Wilkes Basketball Closes Out Regular Season at FDU-Florham on Saturday
WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's and men's basketball teams will travel to Madison, N.J. on Saturday afternoon for a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader against the FDU-Florham Devils.
The women tip-off at 1:00 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 3:00 p.m. Live links are provided below for fans who are unable to attend the contests.
Live Stats – (women)
Live Stats – (men)
Video
This game will mark the end of the season for the women's team as they were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to Delaware Valley, 83-71, on Wednesday night. The Colonels have already doubled their win total from a year ago as they sit at 8-16 overall and 4-9 in the MAC Freedom. They'll look to close out this campaign by sweeping the season series versus the Devils after beating them 83-78 on January 18th in the Marts Center.
This is the final collegiate game for senior Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross), Wilkes' leading scorer, who averages 13.0 ppg (13th) and is coming off a 17 point, nine rebound night against Delaware Valley. Giordiano has a chance to finish the season averaging a double-double as she currently sits at 9.9 rebounds a game (third). This is also the final game in a Colonels uniform for Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) who has had a nice season after recovering from an injury that costed her all of 2017-2018. The senior ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage (50.3%) while averaging 9.7 ppg (22nd) and 4.8 rebounds for the navy and gold. Sophomore Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) will look to close out a breakthrough sophomore season on a high note as she averages 10.1 ppg (21st) on 39.6% shooting from the floor.
Wilkes is averaging 65.8 ppg for the season while allowing 74.3 ppg on the defensive end.
The FDU-Florham women come into this contest at 8-16 overall and 3-10 mark in the conference. The Devils picked up a nice 76-64 victory over Manhattanville on Wednesday but fell to the Colonels at the Marts Center, 83-78, in the last meeting.
Kayla Croswell leads FDU-Florham and the MAC Freedom with 17.5 ppg and is eighth in rebounds with 7.4. Cayla Staggers is one spot ahead of Giordano at 13.1 ppg (12th) while averaging 1.5 steals on the defensive end (T-14th). Raven Dowling is also in double figures with 10.7 ppg (19th) and leads the conference in steals with 3.6 while ranking second in assists with 4.1.
The Devils are last in the conference in scoring offense at 62.1 ppg and are giving up 68.7 ppg to the opposition.
The men's team will lock up the second seed in the MAC Freedom tournament with a win after earning an important victory at Delaware Valley, 85-70, on Wednesday evening to push their win streak to five and improve their record to 17-7 (9-4 MAC Freedom). The Colonels dominated the Devils, 96-53, at home in January thanks to shooting over 50% from the floor and three-point land in that game.
The Colonels team is a veteran-laden group led in scoring by 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 is third in conference scoring at 16.4 ppg (third) after putting up a game-high 26 points versus the Aggies. The junior ranks sixth in the MAC Freedom in three-point percentage (36.1%) and is tied for 11th with 6.2 boards. Mullins registered a double-double the other night with 14 points and 10 rebounds and sits at fifth in the league with 15.8 ppg. The junior is inside the top five in field goal percentage (55.6%) and free throw percentage (84.3%) while grabbing 7.0 rebounds (T-6th). Robinson is on the heels of Mullins at 15.1 ppg while dishing out 3.8 helpers (third). The senior is the Colonels best defender and picks opponents pockets for 2.0 steals a game (second). Bowen had a nice night against the Aggies with 17 points and seven rebounds to bump his scoring average to 14.0 ppg (T-11th). The senior is a presence in the post as he snatches 7.4 boards (fifth) while shooting 54.9% from the floor (third).
In MAC Freedom action, Wilkes leads the conference in scoring at 80.2 ppg while allowing 74.0 ppg to the opposition.
The Devils are 6-18 overall and 3-10 in the conference. FDU-Florham is coming off a narrow 79-78 road defeat to Manhattanville after holding a nine-point advantage at the half.
Anthony Mitchell is the Devils leading scorer with 12.7 ppg but was held to just eight points in the last meeting. Darren Davy is right behind Mitchell at 12.2 ppg and trails Bowen in field goal percentage at 56.3%. Andy Fleurantin averages 11.4 ppg while racking up 3.0 assists (T-10th).
The Devils are seventh in scoring against conference opponents at 71.4 ppg while also ranking second last in scoring defense at 77.5 ppg.
