Wilkes Basketball Welcomes King's for Senior Day on Saturday
WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's and men's basketball teams will square off against rival King's on senior day this Saturday at the Marts Center in a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader. The games will also be "Play4Kay" games supporting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
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
The women's team comes into this contest 3-8 in the MAC Freedom and 7-15 overall after falling on the road to Misericordia, 60-36, on Wednesday evening. The Colonels will look to protect home court after dropping a 73-59 road game to the Monarchs on January 16th.
Wilkes is led by senior Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) who is 13th in the conference in scoring (12.4 ppg) while nearly missing out on averaging a double-double with 9.8 rebounds (third) to go along with 3.5 assists (T-4th). Senior Ashley Caster (York, PA/Spring Grove) led the Colonels the other night with 13 points against the Cougars as she averages 10.1 ppg (21st) and 5.2 boards while sitting atop the MAC Freedom in field goal percentage at 52.2%. Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) averages just under double-digit points at 9.9 ppg (22nd) while shooting 40.3% from the field.
Wilkes is averaging 59.8 ppg in conference play while allowing 75.1.
King's limps in after a disappointing loss to Delaware Valley, 77-62, on Wednesday night but still holds a two-game lead on the fourth and final playoff spot with three games remaining.
The Monarchs are led by the trio of Rebecca Prociak, Mackenzie Yori and Alexis Steeber, who all rank inside the top ten in conference scoring. Prociak leads the MAC Freedom in both scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounds (10.3) while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (45.9%) and seventh in assists (3.0). Yori averages 15.2 ppg (sixth) while running the point for the Monarchs with 2.3 dimes (T-13th) and 2.4 steals (seventh) on the defensive end. The junior's offensive output stems from her hot shooting as she ranks third (37.7) in three-point percentage and seventh in field goal percentage (45.1%). Steeber, another senior, sits in eighth in conference scoring at 14.6 ppg while shooting at a 43.0% clip (10th) from the floor.
King's is second in scoring against conference foes at 70.7 ppg while allowing 69.5 to the opposition.
The men's team heads into this one with revenge on their minds after dropping an 81-53 road contest to the Monarchs last month. Wilkes grabbed a two-game lead on the fourth and final playoff by defeating Misericordia 69-54 on Wednesday.
The Colonels offense is led by the veteran group of Mark Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley), Rob Pecorelli (Huntington, NY/Harborfields), 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.
Mullins leads the Colonels in scoring at 16.1 ppg (fourth) while ranking second in the MAC Freedom in field goal percentage (55.8%), fourth in free throw percentage (83.8%) and in a tie for sixth in rebounds (7.0). Pecorelli, another junior, is sixth in scoring (15.8 ppg) while adding 6.1 rebounds (11th) and 2.2 assists (T-19th). The senior Robinson is right behind Pecorelli in scoring at 15.6 ppg while sharing the rock for 3.7 assists (third) to go along with 2.0 steals a game on the defensive end (T-2nd). Bowen has heated up since the start of conference play as he's registered double-digits points in nine of 11 MAC Freedom contests to bump his scoring average to 14.0 ppg (11th). The senior also ranks among the best of the conference in field goal percentage (54.6%) and rebounds (7.6) at third and fifth respectively.
In MAC Freedom action, Wilkes is second in the conference in scoring at 80.2 ppg while allowing 76.5.
King's has lost six straight games since defeating Wilkes in January as they fell to Delaware Valley 69-41 on Wednesday night.
The Monarchs spread the ball around as four players average between 11.3 and 9.1 ppg for the red and gold. Freshman Jake Pawliczak is having an impressive rookie season, averaging 11.3 ppg (21st), 6.7 rebounds (T-8th) and 1.1 blocks (T-6th) while leading the MAC Freedom in field goal percentage (57.5%). Sophomore guard Noah Tanner orchestrates the offense with his 3.1 assists (eighth) but can also put it in the basket as he scores 11.0 ppg. Junior Andrew Hudak is a presence on the block as he scores 9.3 ppg while pulling down 8.6 boards (third) and blocking 1.1 shots (T-6th). Junior Tyler Millan has found the scoring touch as of late with four double-digit point performances in his last five games to boost his scoring average to 9.1 ppg, thanks in part to shooting 35.5% from the beyond the arc (seventh).
The Monarchs are last in the MAC Freedom in scoring during conference play at 68.3 ppg while allowing 75.0.
