WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's and women's basketball teams ready for the first of two Landmark Conference contests this week, taking on the Drew University Rangers. The men's team hosts Drew on Tuesday at the Marts Center while the women's team plays at Drew on Wednesday, with a 7:00 p.m. tip off slated for both games.
 
Men's: Live Stats | Live Video
Women's: Live Stats | Live Video
 
Men's Preview
After a tough loss at Goucher last week, the Colonels responded with an emphatic defeat of Elizabethtown College on Saturday 82-63. That victory boosted them to an 11-2 overall record, with a 4-2 record in Landmark play.

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 15.2 ppg and 13.6 ppg respectively, putting the duo sixth and ninth in the conference.

Fisher dominates the stat sheet for the Colonels, leading the team in rebounds (8.8 rpg, third in the conference), assists (2.8 apg), and field goal percentage (.601, 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 1.3 blocks per game respectively, the third and fourth best marks in the Landmark. Joey Zvorsky (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) leads the team with 1.9 steals per game.

As a unit, the team ranks at the top of the conference charts in three-point field goal percentage (.281), while also sitting second in scoring defense (62.9 ppg allowed) and opponent field goal percentage (.394). They also sit third in the conference in steals with an average of 8.38 per game.

On offense, the team sits fourth in scoring offense (72.9 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.455), and sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.316).

Drew enter this game on the heels of their first loss of the season, an 88-55 defeat at the hands of Catholic, and now have an 11-1 overall record and 4-1 record in conference play.

The Rangers have five players averaging double-digit scoring, led by Andrew Turco (14.1 ppg), Papie Roberts (12.2 ppg), and Josh Kline (11.4 ppg). Roberts also leads the team in assists, averaging 2.9 apg.

Sophomore David Musial leads the team and the conference in rebounds, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, and also leads the team in field goal percentage (.551). James Anderson leads the team from beyond the arc with a .426 three point percentage. Turco leads the conference in three point field goals per game, averaging 3.2 triples per game.

The Rangers boast the top scoring offense in the conference, averaging 89.3 ppg, but have the fifth best team field goal percentage (.432) and fourth best three point percentage (.343).

Despite the fourth-best percentage, Drew leads the conference averaging 12.6 three pointers made per game, going up against the top three point defense in the Colonels.

Defensively, Drew rank ninth in scoring defense (76.5 ppg) and opponent field goal percentage (.480), and rank fourth in opponent three point percentage (.304). They also lead the conference in steals with 11.83 per game.
 
Women's Preview
The Colonels fought hard against a strong Elizabethtown team in their last game Saturday, but were ultimately bested by the Blue Jays 66-54. They now have a 5-8 overall record and a 1-5 record in Landmark play heading into Wednesday's contest at Drew.

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 11.2 ppg, but hasn't played since their contest at the University of Scranton due to injury. In Evanosky's absence, senior Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) has stepped up averaging 8.1 ppg, while Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) averages 6.8 ppg.

Matos also leads the team in rebounds averaging 6.0 rpg, while Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) and Madison Robel (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) average 5.8 and 5.6 rpg respectively.

Shober continues to be a dominant defensive force under the hoop for the Colonels, leading the team and the conference with 43 blocks, averaging 3.3 per game. Her block numbers rank seventh in the nation in both categories. Matos leads the team in steals averaging 3.3 per game, the second best mark in the conference.

Julia Marino (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) has been the best ball distributer for the Colonels, leading the team and the conference with 3.4 assists per game. She also has the second best assist-to-turnover ratio in the Landmark at 1.5.

Babcock leads the Colonels hitting over half of her shots from the field with a .506 field goal percentage, while Emma Stout (Bangor, PA/Bangor) leads the team from beyond the arc with a .333 three-point percentage

The Colonel defense remains one of the stronger groups in the conference, boasting the second best opponent field goal percentage (.335), the best opponent three-point field goal percentage (.224), and most blocks (5.62 bpg). They also have the sixth best scoring defense (61.2 ppg allowed).

Wilkes sits seventh in the conference in scoring offense (56.8 ppg), field goal percentage (.354), and three-point field goal percentage (.247).

Drew enter this game on a three-game losing streak, the last of which was a 60-49 defeat against No. 13 Catholic University. The Rangers hold a 4-9 overall record and a 2-4 record in Landmark play.

Jamie Struble leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 ppg, followed by Maddy Morgan averaging 9.9 ppg. Struble also leads the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg), while Amy Rachilla leads in assists (2.5 apg).

Struble also leads the Rangers from the field with a .450 field goal percentage, while Izzy Lalo leads from beyond the arc with a .357 three point percentage.

Drew are ranked sixth in scoring offense (58.7 ppg) and three point percentage (.247), and rank eighth in field goal percentage (.345).

On defense, the Rangers rank eighth in opponent field goal percentage (.392) and opponent three point percentage (.392), and are tied for eighth in scoring defense (63.5 ppg).