SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — Both the Susquehanna University men’s and women’s basketball teams hope to rebound from MAC Commonwealth Conference losses to Widener Saturday, and get some momentum into the holiday break as they play their first semester conference finales Wednesday at Moravian.
The women’s tip-off is set for 6 p.m., while the men are slated for an 8 p.m. start in the games, which will be the first broadcast live by WQSU-FM (88.9 on FM dial) this season.
While the women will be through with semester Commonwealth Conference play, they will also have a key MAC crossover game at Allentown (3-2) Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be a rematch of the classic MAC quarterfinal playoff game these two played last season, eventually won by Susquehanna, 82-71, in overtime.
The Crusader women were 20th in the latest Division III rankings by D3hoops.com after starting the season 5-0 for the first time since 1994. Unfortunately, their 83-80 win over Messiah for that fifth win Tuesday was costly as senior tri-captain, post player and three-time MAC Commonwealth All-Star Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) was lost for the season, and possibly her career, with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage damage in her right knee. Kern was named Columbus Multimedia Division III Player of the Week, and made D3hoops.com’s first national Team of the Week on the same day she learned her season was officially done. Named the Most Valuable Player in Susquehanna’s two tournament titles this season, Kern had averaged 26.2 points and 13.2 rebounds while shooting 64.5 percent from the field (49 of 76) and 78.6 percent (33 of 42) from the free throw line. If she opts not to pursue an injury-waiver for an extra season of elegibility from the NCAA, Kern will finish fifth on the program’s career scoring list with 1,358 points, and fourth in career rebounds with 796.
Without Kern, and starting power forward and six-foot junior Mandy Horner (8.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) (Spring Mills/Penns Valley Area H.S.) who is out four to six weeks with cartilage damage in her left foot, Susquehanna struggled from the field in the first half of Saturday’s 72-65 loss to Widener — falling to 5-1 overall, 1-1 in the conference. The Crusaders made just seven of their 39 first half shots (17.9%) as they fell behind 36-23 at the half. The lead swelled to 16 before Susquehanna mounted a comeback to take the lead twice in the final five minutes, only to lose close in the end.
Despite the loss, 13th-year head coach Mark Hribar is hoping the momentum of Saturday’s second half comeback will carry over to Wednesday’s game at Moravian (1-4, 0-2 MAC CC). Hribar is the winningest basketball coach in school history, now at 204-105 (.660).
Thirteenth-year men’s head coach Frank Marcinek probably experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat last week. His team had its most impressive performance in an 86-60 home shelling of Messiah in its conference opener Wednesday, only to fall behind by 27 to conference preseason favorite Widener Saturday before rallying to fall by eight, 73-65. The loss made Susquehanna 4-3 overall, 1-1 in the conference.
The Crusaders can still finish first semester play above .500 both overall and in the conference with a win Wednesday at Moravian (2-3, 1-1 MAC CC). That’s significantly better than the 1-5, 1-2 start last season at this time.
THE MEN’S REPORT
Junior two-guard Mike Witcoskie (Annville/Palmyra H.S.) hasn’t just been the team’s top player off the bench — he’s simply been its top player of late, particularly at home. Witcoskie has averaged 18.3 points and gone 14 for 25 (56.0%) from three-point range in the team’s last three home games — equaling his career best with five treys in each of the last two contests. The recent scoring spree has moved Witcoskie to second on the team’s scoring list (12.1 ppg), while leading the squad in three-point percentage at 47.5 (19 of 40). He also rebounds well for his size (3.6 per game), and has done all of this while playing a little over 20 minutes per game off the bench.
Senior point guard Rob Makarewicz (Sugarloaf/Hazleton Area H.S.) had a game high 20 vs. Messiah and continues to lead the squad in scoring (14.6 ppg), although he has not shot well at home. Second to Witcoskie in three-pointer this season (15 of 39, 38.5%), Makarewicz has been almost automatic at the free throw line — making all but two of his 25 attempts (92.0%).
Junior power forward Brad Rausch (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South H.S.) posted his third home double-double (points, rebounds) in Wednesday’s win over Messiah, but never really got into the flow Saturday. Rausch had 10 points and equaled his career high with 11 rebounds for a second time this season against the Falcons. He continues to top the team in rebounding (9.1 per game) and is the third Crusader player with a double figures scoring average (10.0 ppg).
Six-foot-four sophomore small forward Corey Green (8.6 ppg) (Roselle, N.J./Roselle Catholic H.S.) was the rebounding leader Saturday with nine, to go along with 12 points and four steals. He continues to be right behind Rausch for team rebounding honors (8.4 per game), helping the Crusaders outrebound their opponents by a whopping 13 per game (42.9 to 29.9).
Senior co-captain and starting two-guard Garrett Thompson (6.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East H.S.) joins with Rausch as the defensive leaders on the team, while 6-8 freshman Zigmas Kaknevicius (4.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) (Lituania/Long Island Lutheran H.S.) round out the starters at center.
In addition to Witcoskie, junior guard John Green (7.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg) (Reading/Governor Mifflin H.S.) also had a nice week off the bench. Green averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in the two games last week.
THE WOMEN’S REPORT
Kern’s injury occured after she had already posted her fifth double-double in as many games, and 42nd of her career, with 14 points and 10 boards in just 16 minutes vs. Messiah.
Once she went down, the team’s other two tri-captains tried to step up and lead the team in fellow senior and two-guard Lisa Stack (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West H.S.) and 6-1 junior center Leslie Clementoni (Hughesville/Hughesville H.S.).
Stack (8.3 ppg) scored a career high 18 points and had some big shots and free throws in the Messiah win. She struggled from the field Saturday, although she did go 8 of 9 from the free throw line and is shooting at 79.2 percent from there (19 of 24) this season. Stack also has 17 assists (2.8 per game) and just seven turnovers thus far.
Clementoni (8.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg) will be a key figure for the Crusaders if they are going to have success before Horner’s return. She played the final nine minutes vs. Messiah with four fouls and scored four key baskets on her way to 14 points — just missing tying her career high by one point. She followed that with her first collegiate double-double Saturday, pulling down a career high 15 rebounds while scoring 11 points. Clementoni is now the leader of the active players in rebounding (6.7 per game) and is second in scoring (8.5 ppg).
Freshman small forward Emily Kurtz (7.5 ppg) (St. Mary’s/St. Mary’s H.S.) provided the spark offensively off the bench in Saturday’s comeback vs. Widener — scoring a career high 20 on 6 of 12 shooting, including 2 for 5 from three-point range. Kurtz was also 5 of 6 from the free throw line Saturday and is the team leader at the line this season, shooting 86.7 percent (13 of 15). She has hit six treys this season.
Five-foot-10 sophomore Amy Harrington (Danville/Danville H.S.) is the starting small forward and was the team’s leading scorer for a second time this season in the Messiah win, posting 19. While she struggled from the field Saturday, Harrington is now the scoring leader among the active players (14.5 ppg) and also leads in three-point field goals (8 of 29).
Junior Susan Trella (6.3 ppg, 5.8 apg) (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) and freshman Maggie Endler (3.7 ppg, 3.0 apg) (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) have been a steady combination at point guard.
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