SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Both the Susquehanna University women’s and men’s basketball teams are precariously in position to make the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs, although both desperately need home wins Tuesday and Wednesday respectively over Commonwealth Conference rival Lebanon Valley to strengthen their positions.
Home wins this week are near musts for each team, which also face key MAC Commonwealth games Saturday night at Elizabethtown. The women will also play a big non-conference game Thursday at King’s (17-2), which is second in the MAC Freedom Conference and ranked third in the latest NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region poll. Susquehanna edged out King’s in a controversial decision for one of the final region spots in last season’s NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
Wins have been hard to come-by recently for the Susquehanna men’s basketball team, which is now 12-8 overall, 5-5 and in fourth in the MAC Commonwealth Conference after being 12-4 and tied for second just two weeks ago. Since being ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III Middle Atlantic Region poll on January 25, the Crusaders have lost all four games, starting center and 6-8 freshman Zigmas Kaknevicius (Lithuania/Long Island Lutheran H.S.) to a season-ending shoulder injury, and sophomore starting small forward Corey Green (Roselle, N.J./Roselle Catholic H.S.) for last Saturday’s loss at Lycoming (67-77) with a sore back. Unfortunately, 11th-year head coach Frank Marcinek (158-115, .579) has seen this late season slump before as his 1997-98 team also started 12-4 — only to finish 15-10 and fourth in the MAC Commonwealth League while being ousted in the first round of the playoffs by eventual champion Wilkes.
The Crusaders will host defending Commonwealth champion Lebanon Valley in Wednesday’s 8 p.m. Pepsi Night game — with all fans receiving free hot dogs and Pepsi, as well as other prizes from Pepsi, Weis Markets, Kunzler’s Hot Dogs, and WKOK-AM/94KX/Eagle 107 Radio. Susquehanna scored a 74-69 win on January 12 at Lebanon Valley, which is now 11-9 overall, 6-4 and in third-place in the Commonwealth Conference for sixth-year head coach Brad McAlester (107-50, .641).
Elizabethtown may have turned its season around with its 58-56 upset at Susquehanna January 15. The Blue Jays were just 4-7 overall, 0-4 in the conference at the time of that win, but are now 11-9, 4-6 in the conference for eighth-year coach Bob Schlosser (139-110, .558).
The Crusader women scored an important 66-59 victory over MAC Commonwealth cellar-dweller Moravian last Tuesday for their second-straight win, but played poorly while posting their worst offensive output of the season in Saturday’s 57-47 loss at rival Lycoming. Now 12-7 overall, 6-4 and tied for third in the MAC Commonwealth for 13th-year head coach Mark Hribar (211-111, .655) — the Crusaders can clinch their 12th-straight winning season under Hribar, and come very close to clinching a MAC playoff spot for the 11th-straight year, with a win over Lebanon Valley in Tuesday’s 7 p.m. Pepsi Night game. Susquehanna scored a 67-56 win at Lebanon Valley on January 12 and would hage a huge tiebreaking advantage with a sweep in the season series.
The Flying Dutchwomen of seventh-year coach Peg Kauffman (84-76, .525) have been coming on of late — presently at 12-6 overall, 5-5 and just a game behind the Crusaders in the conference standings. Since losing to Susquehanna, they have only dropped two close games to Commonwealth leaders Messiah (65-66) and Elizabethtown (65-68).
Elizabethtown is presently trying to shake a two-game losing streak, and the fact that it probably won’t be the MAC Commonwealth champions for the first time in the circuit’s seven-year history. The Blue Jays dropped both games to Commonwealth leader Messiah and are now 15-4 overall, 8-2 in the conference for 30th-year head coach Yvonne Kauffman (543-171, .761). That record includes a 79-69 comeback win at Susquehanna January 15.
