WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's and men's basketball teams are set to begin Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play this Wednesday when they host DeSales University at the Marts Center. The women's game will start the evening at 6:00 p.m. followed by the men's contest at 8:00 p.m.

Live Stats – (women)
Live Stats – (men)
Live Video – (both games)
 
Admission:
Adults - $5
Senior Citizens - $3
Students (valid ID) - $2
 
Women's Preview:
Wilkes enters with a 2-4 overall record through its first six non-conference games of the season and are coming off a 63-58 win at home over Penn State Lehigh Valley before the Thanksgiving break. The Colonels are 2-1 at home this season.

Katelyn Kinczel (Highland Heights, OH/Mayfield) leads Wilkes and ranks 12th in the MAC Freedom with 10.7 points-per-game (ppg). She is fourth in the conference with 2.2 made three-pointers a game. Brianna Horton (Verona, NJ/Verona) is second on the team and 15th in the league at 10.0 ppg after scoring a career high 15 points in the victory over the Nittany Lions.

Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) leads the Colonels with 6.3 rebounds-per-game (rpg) which is good for 14th in the conference. Kinczel and Horton are next on the team with 5.0 and 4.7 rpg. Shober currently leads the MAC Freedom with 2.2 blocks-per-game and is third on the team in scoring at 7.7 ppg.

Julia Marino (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township) leads the conference with 5.7 assists-per-game (apg). Kendra Smith (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) leads the Colonels with 10 steals which is good for 17th in the league.

Wilkes is seventh in the MAC Freedom with a 54.2 scoring average and third defensively allowing 60.5 ppg.

DeSales is receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 after being ranked ninth in the preseason poll. DeSales comes in with a 2-3 overall record and 1-3 on the road this season. The Bulldogs suffered losses at No. 12 Scranton and No. 5 Messiah by a combined eight points.

Averi Jordan is sixth in the MAC Freedom with 16.4 ppg while Rylie Rittenhouse (14.4) and Mikaela Reese (13.0) are ninth and tenth in scoring respectively. Jordan leads the Bulldogs and is eighth in the conference with 7.8 rpg while Rittenhouse is tenth with 7.4 rpg.

Amelia Saunders is third in the MAC Freedom with 2.6 three-pointers made per-game. Maria Newsome ranks sixth with 3.6 apg.

DeSales leads the MAC Freedom with 74.2 ppg and ranks sixth allowing 61.6 ppg.

The Bulldogs have been dominant in the series against Wilkes, winning the previous 25 meetings in the live stats era dating back to 2009.

Men's Preview:
Wilkes enters the conference opener with a 2-3 overall record and are 0-1 at the Marts Center.

Drake Marshall (Gainesville, VA/Patriot) and Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) are tied for the team scoring lead and eighth in the MAC Freedom with 14.0 ppg. Matthew Davidheiser (Reading, PA/Exeter Township) is 17th in the league with 12.2 ppg. Marshall is 12th and Fisher 13th with 6.0 and 5.8 rpg respectively to lead Wilkes. Davidheirser leads the league with a .550 three-point shooting percentage as he has gone 11-for-20 on the season from deep. He is fifth with 2.2 three-pointers made per-game.

Marshall is third in the conference with 4.0 apg while Fisher ranks second with 2.2 blocks-per-game and is sixth with 1.8 steals-per-game. Sean Coller (Hershey, PA/Hershey) and Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) are second on the team with eight made threes.

Wilkes leads the MAC Freedom in scoring offense at 89.8 ppg while ranking seventh in scoring defense at 79.4 ppg.

DeSales comes in at 6-0 overall to start the 2021-22 campaign and are ranked No. 25 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25.

Dat Lambert leads the Bulldogs attack with 13.2 ppg which is ranked 11th in the MAC Freedom. Jordan Holmqvist (12.3 ppg), Elijah Eberly (10.7 ppg), and Matt Kachelries (10.0 ppg) also score in double figures. Eberly is fourth in the league with 7.8 rpg and eighth shooting .528 from the floor. Holmqvist and Lambert lead the league with 3.3 and 3.2 made three-pointers per-game. Kachelries is leading the conference with 6.2 apg.

Keba Mitchel is fifth in the MAC Freedom with 1.6 blocks-per-game and Mason Barnes is second with 2.3 steals-per-game.

DeSales is ranked fourth with 80.5 ppg and is third allowing 68.5 ppg.

The Bulldogs hold a 20-7 advantage in the series during the live stats era and have won five matchups in a row.