Playoff Fever
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) - The Susquehanna University women's basketball team has clinched a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League playoff berth for a 10th-straight season and could possibly finish second in the league and host a first-round playoff game next Tuesday, February, 23, if its wins its final two league games this week.
The hard-charging Crusader men's basketball team has won 7 of its last 10 games, and five-straight at home, to get within a game of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Commonwealth League. The Crusaders need to win out and get losses from Widener or Elizabethtown to possibly make the playoffs for a second-straight year.
Both Crusader teams will host Albright in their regular-season home finales this Wednesday. The three Crusader women's senior tri-captains will be honored prior to their 6 p.m. game that evening, while the four Susquehanna senior men will be recognized prior to their 8 p.m. contest. Both teams will also close the regular seasons Saturday at last-place Juniata. The women's game is a set for a 1 p.m. start, while the men will tip-off at 3.
The Crusader women clinched a playoff spot Saturday and improved to 14-8 overall, 8-4 in the league as they avenged a 20-point loss at Widener with a 69-65 win over the Pioneers. Despite losing Wednesday at Messiah (58-67), the Crusaders moved back into a second-place tie with the Falcons after Lebanon Valley pulled the upset at Messiah, 67-63, Saturday. Susquehanna would appear to have the edge in the final week, playing the seventh and eight-place teams, while Messiah has to play at Moravian and at Widener - two teams which are tied for the fourth and final playoff spot on the women's side.
In addition to guiding his team to 10-straight playoff appearances and 11-straight winning seasons, 12th-year head coach Mark Hribar is closing in on a significant milestone. Already the winningest coach in program history at 196-102 (.658), he is just four wins shy of becoming just the second Susquehanna coach to amass 200 wins.
His team is favored this week as Albright is just 5-16 overall, 2-10 in the Commonwealth League for second-year head coach Anne Bonner (11-34, .244), while Juniata is 7-14, 0-12 in the league for their rookie coach Amy Buxbaum. Susquehanna scored its fifth-straight win over Albright with a 77-48 rout in Reading on January 20, while Juniata lost to the Crusaders for the 12th-straight time, 64-52, in Selinsgrove on January 23. Susquehanna has won all eight home games vs. Albright under Hribar, and has 11-straight home wins vs. the Lions, last losing on January 10, 1980, 62-47.
What a difference a month has made for the Crusader men's basketball team, which was just 2-9, 1-3 in the league following an 81-73 loss at Widener on January 16. The Crusaders avenged that loss Saturday, 78-60, to improve to 9-12 overall, 6-6 in the league for 10th-year head coach Frank Marcinek (146-105, .582).
They'll need to stay hot Wednesday if they hope to end a four-game losing streak to Albright, which won 78-70 win in Reading on January 20. The Lions have dropped back-to-back league contests, but are still in second-place in the Commonwealth League at 15-7 overall, 8-4 in the league for third-year coach Ken Tyler (50-45, .526). Sophomore point guard Shawn Swavely (19.9 ppg) is a returning first-team league All-Star who had 19 in the first meeting and has averaged 21.7 in his three games vs Susquehanna.
Juniata is now just 3-19 overall, 1-11 in the league for third-year head coach Rick Ferry, who is a 1985 Susquehanna graduate and served as an assist under Marcinek in his first seven years as Susquehanna head coach. Ferry has yet to beat his alma mater or former mentor in his first five tries, dropping an 83-76 game in Selinsgrove on January 23.
THE WOMEN'S REPORT
Senior All-American power forward Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) continues to lead the team, ranking third in the MAC and 14th in Division III in scoring (20.8 ppg). She also leads the team and is fourth in the conference in rebounding (9.1 per game), and second on the squad and fourth in the MAC in field goal percentage (56.0%). Venne averaged 21.0 points last week while shooting 64.3 percent from the field (18 of 28), also averaging 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals in the split to earn a spot on the MAC Honor Roll. She has scored in double-figures in 36-straight games, and 93 of 95 during her collegiate career, ranking second on the school's career scoring list (1,808 points) and third in career rebounds (841).
Joining Venne as senior tri-captains this season are Sandy Jenkin (Millersville, Md./Severna Park H.S.) and Karrah Henry (Lewistown/Lewistown H.S.), who have split time at the wings throughout their careers.
Jenkin has started all 20 games that she's been healthy for this season and is third on the team in scoring (8.2 ppg) and rebounding (4.4 per game). She has scored 538 points and grabbed 353 rebounds while playing in 90 games at Susquehanna, starting 52.
Henry is one of six players to appear in all 22 games this season, starting three, and is fifth on the team in scoring (4.8 ppg), and fourth in steals (1.4 per game). She has played in 94 games during her Crusader career and has 499 points, 267 rebounds and 175 steals.
Junior shooting guard Lisa Stack (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West H.S.) is the team's WQSU-FM Crusader Player of the Week as she came off the bench to average 8.5 points and 3.0 steals last week, shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range (3 for 7). Stack had eight points and hit a big trey in Saturday's win vs. Widener, also recording a career high six steals - including the biggest with her team up just three and under a minute to play. Fourth on the team in scoring this season (6.4 ppg), Stack tops the team in three-pointers (16 of 40, 40.0%), tying for the third most in a season at Susquehanna.
Junior center Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) scored a game high 23 points and tied Venne with eight rebounds in Saturday's win. The MAC and Division III leader in field goal percentage (67.8%, 141 of 208), Kern is also third in the MAC in blocked shots (40/1.8 per game) and seventh in scoring (15.8 ppg), ranking second on the team in scoring (15.8 ppg). She is sixth in career scoring (1,151) and fourth in career rebounding (676) in Crusader women's history.
THE MEN'S REPORT
Senior co-captain and post player Mike Barrette (Dunmore/Dunmore H.S.) is this week's WQSU-FM Crusader Men's Player of the Week and made the MAC Honor Roll as he averaged 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 52.0 percent from the field (13 of 25) and 55.6 percent from three-point range (5 of 9). Barrette had a game high 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting last Wednesday at Messiah, hitting all three of his trey attempts, and had a double-double Saturday with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He is just 19 points shy of becoming the program's 26th 1,000-point scorer. Barrette also continues to lead the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 per game), ranking third in three-point shooting (29 of 74, 39.2%). He has played in 74 career games at Susquehanna, starting 65.
Fellow senior co-captain Jarrod O'Neill (Pittsburgh/Upper St. Clair H.S.) also came off the bench to score 11, hitting two big treys Saturday despite being doubtful before the game with a deep thigh bruise. Third on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), he is the team leader and fourth in the MAC in three-point accuracy (44.5%, 49 of 110). He has played in 94 career games, starting 69, and has scored 856 points while hitting 125 of 320 treys.
Senior forward Tony Mennito (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin H.S.) is the team leader in three-pointers made (50 of 126, 39.7%), ranking 10th in the MAC per-game (2.38), and is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg). He is second in school history in three-pointers made with 155 (of 408) and is just two shy of the record (Record: 156, of 442, Matt Heimbach, 1992-96). He also has 873 points in 85 career games, starting 47.
Guard Sean Breckley (Reading/Governor Mifflin H.S.) rounds out the Crusader seniors and is fourth on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg), while leading it in free throw percentage (84.8%, 39 of 46) and ranking third in assists (2.1 per game). A two-time MAC free throw pecentage leader, Breckley has scored 743 points and shot 86.7 percent from the line (170 of 196) while appearing in 88 career games at Susquehanna, starting 64.
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