THE MEN’S REPORT
Junior power forward Brad Rausch (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South H.S.) is this week’s WQSU-FM Crusader Men’s Basketball Player of the Week as he had his career high with 13 rebounds in last Tuesday’s overtime loss to Moravian, and went on to average 11.5 points and 12.0 rebounds for the week. Along the way, Rausch shot 56.3 percent from the field (9 of 16), while averaging 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He continues to lead the team in rebounding for the season (7.6 per game), also topping the active players in field goal percentage (50.8%, 67 of 132) while ranking third in scoring (9.0 ppg).
Senior guard and co-captain Rob Makarewicz (Sugarloaf/Hazleton Area H.S.) continues to be on a late-season scoring spree, scoring in double-figures now in 19-straight games after averaging 20.0 in last week’s two games. His recent success has him within 71 points of becoming the program’s 27th 1,000-point scorer. Makarewicz continues to lead the team in both scoring (17.4 ppg) and free throw percentage (85.6%, 83 of 97) — ranking first in the Commonwealth Conference in foul shooting and fifth in scoring. He also is tied for fifth in the conference in three-point field goals per game (1.8/35 of 108, 32.4%), and is the team leader in steals with 36 — ranking fifth in the conference (1.8).
Junior two-guard Mike Witcoskie (8.3 ppg) (Annville/Palmyra H.S.) made his first start this season Saturday at Lycoming, creating a three-guard attack as he filled in for the injured Green. Witcoskie almost deserved the start anyway after scoring a career high 23 points while tying his career best in treys by hitting five of 10 in the Moravian loss. He is the team’s top three-point shooter (35 of 87, 40.2%) — ranking fourth in MAC Commonwealth three-point percentage, and tied with Makarewicz for fifth in threer-pointer per game (1.8).
Senior two-guard and co-captain Garrett Thompson (7.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg) (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East H.S.) and 6-6 sophomore Stephan Schrankel (3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg) (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel H.S.) round out the current Crusader starters.
THE WOMEN’S REPORT
Six-foot-one junior center and tri-captain Leslie Clementoni (Hughesville/Hughesville H.S.) is the team’s WQSU-FM Player of the Week for the second straight week — and third time in four weeks — also repeating as MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week. Clementoni tied her career high in rebounds with 15, also scoring a game high 23 points in Tuesday’s win over Moravian, and followed that with her third-straight double-double Saturday with 15 points and 12 rebounds at Lycoming. For the week, she averaged 19.0 points and 13.5 rebounds per game — shooting 50.0 percent from the field (11 of 22) and 80.0 percent from the line (16 of 20). She has now scored in double figures in 17-straight games and had seven double-doubles while having a breakout year since replacing injured senior center and fellow tri-captain Karyn Kern. Clementoni leads the team and is tied for first the conference in rebounds (8.6 per game), ranking second on the team in scoring (14.5 ppg).
Fellow tri-captain Lisa Stack (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West H.S.) is the lone active senior on the squad and also had a solid game at Lycoming Saturday, equaling Clementoni with 15 points while hitting all three of her three-point attempts. Stack is the program’s record holder in career three-pointers (now 52 out of 147, 35.4%), and is the most accurate three-point shooter this season (37.0%, 20 of 54) — ranking fifth in the conference. Stack is third on the team in scoring (8.5 ppg), assists (2.1 per game) and steals (1.3 per game).
Sophomore small forward Amy Harrington (Danville/Danville H.S.) saw her streak of seven-straight games scoring in double figures end Saturday at Lycoming. She had 18 in the Moravian win and remains the team leader in scoring (15.6 ppg) and three-point field goals (a school record 32 of 107, 29.9%) — ranking first among the regulars in free throw accuracy (79.2%, 76 of 96). She is fourth in both conference scoring and foul shooting.
A pair of juniors round out the Crusader starters in 6-0 power forward Mandy Horner (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) (Spring Mills/Penns Valley Area H.S.) and point guard Susan Trella (3.6 ppg) (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.). Trella leads the team and is second in the conference in assists (4.9 per game), and is just six shy of back-to-back 100-assist seasons. She’s also second on the team in steals (1.5 per game).
