Delaware Valley and Lebanon Valley.

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