WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's and women's basketball teams started their seasons hot, and now prepare for their first-ever games as a part of the Landmark Conference as they take on the University of Scranton Royals. The Men's game will be contested at the Marts Center on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. while the Women travel to Scranton with a same time tip-off.
 
Men's: Live Stats | Live Video
Women's: Live Stats | Live Video
 
Admission
Adults – $5
Senior Citizens – $3
Students (with valid ID) – $2
 
Men's Preview
The Colonels are out to a 4-0 record to start the year, their only loss coming in an exhibition loss to Division I Lafayette College. Last time out, the Colonels shut down a high-scoring Marywood University team in a 75-58 victory with six players reaching double figures.

Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) leads the team with 17.0 points per game, the fourth-best mark in the Landmark Conference. Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) and Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) are the other two players averaging double-digits with 14.8 ppg and 14.3 ppg respectively, putting the duo ninth and tenth in the conference. Joey Zvorsky (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) and Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) round out the team's top scorers both averaging 9.5 ppg.

Fisher leads the team in rebounds averaging 9.3 rpg, the fourth most in the conference, followed closely by Lesko with 8.8 rpg in fifth. Fisher also leads the team with 2.8 assists per game to put him ninth in the conference, with Zvorsky twelfth averaging 2.5 apg.

Fisher continues to dominate the stat sheet with his .649 field goal percentage putting him second in the conference. Argento leads the Colonels from beyond the arc with a .438 three point percentage, while Lesko is seventh in the conference in three pointers per game with 2.3.

The Colonel defense has been especially impressive in the early part of the season, led by Lesko with 1.5 blocks per game and Zvorsky with 2.5 steals per game, marks that are the fourth best in the Landmark in their respective categories. As a whole, the team ranks at the top of the conference charts in team defense allowing only 61.5 ppg, opponent field goal percentage (.355), and defensive rebounds (31.5 drpg).

The offense has been equally as strong, sitting third in the conference averaging 76.5 ppg, third in team field goal percentage (.442), and fourth averaging eight three-pointers per game.

Scranton enter this contest on a four-game skid and sit at 1-4 on the year. They lost to Cabrini University 62-74 in their last game.

Jon Spatola and Will McLoughlin lead the Royals in scoring with 12.6 ppg and 11.8 ppg respectively.

McLoughlin leads the team with 6.5 rpg, and Tahaj Parland leads the team averaging 3.2 apg. Spatola is one of the conference's best ball poachers averaging 2.8 steals per game, just ahead of Zvorsky for third in the Landmark.
Spatola also leads the team with a .574 field goal percentage, putting him fourth in the conference, and leads the team from beyond the arc with a .529 three point percentage.

The Royals are seventh in the conference in scoring averaging 66.8 ppg and ninth in scoring defense allowing 74.4 ppg.
 
Women's Preview
Head coach Al Berger couldn't have asked for a better start to his tenure with the Colonels, sitting at 4-0 on the year following a victory over Penn State Altoona 78-62 on Monday night. This is the best start in program history since 2002-03 when the Colonels started the season 8-0.

Yamirelis Matos (Springfield, MA/Chicopee) leads the Colonels in scoring averaging 14.3 ppg, the seventh best in the conference. She is followed by Nadia Evanosky (Dallas, PA/Dallas) who is averaging 13.5 ppg to put her eighth in the Landmark. Senior Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) averages 7.5 ppg while Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) and Emma Stout (Bangor, PA/Bangor) round out the top scorers with a 5.5 ppg and 5.3 ppg average respectively.

Madison Robel (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) sits fourth in the conference averaging a team-high 8.7 rebounds per game, followed by Matos with 7.5 rpg, and Shober with 5.5 rpg. Marino is third in the conference averaging 3.8 assists per game and has the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the Landmark at 5.0.

Marino also leads the team with a .571 field goal percentage, while Stout takes top marks from beyond the arc with a .375 three point percentage.

Wilkes has the fourth best scoring offense averaging 67.5 ppg, and the fifth best scoring defense averaging 55.0 ppg. The Colonel defense, like the men's team, also tops the charts for opponent field goal percentage (.281), and defensive rebounds (33.3), and stands alone in opponent three point percentage (.189) and blocked shots (5.5 bpg).

Scranton also come into this game undefeated with a 5-0 record after defeating Stevens on Monday night 89-54, and were ranked number five in the latest D3hoops.com top 25 poll.

Kaci Kranson leads the team and sits second in the conference averaging 17.4 ppg and leads the Royals in rebounds with 6.0 rpg. Meghan Lamanna averages 9.0 ppg for Scranton, while Kaeli Romanowski and Maddy Ryan round out the top scorers with 8.8 and 7.8 ppg respectively. Jenna Sloan holds the team-high in assists with fourteen.

Kranson also leads the team in field goal percentage at .529, putting her second in the conference. Lamanna leads the team from beyond the arc averaging 1.8 three pointers per game.

Scranton have the top scoring offense and defense in the conference, putting up 78.6 ppg while only allowing 50.6 ppg. They also lead the conference in team field goal percentage at .451, and are fourth in opponent field goal percentage at .344.