FEBRUARY 12, 2018
KING'S BASKETBALL TEAMS HOSTING WILKES TUESDAY NIGHT
(Men's Game will be 100th Meeting Between the Programs)
WILKES-BARRE -- With one week left in the regular-season, the King's College women's and men's basketball teams will return to the floor on Tuesday as both squads will resume their respective rivalries with cross-town foe Wilkes University.
The women's game tips off at 6:00 PM with the men to follow at 8:00 PM. Fans unable to attend can follow the games online at the following links:
Women Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/kings/wbball/
Men Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/kings/mbball/
Videos (Both Games): https://livestream.com/kingscollege
WRKC 88.5 FM: http://wrkc.kings.edu/list/current.html
King's women enter the matchup with a 14-9 overall record while standing 9-3 in the MAC Freedom Conference. The Lady Monarchs are in sole possession of second-place behind defending champion FDU-Florham in a crowded Freedom Conference race. King's owns a one-game lead over Manhattanville, DeSales, and Misericordia who are all tied for the two remaining post-season berths with identical 8-4 league records and two games remaining. A King's win would clinch a conference tournament berth for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
The Lady Monarchs come off a back-and-forth 61-56 loss at DeSales on Saturday, ending a six-game winning streak. Wilkes, meanwhile, is 4-19 on the year and in search of its first league victory after dropping each of their 12 Freedom Conference games thus far. Wilkes enters the game coming off a 87-54 loss to Misericordia on Saturday
King's won the first meeting between the teams 75-59 at the Marts Center and has been victorious in 37 of the last 40 games between the programs. Wilkes last victory came by a 52-50 score at home on February 22, 2014. King's has won seven straight games since the defeat.
Sophomore forward Rebecca Prociak tops King's with 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per-game. Junior forward Alexis Steeber adds 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds. Sophomore guard Mackenzie Yori follows with 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and a team-high 51 three-pointers while senior center Olivia Hoffman contributes 8.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a team-high 83 blocked shots. Junior guard Lindsey Dippre chips in with 5.1 points and 2.4 rebounds while making 25 three-pointers. King's averages 60.9 points while yielding 58.9 each contest.
Wilkes is led by sophomore forward Gianna Roberts with 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. Senior forward Caty McFadden follows with 9.1 points and 6.4 rebounds while making 21 three-pointers. Sophomore guard Alyssa Alfano adds 8.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists with 15 three-pointers while senior guard Emily Sofranko contributes 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. The Lady Colonels average 57.6 points and allow 78.3 points each contest.
On the men's side, King's and Wilkes will share a milestone evening together as the programs will square off for the 100th time. King's currently owns a 56-43 advantage in the series. The teams first played in 1946-47 with a two-game series when Wilkes was in their final year as Bucknell Junior College. King's, which was in its first year of existence as a college, won both games that year, 52-42 and 60-30. Currently, Wilkes has won the last five meetings. The Monarchs last win in the series was a 83-76 decision at home on February 21, 2015.
King's enters the game with a 10-13 overall record and are in fifth-place in the Freedom Conference with a 6-6 mark. The Monarchs come off a 96-68 road loss at DeSales on Saturday and were officially eliminated from post-season consideration. Wilkes, meanwhile, is 17-6 and 10-2 in league competition following a critical 86-72 victory over Misericordia on Saturday.
The Colonels can clinch first-place and home court advantage in next week's Freedom Conference Tournament with a win over the Monarchs. Wilkes defeated King's 76-64 in the Marts Center on January 20. DeSales (18-5/9-3), Eastern (13-10/8-4) and Misericordia (13-10/8-4) are all jostling for post-season seeding.
The Monarchs are led by senior guard Connor Callejas who is averaging 17.9 points with 2.1 assists and a team-high 65 three pointers. Senior forward Chris Fazzini follows with 12.4 points and 6.0 rebounds while sophomore guard Tyler Millan adds 9.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 39 three-pointers. Freshman guard Noah Tanner adds 9.3 points and 2.4 assists while sophomore guard Joshua Bailey contributes 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 23 three-pointers. Junior guard Lenny Radziak chips in with 6.5 points and 25 three-pointers. The Monarchs average 80.0 points while allowing 84.1 each contest.
Wilkes is paced by Marcus Robinson who averages 14.7 points with 5.5 rebounds and 59 three-pointers. Rob Pecorelli follows with 14.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists with 47 three-pointers. Mark Mullins adds 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while Connor Evans contributes 10.4 points and 2.5 assists. Zach Brunner chips in with 9.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. The Colonels average 75.8 points while allowing 69.0 each contest.
King's teams will return to the court Saturday with a home doubleheader against FDU-Florham. The women's game tips off at 1PM with the men to follow at 3PM. The King's Men's Basketball Alumni Game will also be held Saturday at 10:00 AM.
