Wilkes Basketball Gearing Up for Clash with Susquehanna
 
WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's and women's basketball teams prepare to hit the road, as both teams make a trip to the Orlando W. Houts Gymnasium to take on Susquehanna University. The men open the doubleheader with a 5:00 p.m. start. The women follow, tipping off against the River Hawks at 7:00 p.m.
 
Men's: Live Stats | Live Video
Women's: Live Stats | Live Video
 
Men's Preview
The Colonels were handed their third loss of the 2023-24 season on Tuesday, falling 78-75 against Drew. The team currently stands at 11-3 overall and 4-3 in the Landmark.
 
Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) leads the team in scoring averaging 16.1 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 Colonels averaging double-digits with 15.4 ppg and 13.6 ppg respectively, putting the duo fifth and ninth in the conference.
 
Fisher dominates the stat sheet for the Colonels, leading the team in rebounds (9.2 rpg, third in the conference), assists (2.8 apg, ninth in conference), and field goal percentage (.603, second in the conference).
 
The Colonel defense continues to be one of the best units in the Landmark, led by Fisher and Lesko with 1.5 and 1.2 blocks per game respectively, the third and fourth best marks in the Landmark. Joey Zvorsky (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) leads the team with 1.8 steals per game.
 
As a unit, the team ranks seventh in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.313), while also sitting third in opponent points per game (64.0 ppg allowed) and second in opponent field goal percentage (.398). They also sit third in the conference in steals with an average of 8.14 per game.
 
The team sits fourth in scoring offense (73.1 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.454), and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.313).
 
Susquehanna enters this game riding a two-game win streak, recently defeating Lycoming 70-65 at home. The River Hawks now have a 9-4 overall record and are undefeated in conference play at 6-0.
 
Susquhanna has a pair of players averaging double-digit scoring, led by Cooper Haberern (12.2 ppg). Haberern also leads the team beyond the arc with a .447 three-point shooting percentage, good for the top spot in the conference. Brandon Lavitt averages 10.9 points per game and  leads the team in assists (2.4 apg) and rebounds (7.3 rpg). This figure places the sophomore at fifth in the conference for average rebounds per game.
 
Sophomore Billy Anderson leads the team in field goal percentage (.598). Haberem places second in the conference in three point field goals per game, averaging 2.9 triples per game.
 
The River Hawks' 69.7 ppg average puts them at sixth in the conference for scoring. Their team field goal percentage (.439) and three-point percentage (.367) are fourth-best in the Landmark.
 
Defensively, Susquehanna allows the fourth-lowest opponent scoring (67.5 ppg) and holds their opponents' field goal percentage to .436; the sixth best in the conference. They allow 33.5 opponent rebounds per game, which gives them a share of the conference lead.
 
Women's Preview
The Colonels enter Friday's contest on the heels of a thrilling comeback 50-48 victory at Drew. Wilkes went on a dominant 22-5 scoring run in the fourth quarter to erase the deficit and come out of Madison with a win. They now stand at 6-8 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
 
Yamirelis Matos (Springfield, MA/Chicopee) leads the Colonels in scoring averaging 13.5 ppg, the fifth best in the conference. She is followed by Nadia Evanosky (Dallas, PA/Dallas), who is averaging 10.8 ppg and made her return from injury on Wednesday against Drew. Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) stepped up her scoring in Evanosky's absence, averaging 7.9 ppg. Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) (6.5 ppg) and Emma Stout (Bangor, PA/Bangor) (5.3 ppg) round out the top five scorers on the team.
 
Matos also leads the team in rebounds averaging 6.2 rpg, while Shober and Madison Robel (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) average 6.1 and 5.5 rpg respectively.
 
Shober continues to be a dominant defensive force under the hoop for the Colonels, leading the team and the conference with 51 blocks, good for second in the nation. She also puts up 3.6 blocks per game; averaging exactly two blocks more than the next closest player in the conference. Matos leads the team in steals averaging 3.1 per game, the second best mark in the conference.
 
Julia Marino (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) has been the best ball distributor for the Colonels, leading the team and placing third in the conference with 3.2 assists per game. She also has the third best assist-to-turnover ratio in the Landmark at 1.4.
 
Babcock has been one of the Colonels' most consistent shooters, as she holds a .483 field goal percentage. Meanwhile, Evanosky leads the team from beyond the arc with a .350 three-point percentage.
 
The Colonel defense remains one of the stronger groups in the conference, boasting the second best opponent field goal percentage (.327), the best opponent three-point field goal percentage (.219), and most blocks (6.07 bpg). They also have the fourth-most efficient defense in the conference, allowing only 61.2 ppg.
 
Wilkes sits seventh in the conference in scoring offense (56.3 ppg), field goal percentage (.351), and three-point field goal percentage (.248).
 
Susquehanna enters this game coming off of a 76-67 victory over Lycoming. They are 4-1 in the last five games, with the only loss coming to No. 5 Scranton. The River Hawks hold a 9-5 overall record and a 4-3 record in Landmark play.
 
Julia Roth leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 ppg, followed by Kaitlyn Lynch averaging 11.1 ppg. Roth also leads the team in rebounding (9.1 rpg), which puts her at second in the Landmark. She leads the conference in field goal percentage (.531).
 
Julia Pinckert leads both the team and conference in assists, averaging 3.4 per game. Grace Meehan leads the River Hawks from beyond the arc with a .438 three point percentage.
 
Susquehanna are ranked fourth in scoring offense (64.1 ppg), three point percentage (.280) and field goal percentage (.398).
 
On defense, the River Hawks rank fourth in opponent field goal percentage (.348) and sixth in opponent three point percentage (.293). The team currently places third in opponent scoring (57.6 ppg).