MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MANHATTANVILLE

2/3/2012 9:53:00 AM

(Complete Game Notes)

MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. MANHATTANVILLE

Wilkes Colonels (13-6, 6-3) vs. Manhattanville Valiants (10-10, 4-5)
Saturday, February 4th, 2012 - 3:00 p.m.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Marts Center

Live Stats

Live Audio: (ESPN Williamsport/Play-By-Play: Trevor Turner)

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes looks to snap a three-game losing streak and the programs' 800th victory as they host Manhattanville College in Freedom Conference action from the Marts Center on Saturday. In the first meeting of the year on Jan. 14th, Wilkes posted a 68-62 victory in Purchase, NY.

LAST TIME OUT
Steve Artzerounian led three Cougars in double figures with a game-high 21 points as host Misericordia University handed Wilkes its third straight conference defeat in a 76-61 victory Wednesday night at the Anderson Center.

Wilkes jumped out to an early 10-7 lead five minutes into the contest when Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) connected from long range. Two possessions later Brendan Sheldon (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) pushed the Colonel lead to 16-12 with 12:45 remaining when the sophomore forward made good on an old-fashioned three-point play. The Wilkes offense continued to roll as Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) drove the length of the floor for an easy layup keeping the Colonels on top 20-16 with 10:11 remaining in the half.

Misericordia would respond with two three-pointers and a jumper to take its first lead of the contest, 24-22 with 8:33 on the clock. The Cougar lead grew to seven, the largest of the half, after Jeff Slanovec drilled a trey with 6:05 left. Following a Wilkes timeout, Todd Eagles (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East) stopped the Cougar momentum with a rebound and put-back to cut the deficit to 34-29 with 5:14 left in the frame. Misericordia finished the stanza with two three pointers and another transition score to take a 43-36 lead to the break. Wilkes played most of the first frame without starting forwards Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) and Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) as Hinze was saddled with two fouls early in the half and Huch went to the bench after suffering a minor injury.

Misericordia added to its lead to begin the second frame using a 9-4 run to start the half as the Cougars led 52-40 with 15:11 on the clock. Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) kept the Colonels within striking distance at 61-53 hitting a jumper at the foul line at the 7:47 mark. An inside score from Hinze brought Wilkes to within six, 61-55 on the Colonels next possession leading to a Misericordia timeout.

A 7-0 run put the Cougars back up double digits, 68-57, with 3:20 remaining in the contest. Two costly turnovers coupled with six straight Misericordia free throws gave the Cougars the important league victory as Wilkes was unable to cut the deficit under 10 over the final two minutes.

Mullins led the way for Wilkes finishing with 17 points on 6-for-18 shooting but struggled from behind the arc shooting just 3-for-12 from long range in the contest. Hinze joined Mullins in double figures with 15 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting. Wilkes went cold shooting from the floor in the second frame finishing at 37.9 percent (25-66).

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 44.8 percent (99-221) from the field and 81.1 percent (60-74) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 28.5 ppg and 14.5 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 62.8 percent (98-156) 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 867 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 14.5 ppg and 7.7 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in 15 of 19 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 37.4 percent (43-115) 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 10.6 ppg and 2.5 apg in 25.0 mpg reaching double figures in ten of 19 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 7.7 ppg, hitting on 39.7 percent (23-58) 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 1.3 ppg in 8.4 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 2.3 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 11.9 mpg. Hartman has started ten times averaging 3.6 ppg in 15.7 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 359-158 (.694) 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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