Monday, February 24, 2003

GREYHOUNDS TRAVEL TO ELIZABETHTOWN FOR COMMONWEALTH SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College men’s basketball team will make its first appearance in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs six years and the Greyhounds are the third seed, traveling to second seeded Elizabethtown College a semifinal contest on Wednesday, February 26th at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s other semifinal contest will have top seeded Susquehanna University hosting fourth seed Lebanon Valley College at 7:30 p.m. The winners of Wednesday’s semifinal games will meet on Saturday, March 1st for the Commonwealth Conference championship, and the winner of that game will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Greyhounds, who finished the 2002-03 regular season with an overall record of 16-9 and a 9-5 slate in the Commonwealth Conference, last competed in the playoffs back in 1996-97, falling to Wilkes University, 67-50. Moravian snapped a three-game losing streak with a 76-55 victory over Juniata College in the regular season finale. Both Moravian and Elizabethtown won on their home court during the regular season with Moravian earning a 76-70 victory in Bethlehem back in January and the Blue Jays winning 97-64 in Elizabethtown on February 11th.

Moravian head coach Jim Walker has the Greyhounds in the playoffs for the eighth time in his 23 years as head coach. Walker, who has an overall record of 317-259 at Moravian and 332-269 in 24 seasons, is trying to guide the Greyhounds to their first 17-win season since a 19-8 campaign in 19-87-88 and the squad’s first-ever conference title.

Sophomore forward Brandon Zaleski (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown HS) leads the team in scoring at 18.4 points per game, and he also leads Moravian with 7.5 rebounds per game. Zaleski, who was named the Lehigh Valley Small College Men's Basketball Player of the Year last Thursday, has added 20 assists, 32 steals and ten blocked shots while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 83.9 percent from the foul line. In 50 career games, Zaleski has moved within 63 points of becoming the 17th Greyhound to score 1,000 career points. Senior forward Ken Greb (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) is netting 12.2 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds per contest. Greb has a 51.0 field goal percentage, and he also has 42 assists, 35 steals and nine blocked shots.

Junior guard Steve Weiler (Edgewater Park, NJ/Burlington City HS) is averaging 11.8 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per contest, and he leads the team with 42 three-pointers. Weiler also has 48 assists and 38 steals while junior guard Kevin Wyers (Hamilton Square, NJ/Notre Dame HS) is netting 7.0 points per outing and grabbing 2.7 rebounds a game. Wyers has added 22 three-pointers, 25 assists, 20 steals and five blocked shots. Senior guard Willie Reynolds (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) has 50 assists and he is also adding 5.6 points per outing and grabbing 2.7 rebounds a game while sophomore forward Mike Howell (Floral Park, NY/Holy Cross HS) is contributing 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. Reynolds also has 52 rebounds, 21 three-pointers and 14 steals while Howell, who will miss the rest of the season with an injury, has five blocked shots, eight assists and seven steals.

Junior guard Lucas Malishchak (Wanamie, PA/Nanticoke HS) has dished out 98 assists while committing just 65 turnovers, and he has contributed 61 rebounds, 87 points and 37 steals. Freshman forward Geoff Wendel (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS) is averaging 5.6 points per game, and he has added 80 rebounds, 14 assists and 13 steals while freshman guard Steve Wenderfer (Chester, NJ/Mendham HS), who will be out the rest of the season with an injury, has 13 points. Junior guard Kevin Burke (Turnersville, NJ/St. Augustine Prep HS) has added 38 points, 12 rebounds, 22 assists and 13 steals while freshman guard Chris Betley (Lenape, NJ/Lenape HS) has tossed in 77 points, grabbed 25 boards and dished out 12 assists. Freshman forward Ed Reid (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl HS) has netted 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds this season. Sophomore guard Andy Fisher (Hatboro, PA/Hatboro-Horsham HS) has 18 points and 12 assists while freshman forward Zach Zsilavecz (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) has 13 points.

Elizabethtown enters the game with an overall record of 16-8 and a 10-4 slate in the Commonwealth Conference. The Blue Jays are under the direction of head coach Bob Schlosser, who guided the team to the NCAA title game in 2001-02.

Senior center Jon English leads Elizabethtown on the court with averages of 15.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and he has also contributed 25 assists and 20 steals. Senior forward Chad Heller is contributing 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. Heller leads the team with ten blocked shots, and he has added 42 assists, 42 steals and 27 three-pointers. Senior guard Dan Loftus leads Elizabethtown with 89 assists, 64 steals and 38 three-pointers, and Loftus is contributing 11.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per outing. Sophomore guard Kyle Conrad has contributed 8.1 points per game off the bench, and he has added 54 rebounds, 21 assists, 18 three-pointers and 16 steals.

Sophomore forward Andrew Flynn is netting 7.4 points per contest to go along with 3.5 rebounds per outing while junior center Ian Daecher is adding 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Flynn has 27 assists and 22 steals while Daecher has contributed 51 assists and 40 steals. Sophomore guard Jon Connor is scoring 6.8 points per game, and he has added 41 rebounds, 29 steals, 26 assists and 24 three-pointers while sophomore guard Ben Tannous has 78 points, 17 assists, 15 three-pointers and 12 rebounds. Junior forward Daryl Brown has contributed 70 points, 44 rebounds, 30 assists and 17 steals while freshman guard Kyle Stem has added 63 points, 45 assists, 24 rebounds and 15 steals for the Blue Jays. Freshman forward Greg Adams has tossed in 55 points with 23 rebounds, 29 assists and 17 steals while sophomore forward/center Dan Keane has added 53 points and 32 boards. Junior guard Jim Barron has contributed 36 points, 31 assists, 19 rebounds and 13 steals this year.