Entering the “Home” Stretch

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — A double helping of home cooking may be just what the Susquehanna University men’s and women’s basketball teams need as the second half of Commonwealth Conference action kicks off this week.

The Crusader women are in sole possession of third place in the conference with a 5-2 league mark (11-5 overall) while the men’s team stands two games behind the fourth and final playoff spot in the conference with a 2-5 record (8-7 overall).

Messiah will be the first visitor to O.W. Houts Gymnasium for a Wednesday night doubleheader, while Widener will provide the opposition on Saturday afternoon for the second twinbill of the week. Both schools will bring a first-place and nationally-ranked team to Selinsgrove as the Crusaders look for revenge for early-season losses.

The Messiah women (13-3 overall, 7-0 Commonwealth) are ranked 22nd in the nation according to D3hoops.com and dealt the Crusaders an 89-59 setback on November 29. Last season, the Falcons’ only loss in league play came at Houts Gymnasium by a score of 83-80 on November 30, 1999.

Meanwhile, the Pioneer men are 12-3 overall and 6-1 in the Commonwealth Conference, good enough for ninth in the D3hoops.com poll. However, Widener suffered its first league loss last week when Messiah won 87-78 at home on Wednesday night.

THE MEN’S REPORT

Trailing by 16 in the first half against Juniata on Wednesday night, the Crusaders rallied to tie the game with six minutes left. From there, a see-saw finish was culminated on a putback by sophomore guard Tim Hurd with 0.5 left to give Susquehanna a 57-55 win.

On Saturday, the Crusaders rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes to take a one-point lead, but Albright held off Susquehanna down the stretch to escape with a 54-52 victory. The Crusaders missed all six of their field-goal attempts in the final minute.

The Starters

SG Mike Witcoskie (Senior, Annville, Pa./Palmyra H.S.) — Witcoskie spearheaded a 13-2 Crusader run with 11 points in a span of 3:10 at Albright, and finished the game with a team-high 15 points. Witcoskie, who entered the week tied for the Commonwealth Conference lead in three-pointers per game (2.92), increased his season total to 41 after hitting three from long range at Albright.

PG Nick Griffiths (Freshman, Shamokin, Pa./Shamokin Area H.S.) — After being held scoreless for the first time this season in Wednesday’s win over Juniata, Griffiths tallied nine points at Albright and added a season-high seven rebounds as well as six assists. Griffiths remains second on the team in three-pointers made with 26 in 15 games, and his 43 assists and 22 steals both lead the Crusaders this season.

PF Brad Rausch (Senior, Middletown, N.J./Middletown South H.S.) — Rausch hit double figures for the second straight game with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting against Juniata. It was the eighth time this season and fourth consecutive game in which he shot 50 percent or better from the field. Rausch is on pace to set a career high for scoring average (currently at 9.4 ppg) and field-goal percentage (currently at 52.5 percent).

SF Corey Green (Junior, Roselle, N.J./Roselle Catholic H.S.) — Green posted his fourth double-double of the season at Albright with 10 points and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. He entered the week as the third-leading scorer in the Commonwealth Conference (currently at 16.5 ppg) and continues to lead the team in rebounding at 7.2 per game. Green has led the Crusaders in scoring seven times in 15 games this season.

C Zigmas Kaknevicius (Sophomore, Bethpage, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran H.S.) — With 10 points against Juniata, Kaknevicius extended his streak of scoring in double figures to four straight games — a streak that was snapped when he tallied six points at Albright. Kaknevicius ranks third on the team in free-throw percentage at 80.6 percent (25-for-31) and leads the squad in blocked shots with 12, one shy of the 13 that he recorded as a freshman.

Off the Bench

Sophomore guard Tim Hurd (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills H.S.) provided the season’s most dramatic moment when he banked home a rebound with 0.5 seconds left to give the Crusaders a 57-55 come-from-behind win over Juniata on Wednesday night. Hurd followed with six points and a career-high five rebounds in 14 minutes at Albright on Saturday, and leads the reserves with 4.3 points per game off the bench. Freshman guard Lafayette Melton (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt H.S.) connected for six points on 3-for-4 shooting at Albright and is shooting 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from the field over the last four games. Freshman center Glenn Weinrich (Ashland, Pa./North Schuylkill H.S.) provided a big lift off the Crusader bench against Juniata as he picked up two points, a team-high five rebounds and three blocked shots in 14 minutes of action.

THE WOMEN’S REPORT

The Crusaders shot just 28.8 percent in a 61-52 loss at Muhlenberg on Monday night, and fell behind 20-2 to Juniata in an important Commonwealth Conference game on Wednesday evening. However, Susquehanna outscored the Eagles 61-24 the rest of the way to cruise to a 63-44 victory.

On Saturday at Albright, the Crusaders used a 16-2 run to take control in the first half en route to a 60-40 win that featured offensive contributions from 11 different players. Susquehanna held the Lions to just 22.6 percent from the field (12-for-53), the lowest field-goal percentage by a Susquehanna opponent this season and the second straight foe held under 30 percent shooting.

The Starters

SG Alison Ream (Sophomore, Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata H.S.) — Ream missed all nine of her field-goal attempts at Muhlenberg and scored just four points, but bounced back against Juniata with 13 points and seven rebounds. Ream continues to lead the Crusaders in free-throw percentage (76.7 percent) and is tied for second on the team with 11 three-pointers. She has scored in double figures in seven of the team’s 16 games.

PG Susan Trella (Senior, Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) — Trella continues to rank second in the Commonwealth Conference in assists per game with 61 helpers in 16 games (3.8 average). Though she sprained her right ankle in Wednesday’s win over Juniata, Trella extended her streak of consecutive games to 91 and consecutive starts to 80 with four points and four assists in 22 minutes at Albright.

PF Leslie Clementoni (Senior, Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville H.S.) — Clementoni narrowly missed her fourth double-double of the season when she scored 12 points with nine rebounds against Juniata. Despite averaging just 25.5 minutes per game, Clementoni is averaging 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest.

SF Amy Harrington (Junior, Danville, Pa./Danville H.S.) — Harrington drilled a season-high five three-pointers to spark the Crusader rally against Juniata, and has made at least one three-pointer in seven straight games and 15 of 16 for the season. She has scored in double figures nine times and has maintained double figures in scoring all season. Harrington has also appeared in 67 consecutive games and started 40 straight.

C Karyn Kern (Senior, Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley H.S.) — Kern passed the 1,600-point plateau with a game-high 17 points at Albright, and with nine rebounds she moved with 26 of the career record of 1996 set from 1991 to 1995 by Megan Lytle. While she has gone four straight games without a double-double, Kern continues to rank among the Commonwealth Conference leaders in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.9 rpg).

Off the Bench

The Crusader bench played a major role at Albright as 10 substitutes combined for 21 points, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. Sophomore guard Emily Kurtz (St. Marys, Pa./St. Marys H.S.) averaged 5.0 points in three games last week and is the top scorer off the bench at 3.9 ppg. Sophomore forward Kait Gillis (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity H.S.) equaled her career high with eight points at Muhlenberg and is averaging 5.6 points over the last five games.