Basketball, wrestling set to resume for Penn College
Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling teams step back into action this week after the semester break and the coaches of all three teams are looking forward to it.
Men’s basketball
First-year coach Ryan Callahan’s team is off to a 2-0 start in the North Eastern Athletic Conference, 2-6 overall, and resumes play at 5 p.m. Tuesday when it hosts Penn State Berks in a conference game at Bardo Gymnasium.
Through their first eight games, the Wildcats scored an average of 72 points per game while allowing 77.3. Kevin Laurence-El, of Milton, leads the team in scoring with a 20.5 per game average while Thomas Ross, of Williamsport, is averaging 16.4 ppg and Marquis Delgado, of Mansfield, 13.3. Ross is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game and Laurence-El 7 per game.
Going into the spring semester, the team will be without Chris Johnson, of Lorton, Virginia, who averaged just under eight points and four rebounds per game, but the squad returns seven of its top eight in the rotation and picks up another player in Landon Muller, a 6-foot, 3-inch freshman, of Kintnersville.
“I think our outlook is good. We’re 2-0 in the league and our goal is to get to (the) 9-9 or 10-8 range and make the playoffs. It will be a great step for our guys,” Callahan said.
In the NEAC South Division, Penn College and Lancaster Bible College lead with 2-0 marks, followed by Penn State Berks, 1-1, and Gallaudet University, Bryn Athyn, Wilson College and Penn State Abington, all 0-1. Morrisville State and SUNY Poly share the lead in the North Division with 2-0 records.
Women’s basketball
Like the men’s squad, the Penn College women face NEAC opponents in all of their remaining games, starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday when they host Penn State Berks.
Penn College, is 1-1 in the conference and 1-3 overall, is averaging 55 points per game on offense and allowing 66.5. Jamie Steer, of South Williamsport, leads the team with a 16.3 points per game scoring average and 8.5 rebound average. Alicia Ross, of Williamsport, is scoring 13 points per game and Ebani Lewis, of Sunbury, is second in rebound average at 6.8 per game.
“Our bench is really thin (numbers wise) and our bench players have to contribute, and they have, but it’s tough when you go on the court with seven or eight girls and you are playing against quality teams that have 14-15 girls and they can bring in three or four subs at a time,” coach Matt Wilt said.
“My girls don’t get a break and if we get in foul trouble we’re done, so we can’t really play physical, we can’t play like we’d like to,” he continued.
Wilt said keys to reaching the playoffs will be cutting down on turnovers and rebounding better.
“I still think we can make the playoffs. I still think we can make a run,” he added.
The NEAC South Division standings have Lancaster Bible 2-0, Penn State Abington 1-0, St. Elizabeth 2-1, Penn College, Bryn Athyn and Gallaudet all 1-1 and Wilson and Penn State Berks both 0-1. In the NEAC North, SUNY Poly leads with a 2-0 record.
Wrestling
Wildcat wrestlers return to action at the six-team Penn State Mont Alto Duals on Saturday and although they lost freshman Ron Smith over the semester break, coach Schuyler Frey is hopeful of the addition of two others to his squad by the time the season resumes.
Going into the Mont Alto meet, Ben Doll, of Glen Rock, will wrestle at the 125-pound weight class; Aaron Doll, of Glen Rock, at 133; Zach Fitzsimmons, of Portville, at 141; Mason Replogle, of New Enterprise, at 149; Tanner Leid, of Terre Hill, at 157; Dan Frankenfield, of Dushore, at 174; Connor Route, of Canton, at 184; Pat Fitzgerald, of Port Royal, at 197; and Zach Kane, of Higganum, Connecticut, at 285.
“It’s going to be fast-and-furious; our season is going to end in about six weeks,” Frey said. “We’re going to have some competitions that we are going to be competitive at and some dual meets that we are not … but I’m very hopeful that we are going to be competitive in some of the matches and scoring some points.”
SCHEDULES/RESULTS/RECORDS
Men’s basketball
Overall record: 2-6
NEAC record: 2-0
Tuesday, Jan. 5 – host Penn State Berks (NEAC), 5 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 7—host Lancaster Bible College (NEAC), 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 9 – at Gallaudet University (NEAC), noon
Sunday, Jan. 10 – at Wilson College (NEAC), noon
Wednesday, Jan. 13 – at Penn State Abington (NEAC), 6 p.m.
Women’s basketball
Overall record: 1-3
NEAC record: 1-1
Tuesday, Jan. 5 – host Penn State Berks (NEAC), 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 7—host Lancaster Bible College (NEAC), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 9 – at Gallaudet University (NEAC), 2 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 10 – at Wilson College (NEAC), 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 13 – at Penn State Abington (NEAC), 8 p.m.
Wrestling
Overall record: 2-4
Saturday, Jan. 9 – at Penn State Mont Alto Duals with University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Towson University, Delaware, Penn State Fayette and Penn State Mont Alto
Thursday, Jan. 14 – host Wilkes University, 7 p.m.
