Wilkes-Barre

Penn State Wilkes-Barre men's basketball earns national ranking

According to the latest United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II coaches' poll, the Penn State Wilkes-Barre men’s basketball program is now the 16th-ranked team in the country. An overnight trip to the Pittsburgh area from Jan. 22 to 23, justified the Lions' lofty ranking, as they defeated 17th-ranked Penn State New Kensington 88-82 on Friday night.

A short trip out the Pennsylvania Turnpike the next day found the Back Mountain squad in a battle with a team tied for third in the national rankings, Penn State Beaver, where the Mountain Lions dropped an 80-69 decision. The 11-point win was Penn State Beaver's closest league game of the season.

Against Penn State New Kensington, the Mountain Lions had multiple players contribute with double figure scoring, including John Sanderson with 16 points and eight assists, Jared James with 13 points and Matt Clemons with 10 points and five rebounds. Against Penn State Beaver, Sanderson had another solid performance, tossing in 17 points with another four assists, while 6-foot 7-inch-tall teammate Shawn Washington grabbed 11 rebounds.

Frank Peters recorded his 11th and 12th “double-double” of the season on the road trip, with team highs of 20 points and 15 rebounds on Friday against New Kensington and team highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday against Beaver. Peters currently leads the league in rebounding with more than 11 per game on average and is ranked fifth nationally in that category.

Northwest Area High School alumni John Kelly played well as a key substitute for Penn State Wilkes-Barre, contributing 18 points and nine rebounds in the two games, including an 11-point effort against New Kensington.

For more information, contact Penn State Wilkes-Barre men's basketball coach Scott Miner at sam61@psu.edu or visit the Penn State Wilkes-Barre men's basketball team Web site at http://www.wb.psu.edu/StudentLife/Athletics/30913.htm online.

PSU Wilkes-Barre's Frank Peters (#14) goes up for a shot against PSU Schuylkill's Ted Styka (#23) and Paul Carey (#15). Credit: Carrie YapleAll Rights Reserved.

Last Updated November 18, 2010