KING'S CAGERS HOST DESALES SATURDAY IN KEY FREEDOM DOUBLEHEADER
WILKES-BARRE – Nearly halfway through their respective Freedom Conference schedules, the King's College men's and women's basketball teams welcome DeSales University to Scandlon Gymnasium for a key conference doubleheader Saturday. The women's game is set for 1:00 p.m., with the men's tilt to follow at 3:00 p.m.
The King's College women's basketball alumni game is also set for Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
Fans can follow the action through LiveStats at the following links:
Women's game: http://www.sidearmstats.com/kings/wbball/index.htm
Men's game:
http://www.sidearmstats.com/kings/mbball/index.htm
In addition, the King's College women's lacrosse team will be collecting donations benefiting the Friends of Jaclyn foundation. The Friends of Jaclyn foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that began in 2005 to help improve the quality of life for children diagnosed with pediatric brain tumors. The foundation helps extend the child's support system by forming a unique bond by pairing the child with a college athletic team.
The Lady Monarchs (11-6) enter the contest with a 5-1 mark in Freedom play and have moved into a tie for the top spot in the conference standings with Misericordia University following a 57-52 loss at the hands of the Cougars on Wednesday. Sophomore guard Celia Rader leads the offense averaging 14.4 points (8th in Freedom) and 3.5 rebounds, shooting 38.9 percent (42-108) from behind the arc and 72.5 percent (50-69) from the charity stripe. Junior forward Paige Carlin follows with 11.0 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Katlin Michaels adds 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds, while sophomore guard Lindsay Atchison chips in 7.9 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds. Sophomore forward Molly Dahl (left) remains a steady force in the frontcourt for King's averaging 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds. Junior point guard Brittany Muscatell runs the offense posting 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. King's averages 68.1 points per-game, while yielding 64.5 points each contest.
Three-time defending Freedom champion DeSales (10-6) is tied for second in league play at 4-2, a game behind the conference leaders. The Bulldogs lead the conference in several defensive statistical categories including scoring defense (52.3 ppg), field goal percentage defense (32.4%), and three-point percentage defense (22.3%). Senior guard Lori Lidlow leads the squad averaging 15.5 points and 2.6 rebounds. Sophomore forward Colleen Simmons follows with 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds, while junior forward Cherelle Simmons adds 8.8 points and a team-best 10.3 rebounds. DeSales averages 62.5 points per-game, while allowing 52.3 points each contest.
DeSales has won the last seven meetings against King's dating back to the 2007-2008 season. Last year the Bulldogs swept the season series, taking a 72-44 decision in Center Valley before posting a 75-63 win in Wilkes-Barre.
In the men's game, King's enters with a 9-6 overall record and stands 3-3 in conference play after posting an 84-72 victory at Misericordia University on Wednesday. The Monarchs are now in a six-way tie for second place in the congested Freedom standings. King's, DeSales, Misericordia, Manhattanville, Wilkes, and Eastern all have identical 3-3 marks heading into the final game of the first half of the Freedom slate.
Senior forward Kevin Conroy leads the Monarch attack averaging 16.3 points (6th in Freedom) and 5.7 rebounds, shooting 48.8 percent (82-168) from the floor. Freshman guard Kyle Hammonds follows with 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, canning a team-high 27 three-pointers. Junior guard Nick Reisig adds 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, while sophomore guard Matt Fiorino (left) contributes 7.7 points hitting 40.6 percent (26-64) from long range.
Point guard play has been the Monarchs spark in the past five games as junior Kyle Stackhouse and senior Adam Brasky have solidified the position. Stackhouse is averaging 8.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Brasky enjoyed his finest performance as a Monarch in the win at Misericordia posting 13 points and five rebounds. King's averages 71.3 points per-game, while yielding 64.7 points each contest.
The two-time defending Freedom champion Bulldogs enter with an 11-5 overall record, 3-3 in league games after posting an 89-57 win at Wilkes University on Wednesday. Senior guard Brian Hunter leads a balanced DeSales scoring attack averaging 15.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. Sophomore forward Brett Moyer adds 15.1 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds, shooting 59.5 percent (88-148) from the field. Junior forward Bob Zanneo contributes 11.3 points with 28 three-pointers, while sophomore guard Brian Kerwin rounds out the double figure scorers posting 10.3 points with 31 treys. DeSales averages 73.0 points per-game, while allowing 64.9 points each contest.
King's owns a 23-21 record over DeSales, including three wins over the Bulldogs in Freedom Championship games in the past seven years. DeSales has taken the last three contests, posting a season sweep last year.
