Steve Finkernagel

WILKES MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MISERICORDIA

1/31/2012 9:00:00 AM

(Complete Game Notes)

WILKES MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MISERICORDIA

Wilkes Colonels (13-5, 6-2) vs. Misericordia Cougars (13-6, 5-3)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - 8:00 p.m.
Dallas, Pa. / Anderson Center

Live Stats:

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

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes is looking to snap a two-game losing streak and earn the programs' 800th victory as they travel to Dallas, Pa. to take on local rival Misericordia University in Freedom Conference action Wednesday. In the first meeting of the year on Nov. 30, Wilkes posted a 78-50 victory in the Marts Center.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite being up nine points with just under a minute left in regulation, Wilkes University was unable to hang on to the lead dropping a 95-85 decision at Delaware Valley behind Nathan Bollinger's school record 50 points in Freedom play Saturday afternoon.

The Colonels led 72-63 with :52 left in regulation following two free throws from Jeremy Hartman (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional). Delaware Valley cashed in on five of six free tosses in the next two possessions to cut the Wilkes lead to 72-65 with :32 ticks on the clock. Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) would make one of two from the line followed by one free throw from the Aggies to keep the score 73-68 with :24 left.

After Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) made two charity tosses, Bollinger drilled a deep three-pointer as Del Val trailed 75-71 with :16 on the clock. One of two free throws from Wilson extended the Wilkes advantage to five at 76-71, but Bollinger kept his historic day going when he was fouled shooting a three-pointer with eight seconds left. He made all three free throws to make the score 76-74 Wilkes setting up the final possessions.

Del Val fouled to stop the clock and Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) made one of two free throws to leave the door open for an Aggie comeback. From there, Bollinger took an inbound pass with two seconds remaining and dribbled to the top of the key letting a 30-footer go that found the bottom of the net to send the game into overtime tied at 77.

Del Val rode the momentum of the game-tying shot into the extra frame scoring the first two buckets. Bollinger canned his six trey to put the Aggies up 82-77 with 4:18 left in the extra stanza. Wilkes answered and cut the lead to two following a Wilson layup, but Bollinger cashed in on his 50th point on a jumper with :58 left and an Aggie three-pointer on their next possession sealed the Freedom victory.

The teams traded baskets throughout the first half as the game went into the half tied at 31 apiece. The overtime period proved to be the difference as Del Val outscored Wilkes 18-8 in the extra frame.

Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) led Wilkes with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) followed with 18 tallies and five boards while Breznitsky chipped in 13 points and a game-high eight assists. Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) (12 points) and Hartman (11 points) rounded out the Colonels in double figures.

Bollinger enjoyed the finest day in Del Val history finishing with 50 points on 15-for-26 shooting including a 6-for-13 performance from behind the arc and 14-for-16 from the foul line. Jeremy Beckett provided a hand finishing with 24 points and six 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 15.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 45.8 percent (93-203) from the field and 80.6 percent (58-72) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 29.0 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 62.3 percent (91-146) from the field (1st in Freedom).

His best game in a Wilkes uniform this season came in the Colonels victory at Manhattanville. He poured in a season-high 24 points on 7-for-7 shooting from the field and 10-for-12 from the foul line. Hinze also netted 22 points in a win at Penn College going 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 on Jan. 11. He currently stands with 852 career points.

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 continues to fill the stat sheet averaging 15.1 ppg and 7.7 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in 15 of 18 contests this season recording three double-doubles. Huch went for a career-high 29 points in the Colonels win at Marywood shooting 13-for-16 from the field. In the Colonels overtime loss Saturday, Huch finished with 21 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

MULLINS FOR MAYOR
Mullins averages 15.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg leading the Colonels backcourt. Mullins has enjoyed several outstanding performances this year starting in a 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 39.6 percent (36-91) from three-point range including a career-high nine three-pointers at King's (9-for-16). Mullins went for a career-high 30 points on 10-for-18 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out two assists in the win over King's. For his play Mullins was named Freedom Conference Player of the Week.

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 averaging 10.9 ppg and 2.5 apg in 25.4 mpg reaching double figures in ten of 17 contests.

BACKCOURT RESERVES
Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) saw his minutes increase as last a spark off the pine this year averaging 7.9 ppg, hitting on 41.1 percent (23-56) 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 1.4 ppg in 8.8 mpg, while Richardson averages 3.3 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 2.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 12.3 mpg. Hartman has started nine times averaging 3.6 ppg in 14.7 mpg hitting for a career-high 11 points in the loss at Del Val.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 359-157 (.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. Wilkes is 7-1 at home this year with wins over PSU Hazleton, Baptist Bible, Misericordia University, PSU Wilkes-Barre, Delaware Valley, FDU-Florham, and Lebanon Valley.

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