The Wilkes University men's and women's basketball teams participate in their last regular season game on Saturday, and it couldn't be more fitting that they would host cross-town rival King's College to wrap up the 2009-2010 campaign.
The men's team will not only be playing its last regular season game, but it will also be honoring three senior Colonels who have played for Wilkes for the past four years. Seniors
Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley),
Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) and
Chris Gulla (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) will be acknowledged before the contest for their contributions towards Wilkes University basketball since the 2006-07 season.
Wilkes comes into the contest with a 13-11 (4-9) record, while King's is boasting an 11-13 (7-6) mark.
Earlier in the season, Wilkes travelled to King's to take on the Monarchs, ultimately falling by a score of 67-57. Kresge had 18 points in the contest, but no other Colonel scored in double digits, as the Monarchs hit seven threes and had four players in double-figures in the game.
This Saturday Wilkes will once again be looking to Kresge for a big game, as the forward is leading the team in points scored as well as rebounds. He also has the highest three-point percentage on the squad, as he is shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Wilkes will also look to fellow senior forward
Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) to establish a solid interior presence. Gabriel is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a night.
Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) will be looked upon for an outside threat; the junior guard leads the team in three-pointers made and is averaging 12.8 points per contest.
Wilkes is averaging over 71 points per contest, while the Monarchs are scoring just under 67 points a game. Wilkes will look to establish an interior game with its forwards, and count on a solid perimeter performance to take down the Monarchs.
The Lady Colonels will look to cap of their season on a high note, as they come into the contest against the Monarchs with a 3-21 (1-12) record, while King's is an even 12-12 (7-6).
Wilkes fell to the Monarchs earlier in the year, 82-62 at King's. The Lady Colonels were led by
Lindsey Gosse (Allentown, Pa./Allen) in the matchup, as she scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the defeat.
This Saturday, Wilkes will look to keep the pressure on the Monarchs and utilize its speed and athleticism to keep King's off balance offensively. On the offensive end of the floor, the Lady Colonels will look to freshman guard/forward
Megan Kazmerski (Kingston/Holy Redeemer) to knock down shots and pressure the Monarch defense. Kazmerski comes into the game leading the Lady Colonels in scoring at 11.3 points per game, and is also pulling down 6.4 rebounds. She had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds against Eastern on Thursday.
Lyndsay Ellis (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) will also be asked to put points on the board for Wilkes. The sophomore transfer from Dallas, Pa. is averaging 7.3 points per night, and does much of the ball-handling for the Lady Colonels.
This Saturday, the Wilkes University women's basketball team is also hosting a Pink Out during its contest against King's, and all proceeds will be used for the benefit of breast cancer awareness.
The game will can be heard on Fox Sports Radio at 1340 AM in Wilkes-Barre, 1400 AM in Scranton, and 1280 AM in Berwick. The game will also be voice streamed over the Internet at www.thegame-radio.com.
Live stats for the games can be found
here.