Steve Finkernagel

MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. PENN STATE WILKES-BARRE

1/6/2012 2:58:00 PM

(Complete Game Notes)

MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. PENN STATE WILKES-BARRE

Wilkes Colonels (8-3) vs. PSU Wilkes-Barre Lions (5-8)
Saturday, January 7, 2012 - 3:00 P.M.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Marts Center

Live Stats

Live Audio (Play-By-Play: Trevor Turner)

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes returns home to the Marts Center and concludes its non-league slate with a matchup against Penn State Wilkes-Barre. It marks the first time the Colonels have been home since December 5th, 2011. Wilkes enters the game on a two-game win streak following an easy victory at Penn College on Thursday. This will be the first meeting ever between the two schools and the third contest for Wilkes against a Penn State branch campus this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Seniors Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) and Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) combined for 44 points and 20 rebounds as visiting Wilkes University broke open a tie game at the half by scoring 70 second half points to cruise to a 100-61 win at Penn College Thursday night in Williamsport.

Wilkes led by as many as nine points midway through the first half only to see the host Wildcats storm back outscoring the Colonels 18-6 in the paint to send the game to the half tied at 30.

It was a second half to remember for Wilkes as the Colonels offense let out all its frustrations from the first frame scoring 70 second half points on 54.5 percent (24-44) shooting from the field after connecting on just 10 first half field goals.

The scoring barrage started with a Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) three-pointer followed by four straight points from Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) to give Wilkes a 54-47 lead with 12:32 left in the contest. A quick 9-2 spurt capped off by a Huch trey pushed the lead to 65-52 with 8:32 on the clock.

From there a 14-0 run over the next three minutes put the game solidly in the Colonels hand. Three scores by Huch and a jumper from Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) helped build the large second half lead that grew to as many as 39 points late.

Huch finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, and five steals. Hinze was equally as impressive in the middle adding 22 points and 12 rebounds, his second double-double of the season. Wilson chipped in 11 points, while Breznitsky poured in 10 points off the Colonel bench. Along with the hot second half shooting,

Wilkes dominated the glass throughout outrebounding Penn College 50-38 including 20 offensive boards. Scott Fenton was one of three Wildcats in double figures finishing with a team-high 18 points in defeat. It marked the first time since a 100-84 win over Baptist Bible on November 17, 2008 that the Colonels reached the century mark in a contest.

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 (7th in the Freedom) and 3.6 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 47.0 percent (55-117) from the field and 87.2 percent (41-47) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 33.2 ppg and 15.1 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 60.2 percent (53-88) 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 a team-high 17.4 ppg (2nd in Freedom) and 8.0 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in 10 of 11 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.

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 11.5 ppg and 2.8 apg in 26.0 mpg reaching double figures in seven of 11 contests.

BACKCOURT RESERVES
Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) (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 34.4 percent (11-32) ofhis 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 1.4 ppg in 9.4 mpg, while Richardson averages 4.0 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 six starts under his belt averaging 3.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg in 15.3 mpg. Hartman has started twice averaging 2.1 ppg.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 354-155 (.695) 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 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.

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