Box Score

Balanced Attack Helps King's Past Wilkes

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. – Freshman Dan Rutecki lead five King's players in double-figure scoring to help King's knock off crosstown rival Wilkes 67-60 Wednesday night at Scandlon Gymnasium in Freedom Conference action.

The Monarchs improved their record to 10-6 overall and 3-2 in league play while the Colonels dropped to 6-9 overall and 1-4 in league play.

King's held a 34-26 lead at the half and came out of the break hot with an 11-0 run with Rutecki scoring seven of them pushing the Monarch lead to 45-26 with 16:08 to play. Steve Stravinski hit a 3-pointer for Wilkes to stop the run. After a Nate Oliver free throw Nic Wilkins scored an old school 3-point play to cut the lead to 49-32. The Monarchs made three free throws to build their largest lead of the night 52-32 with 13:04 on the clock.

The Colonels rallied back using nine points from Stravinski, including a pair of triples, and four points each from Pat Furst and Alec Wizar to go on a 17-0 run to cut the King's lead to just three, 52-49, with 8:01 remaining.

After a Monarch timeout, Tom Heston drew a foul underneath and made both shots from the charity stripe. Rutecki split a pair from the line and Joe Caffrey tallied an old-fashioned 3-point play to push the lead back to 59-49 with 5:38 to play.

King's held off the last gasp by the Colonels with the lead shrinking to six, 63-57 with 1:14 to play, but Caffrey and Oliver netted four free throws to close the door in the final minute.

In the first half King's jumped out to an 8-2 lead out of the gate with Alex Cardoza scoring the Monarchs first four points with Rutecki and Heston adding layups. Wilkes answered back with an 8-2 spurt of its own to tie the game 10-10 at the 13:17 mark. Steve Blish sandwiched five points around a Stravinski layup to give the Colonels their first lead of the half 17-10 with 11:29 in the half.

Trailing by eight, 20-12, at 9:57 in the first King's rallied with a 17-2 run capped by a Kyle Hammonds trey putting the Monarchs ahead 29-22 with 3:19 left in the first half. The teams traded baskets to close out the first with King's holding a 34-26 edge at the break.

Rutecki posted 14 points as well as six rebounds and three assists. Hammonds tallied 12 points, six boards and three helpers. Caffrey notched 11 points, a team-high five assists and four rebounds. Heston stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points eight rebounds four helpers and two steals. Oliver finished with 10 points.

For Wilkes Stravinski led all scorers with 19 points and seven boards. Wizar added 18 points, six rebounds and two assists.

The Monarchs continue Freedom Conference play on Saturday when they travel to Manhattanville for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.