SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — The Susquehanna University men’s and women’s basketball teams are both off to fast starts to their respective 1999-2000 seasons as each begins MAC Commonwealth Conference play this week by hosting Messiah and Widener respectively.
The women have made the biggest news as 13th-year head coach Mark Hribar became the winningest basketball coach in school history last weekend, now sporting a 203-104 (.661) record while leading his team to back-to-back tournament championships and its first 4-0 start since 1995. The Crusaders are ranked second among squads receiving votes for the latest Division III Top 25 by D3hoops.com.
Hribar passed current Director of Athletics Don Harnum (201-153, .568, 1969-71, 1976-87, 1988-89) as Susquehanna’s winningest basketball coach last Friday while leading his team to an 82-68 win over Denison in the opening round of the Rochester Chuck Resler Invitational. Hribar’s team went on to defeat host Rochester, 76-71, for the tournament title. He also directed the team to a 71-62 win over Gwynedd-Mercy, which was ranked 18th in the preseason poll by D3hoops.com as it returned all five starters from the squad which knocked Susquehanna out of the NCAA Tournament last season, in the championship game of Susquehanna’s Varsity Club Tournament on November 22. That win enabled Hribar to tie Harnum for most basketball wins in school history. Ironically, Harnum presented Hribar the Susquehanna Tournament championship trophy following that win.
While Hribar has made historic news, senior tri-captain and post player Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) has led the team on the floor as she’s been Most Valuable Player in both tournaments, also earning the initial MAC Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week as she’s averaged a remarkable 29.3 points and 14.0 rebounds per game. Kern broke Chuck Resler Invitational records for both game and tournament scoring last weekend as she posted 37 points in the championship game win, and 69 points for the tournament. The returning NCAA Division III leader in field goal percentage, Kern is shooting 64.3 percent from the field (45 of 70) and 79.4 percent from the line (27 of 34) thus far.
As good as the start has been, both Hribar and Kern are more concerned with opening MAC Commonwealth Conference play with wins as Susquehanna plays host to Messiah (2-1) Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Widener (3-0) Saturday at 1 p.m. in its conference openers.
While the Crusader men are just 3-2 for 13th-year head coach Frank Marcinek, that’s considerably better than their 1-4 start of a year ago. That record includes a season-opening loss to Richard Stockton (45-66), which was ranked 18th in the Division III preseason poll by D3hoops.com after being an NCAA quarterfinalist last season. Rebounding and defense have been the biggest areas of improvement as Susquehanna presently has a whopping 14.0-rebound advantage per game on the boards, holding opponents to just a 64.8 points and 44.9-percent shooting from the field (128 of 285).
Senior co-captain Rob Makarewicz (Sugarloaf/Hazleton Area H.S.) is slowly returning to his second-team MAC Commonwealth All-Star form of his sophomore year, despite starting at point guard for the first time in his collegiate career. Makarewicz has made the All-Tournament Teams at both the Susquehanna Varsity Club Classic and the Rochester Chuck Resler Invitational as he’s led the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and three-pointers (10 of 24, 41.7%) through the first five games of the season.
Like the women, the men would like to start their conference slate with some wins as they host Messiah (3-1) Wednesday at 8 p.m., and preseason conference favorite Widener (2-1) Saturday at 3 p.m.
THE MEN’S REPORT
Makarewicz couldn’t seem to shake a shooting slump last season, but after a slow start in the first two games he seems to be returning to his sophomore form. He averaged 19.0 points while going 8 for 13 (61.5%) from three-point range in the two games last weekend at Rochester. In addition to his points and treys this season, he is nearly flawless from the free throw line this season — presently at 86.7 percent (13 of 15).
Junior power forward Brad Rausch (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South H.S.) got off to the team’s fastest start as he also made the All-Tournament Team in Susquehanna’s own classic. Rausch scored a career high 18 and tied his career high with 11 rebounds in the team’s first win of the season vs. Gwynedd-Mercy (62-54) on November 21. He had 14 points and 10 boards the following night in a win (80-69) over York (Pa.), and came up just one rebound shy of making it three-straight double-doubles in the opening game at Rochester last weekend — scoring 17 points with nine boards. Rausch leads the team in both rebounding (9.4 per game) and field goal percentage (51.1%, 23 of 45), and is second in scoring (11.6 ppg). Like Makarewicz, he appears to have regained his form from two seasons ago when he made the inaugural MAC Commonwealth All-Rookie Team.
Fellow junior swingman Mike Witcoskie (Annville/Palmyra H.S.) has been “instant offense” off the bench, as well as the squad’s top sharpshooter thus far. The team’s third player with a scoring average in double figures (10.0 ppg), Witcoskie leads the team from three-point range with a sizzling 47.4 percent (9 of 19). Witcoskie scored a career high 20 while going 4 for 4 from three-point range in the win over York, and had 14 points and five assists in Sunday’s 80-53 win over Hilbert in the consolation game of the Resler Invitational.
Athletic 6-4 sophomore Corey Green (Roselle, N.J./Roselle Catholic H.S.) is the starter at small forward and posted a career high 14 rebounds in the season opener vs. Richard Stockton. He is second on the team in boards this season (8.2 per game), ranking fourth in scoring (8.4 ppg).
Senior co-captain Garrett Thompson (7.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East H.S.) and 6-8 freshman Zigmas Kaknevicius (4.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg) (Lituania/Long Island Lutheran H.S.) round out the starters at small forward and center respectively.
THE WOMEN’S REPORT
In addition to her record-breaking performance in Rochester, Kern has had double-doubles in all four games this season — giving her 41 for her Susquehanna career. Kern averaged 24.0 points and shot 67.9 percent from the field (19 of 28), also averaging 14.5 rebounds in copping MVP honors at Susquehanna’s season-opening Varsity Club Tournament. She outplayed fellow Preseason All-American and senior center Michelle Costa of Gwynedd-Mercy in the championship game – posting 28 points and 18 rebounds while limiting Costa to just eight points and 13 boards. She also leads the team in steals (3.5 per game) and blocks (2.0 per game), in addition to scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.
Junior point guard Susan Trella (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) has also earned All-Tournament Team honors in both events this season. Trella tied the Chuck Resler Invitational record in assists with 17 last weekend, equaling her career high of nine in the championship game. It was the second time in the first four games that she had nine assists, also posting nine as the Crusaders cracked the 100-point plateau for the first time since 1996 with their 101-45 win over Pitt-Greensburg in the season opener. She also sealed the win over Rochester Saturday by making seven of eight free throws in the final minute. Trella obviously tops the team in assists (7.7 per game), ranking second in minutes (27.8 per game) and free throws (16 of 23, 69.9%), and third in scoring (7.8 ppg).
Sophomore small forward Amy Harrington (Danville/Danville H.S.) also was on the All-Tournament Team in Rochester as she averaged 14.5 points and canned 4 of 8 three-point attempts (50.0%). Harrington was the team’s leading scorer in the season-opener vs. Pitt-Greensburg, posting a career high 22. She is the only player besides Kern averaging in double-figures (14.5 ppg) and is the team leader in three-pointers (7 of 18, 38.9%).
Senior off guard Lisa Stack ( 6.0 ppg, 3.0 apg) (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West H.S.) and 6-1 junior post player Leslie Clementoni (6.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) (Hughesville/Hughesville H.S.), both tri-captains, round out the current starters. Six-foot junior Mandy Horner (8.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) (Spring Mills/Penns Valley Area H.S.) had been the starting power forward, but is now out with a bad ankle sprain.
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