Wilkes Basketball Hosts Manhattanville on Wednesday
WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's and women's basketball teams will play host to the Manhattanville College Valiants on Wednesday evening for a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader.
The women tip-off at 6:00 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 8:00 p.m. Live links are provided below for fans who are unable to attend the contests.
Live Stats – (women)
Live Stats – (men)
Live Video
The women's squad enters this game two games out of the final playoff spot at 3-5 in the MAC Freedom (7-12 overall) after falling to Eastern 82-68 last Saturday. Manhattanville handed Wilkes an 83-50 loss in Purchase, N.Y. on December 8th.
The Colonels top scorer is Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) who is coming off a 29 point performance her last time out. The senior is nearly averaging a double-double with 12.7 ppg (13th) and 9.7 rebounds (second) while also dishing out 3.4 dimes a game (T-5th). Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) has found her stroke recently as the sophomore has recorded double-digit points in three of her last four games to boost her average to 10.3 ppg (T-20th). Senior Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) is almost in double-digits with 9.9 ppg while shooting at an efficient 50.7%, good for second in the conference.
Manhattanville enters Wednesday's contest at 14-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference after defeating Delaware Valley 74-50 on Saturday.
The Valiants have two players inside the top ten in conference scoring in senior Kayleah McGuire and sophomore Sarah Coutu. McGuire leads the conference in both points per game (16.8) and field goal percentage (52%) while ranking seventh in rebounds with 7.2. Coutu scores 14.3 ppg (T-10th) and is tied for second in assists with 4.3 while shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc (seventh).
Manhattanville is third in the MAC Freedom at 71.9 ppg while allowing the second fewest points to the opposition (53.3 ppg).
This is also a crucial game for the men's team who enters this contest a half game out of the fourth and final playoff spot as they it at 4-4 in the MAC Freedom and 12-7 overall. The Colonels picked up a road win against the Valiants, 91-87, back on December 8th.
The Wilkes attack is led by the quartet of Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields), Mark Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley), Marcus Robinson (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) and Tommy Bowen (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin), all of whom rank inside the conference's top 11 in scoring.
Pecorelli leads the Colonels with 16.6 ppg (fourth) while hitting the glass for 6.1 rebounds (13th) and 2.6 assists. Robinson jumped up to sixth in scoring (16.1 ppg) after recording a game-high 27 points against Eastern. The senior does it all for the navy and gold as he leads the conference in made threes per game (2.9) while being second in helpers (3.9) and tied for third in steals (2.0). After a strong week for the Colonels, Mullins cracked the top ten in scoring as he sits in seventh at 15.7 ppg to go along with 6.8 rebounds (T-7th). The junior is one of the most efficient shooters in the MAC Freedom, ranking fourth in both field goal percentage (54.2%) and free throw percentage (84.0%). Bowen has turned it on since the start of conference play as he has seen his ppg jump from 8.7 to 14.1 which ranks 11th in the MAC Freedom. The senior sits inside the top five in both shooting (55.6%) and rebounds (7.3).
Wilkes is second in the conference in scoring at 80.8 ppg while allowing 75.9 ppg.
Manhattanville comes in losers of five of their last to seven games to sit at 2-6 in the MAC Freedom and 8-11 overall.
The Valiants are led by the duo of Sean Smith and JoJo Cobbs, who rank second and tenth respectively in the MAC Freedom in scoring. Smith is averaging 20.6 points while leading the conference with 9.1 boards (second). The sophomore runs the offense for the Valiants with 3.6 assists (third) while shooting at a 44.3% clip (14th). Cobbs cannot be overlooked as he averages well within double digits at 14.4 ppg while adding 2.5 helpers (19th). Sophomore Mike Granda is deadly from beyond the arc, sitting atop the conference in three point percentage (53.2%).
Manhattanville is a high scoring offense as they lead the conference in scoring at 81.3 ppg but are the only MAC Freedom team allowing over 80 points per game (84.7).
