Men's Basketball 12/3/2014 8:54:00 AM

Wilkes Basketball Teams Open Up Freedom Conference Play at Eastern

Wilkes Basketball Teams Open Up Freedom Conference Play at Eastern

ST. DAVIDS, PA -- The Wilkes University men's and women's basketball teams will travel to Eastern University on Wednesday evening for their first Freedom Conference games of the 2014-15 season.

The women's game will tip at 6:00 p.m. followed by the men's game at 8:00 p.m. Live stats, live audio and live video will be available for both games at the links below.

Live Stats

Live Audio

Live Video

The Wilkes men (4-1, 0-0 Freedom) are off to a fast start under first-year head coach Izzi Metz. There only defeat so far is an opening season one point loss (76-75) to Richard Stockton. In their last game before the Thanksgiving break the Colonels defeated Elizabethtown 69-60 in the Marts Center.

Last year the Colonels won a thrilling 72-71 contest against Eastern at home before losing on the road 86-67. This season Wilkes is averaging 76.7 points on offense while allowing opponents to score 68.4 points per-game. The Colonels are shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three-point range. Wilkes allows opponents to shoot 43.2 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from distance.

The Colonels are led by sharp-shooting guard combo Alec Wizar (Lebanon, PA/Annville Cleona) and Steve Stravinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston). Wizar leads the team with 17.6 points scored per-game while Stravinski is averaging 17.2 points per-game. Stravinski leads the team with 18 three-pointers and 7.8 rebounds per-game. Freshman Zachary Brunner (Mechanicsburg, PA/Mechanicsburg) is putting together a nice start to his college career averaging 12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per-game. Brunner is shooting an impressive 64.3 percent from the field.

Eastern was slated to finish fourth in the Freedom Conference according to preseason poll released in October. The Eagles are 2-3 after losing their last game to Lancaster Bible 69-64 at home. Eastern is averaging 67.0 points per-game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from deep.

Defensively the Eagles are allowing their opposition to score 73.6 points per-game while allowing teams to shoot 45.8 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from distance. Eastern has struggled on the boards allowing opponents to grab 40.4 rebounds per-game while only bringing down 29.6 rebounds as a squad.

Shaquan Turk leads Eastern on offense averaging 14.4 points per-game to go along with 3.6 boards. Malcolm Garrison is second on the team with 13.0 points per-contest while pulling down 3.2 boards. Tarek Hamzeh is the third player to average double-figure scoring at 10.0 points per-game. Hamzeh leads the team with 10 three-pointers made.

The Lady Colonels (3-1, 0-0 Freedom) are looking to start 1-0 in conference play for the first time in over ten years while also snapping a nine game losing streak at the hands of the Eagles. Wilkes defeated Albertus Magnus 82-79 in a non-conference tilt at the Scotty Wood Tournament held at Muhlenberg last week. Offensively the Lady Colonels are averaging 72.3 points while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. They have made 38.6 percent (17-44) on three-point attempts but have struggled at the line making just 46.8 percent of their foul shots. Defensively they are limiting their opponents to 61.3 points a contest while allowing teams to shoot just 36.8 percent from the field. They have forced their opponents into 24.3 turnovers per-game.

Senior Elena Stambone (Jessup, PA/Valley View) leads the offense with 19.5 points per-game. Stambone has made 10 three-pointers on the season and is shooting 48.4 percent from the field. Chelsea Brown (Garnet Valley, PA/Garnet Valley) has filled the stat sheet through the first four games of the season. Brown has scored 11.3 points and grabbed 4.8 rebounds while dishing out 1.8 assists per-game. Ellen Rich (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall) leads the Lady Colonels on the glass pulling down 8.5 rebounds per-game while topping the squad with eight blocked shots on defense.

The Eastern women (5-1, 0-0 Freedom) are slated to finish second in the Freedom Conference and enter tonight's game having won three in a row. Eastern is averaging 79.5 points on offense and only allowing 59.3 points on defense. Meghan Nowak leads the team with 18.3 points and is second on the squad with 8.2 rebounds per-game. Emily Lavin is second on the team with 14.4 points per-game and first in rebounding at 9.3 caroms a contest. Lavin is shooting 69.8 percent from the field and leads the team with 17 blocks on defense. Gina DiDomenico is the third leading scorer at 12.6 points per-game. DiDomenico leads the team with 12 treys and is tied for the team lead in assists with 16.

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Players Mentioned

#33 Chelsea Brown: G/F; 5' 10"; Senior

#43 Ellen Rich: C; 6' 3"; Senior

#10 Elena Stambone: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#20 Steve Stravinski: G/F; 6' 3"; Junior

#11 Alec Wizar: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#33 Zach Brunner: F; 6' 4"; First Year

Players Mentioned

#33 Chelsea Brown
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G/F

#43 Ellen Rich
: 6' 3"; Senior
: C

#10 Elena Stambone
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#20 Steve Stravinski
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G/F

#11 Alec Wizar
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#33 Zach Brunner
: 6' 4"; First Year
: F