JANUARY 20, 2015

KING'S-MISERICORDIA BASKETBALL TEAM SET FOR FREEDOM CONFERENCE SHOWDOWNS

Media Game Notes (PDF):      Women's Game    l    Men's Game

WILKES-BARRE — The King's College basketball teams will return to the hardwood Wednesday night as both King's teams travel to meet local rival Misericordia University in an important Freedom Conference doubleheader in the Anderson Center.

The women's game tips off to 6:00 p.m. With the men's to follow at 8:00 p.m. Ticket prices are listed at $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students.

Live Video is available for both games at the following link:
http://bit.ly/RNohJX

LiveStats are also available online at:

Women's Game:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/misericordia/wbball/

Men's Game:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/misericordia/mbball/

WRKC 88.5 FM will also broadcast the game, which fans can follow on the Internet at:
http://wrkc.kings.edu/list/current.html

King's women enter the matchup with a 5-10 overall record and a 1-3 Freedom Conference mark after a 59-57 non-league loss to Lycoming Monday night. Misericordia, meanwhile, is looking for its first win of the season as the Cougars are 0-15 overall and 0-4 in conference games.

KIng's has won four straight against the Cougars and five of the previous six contests with Misericordia's last victory coming via a 68-56 triumph on February 14, 2012 in the Anderson Center.

The Lady Monarchs have been paced offensively by sophomore guard-forward Kayla Feairheller who averages 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per-game with a team-best 25 three-pointers.  Senior forward Marissa Manning follows with 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds each contest. Sophomore point-guard Kasey Seitz adds 8.1 points with 3.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists with 20 three-pointers. Junior forward Jennifer Fabian tallies 6.7 points and 5.8 boards while freshman center Olivia Hoffman contributes 5.6 points, 7.7 boards, and a team-high 41 blocks.  Junior forward Tara Zdancewicz chips in with 5.1 points and 3.4 rebounds.  King's averaged 60.1 points per-game while yielding 69.4 each game.

The Lady Cougars are led by senior guard Lauren Smicherko with 12.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per-game. She is followed by sophomore forward Justine Seeley with 11.8 points and 9.2 boards. Senior guard Shelby Brochetti adds 11.3 points with 3.7 rebounds and a team-high 14 three-pointers.  Senior forward Sam Baro contributes 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds while freshman guard Jaclyn Hajec and junior forward Nikki Baro chip in with 4.9 and 4.8 points respectively. The Cougars average 57.2 points per-game while allowing 72.1 each contest.

King's men stand at 9-6 overall and 2-2 in Freedom play after a heartbreaking 66-63 overtime loss at Eastern on Saturday when a game-tying shot from just beyond half-court went in but game officials ruled the clock expired before the ball was released. Misericordia, meanwhile, is 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the conference after a 70-53 road win over Manhattanville on Saturday.

The Monarchs are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak to Misericordia. King's last win versus the Cougars came on a 84-72 victory in the Anderson Center on January 19, 2011.

The young Monarchs start three freshmen, one sophomore and one junior in their line-up. King's has been guided by the play of sophomore forward Dan Rutecki who leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.9 points and 7.1 boards per-game. Freshman guard Chris Fazzini follows with 11.1 points and 3.3 rebounds while freshman while freshman forward Dan Borner adds 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. Junior center Tom Hestion contributes 7.1 points and 5.7 boards while freshman guard John Fazzini has tallied 5.9 points. 3.3 assists, and 2.5 assists. Nate Oliver comes off the bench to average 5.5 points and a team-high 16 three-pointers.  King's averages 63.9 points per-game while allowing 62.7 each contest.

Leading Misericordia is Steve Ware who is posting team highs of 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per-game. Joe Busacca follows with 13.3 points, 3.4 rebids, and 2.7 assists. Griffin Sponaugle adds 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds with 26 three-pointers while Erik Kerns comes off the bench to post 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. James Hawk a 6-foot-10 center, contributes 6.5 points and 4.0 boards. Misericordia averages 64.7 points per-game while yielding 58.4.

The King's vs. Misericordia men's basketball will be a "Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers" game. "Suits & Sneakers" is a national event designed to raise awareness about the fight against cancer and the American Cancer Society by encouraging member coaches and their coaching staffs to wear sneakers with their suits at games.