Dan Rutecki
Frank Lauri - unauthorized use not permitted
Dan Rutecki scored 14 points but it wasn't enough as King's fell at Wilkes 59-54

King's Men Fall on the Road to Wilkes

1/28/2015 10:14:00 PM

Box Score
JANUARY 28, 2015
 
KING'S MEN FALL 59-54 TO WILKES

WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College men's basketball team went a span of 8:50 without a field goal and the host Wilkes University men's basketball team took advantage, posting a 59-54 Wednesday night in a Freedom Conference matchup in the Marts Center.

With the loss King's slipped to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in the Freedom Conference while Wilkes improved to 9-9 and 4-3 in league games.
 
Wilkes opened the game with a 14-6 run with 11:54 left on the strength of two three-pointers from Alec Wizar and four points by Tyler Jackson.  The Monarchs countered with a 10-0 run to take a 16-14 with 6:02 to go after four points from Tim O'Shea and a driving lay-up by Chris Fazzini. 

The Monarchs eventually stretched the lead to 21-17 after a traditional three-point play from Dan Rutecki and a Connor Hughes lay-up with 3:17 left in the opening stanza. 

But the Colonels countered with five straight points from Steve Stravinski to forge ahead 22-21 with 1:43 to go.  Wilkes later took a 24-23 lead on a driving lay-up by Wizar at 1:01, but Rutecki was fouled with 0:01 left in the half and converted both shots to give King's a 25-24 lead at the half.

King's cane out in the second half and used a 12-7 spurt, capped by a Rutecki bucket and foul shots to set the score at 37-31 at the 14:31 mark. But Wilkes used a 6-0 run of its own to tie the score at 37-37 with 12:29 to play after four straight points from Cameron Hinkle and a lay-up by Jeremy Hartman.

King's upped the lead to 43-37 after a Tim O'Shea driving lay-up but Wilkes answered with a 11-0 run to take a 48-43 lead after Hinkel layup and a three-pointer by Wizar with 7:18 left.

After the teams traded baskets to set the score at 52-47 with 4:29 to play, Wilkes was whistled for an intention foul on a steal and attempted lay-up by Chris Fazzini, giving the Monarchs two foul shots and possession of the ball. Fazzini made one-of-two foul shots to cut the lead to 52-48 and was then fouled on the ensuing possession and made one more to trim the Colonel lead to 52-49 with 3:39 on the clock.

But after the missed free throw, Wilkes' Zach Brunner was fouled and made both shots to push the lead to 54-49 with 3:38 left. King's looked to answer when the Monarchs pounded the ball inside to Tom Heston, who was fouled and made one-of-two shots with 3:09 remaining, bringing the Monarchs to within 54-50.

But on the next possession Hinkel was fouled and made one-of-two shots to extend the lead to 55-50 with 2:48 on the clock. King's would connect on its first field goal since the 10:05 mark, ending a 1-for-10 drought, when John Fazzini scored on a driving lay-up to narrow the gap to 55-52  left.  

But Wilkes received a huge bucket when Stravinski snared an offensive rebound and scored on a put-back to give the Colonels a 57-52 lead with 0:15 to go. King's responded quickly when Rutecki scored quickly on a lay-up with 0:12 left to bring the Monarchs within 57-54. But needing to foul, King's put Wizar on the line with 0:08 left and the Colonel junior sealed the game by making both shots.

Rutecki led King's with 14 points and five rebounds and was the lone Monarch to reach double-figures in scoring. Chris Fazzini had nine points while John Fazzini and Tim O'Shea added eight with five boards. Tom Heston posted seven points.
Wizar led Wilkes with 19 points and five three-pointers while Hinkel and Brunner added 11 and 10 points respectively.

King's shot just 34.0 (18-53) percent for the game, including s 0-9 mark from three-point range. 

The Monarchs return to the court Saturday with a 3:00 p.m. matchup at DeSales in Center Valley


 
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