`houseguest' Never Settles In

200 Gather In Show Of Unity 
King's College Hosts Martin Luther King Jr.

By PAUL SOKOLOSKI; Times Leader Sports Writer
 Wednesday, January 18, 1995 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 5B 





It's payback time in the minds of Wilkes University. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 King's College just thinks it's time to kick into high gear. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We'll all find this out at gametime of their key MAC Freedom League men's
basketball showdown tonight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think there's any need to get your player psyched mentally,"
King's Coach Ken Atkins said. "I think it's a special game for everybody
involved." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's because the two Wilkes-Barre campuses are less than a mile apart,
and within walking distance of each other. And when their men's basketball
teams square off today at 8 p.m. at King's College's Scandlon Gym, action is
sure to be heated. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I guess it's always been a rivalry," Wilkes Coach Jerry Rickrode said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It just got more intense. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Now in his third season at Wilkes, Rickrode has only been involved in the
heated competition with King's for a short time. But that's been long enough
for him to feel the sting of it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Our kids are really up for this game," Rickrode said. "Last year we won 20
games. And part of the reason we missed the NCAA tournament was because we
lost to King's." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Twice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And the revenge-seeking Colonels aren't about to let another fabulous
basketball year be spoiled by their cross-town competition. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think we'll be really fired up for the game," Rickrode said. "The kids
are hungry for the game. I know they've been looking forward to this game for
awhile, since last February. That's concerned me." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That might have played a part in a sloppy Wilkes performance Saturday
night. Although the Colonels moved to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the Freedom
League by beating Delaware Valley, they looked disinterested while doing it --
a problem that may have stemmed from King's lurking on the horizon. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If we execute and come out with the intensity we did in some of the games
this year, we can beat anybody," Rickrode said. "There isn't a team in the
country we can't beat." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That includes defending Freedom League champion King's. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After struggling to a 1-6 start, the Monarchs have been preoccupied looking
for victories. Lately, however, King's has been finding them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Monarchs won four of their last five games, improving to 5-8 and more
importantly 2-2 in the Freedom League. A victory tonight would elevate King's
over Wilkes in the league standings, a prospect the Monarchs surely would
celebrate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This is an important league game," Atkins said. "For us, we want to win at
home. For them, usually you go through this league with the attitude you want
to steal some on the road. That's the way this league has been, a home-court
league." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Indeed, Wilkes lost only at Drew in the Freedom League this season, while
the Monarchs beat Drew on their floor. Both King's and Wilkes were home when
they defeated Delaware Valley, their only other common league opponent to this
point. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think they're down at all," Rickrode said. "They've got some good
players, they've lost some close games. I don't know why they started off so
weak this year. We need to be ready to play and not even think about records
right now." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 King's certainly isn't. After all, there'll be a boisterous group from up
the street to contend with tonight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "They're a quality team, no question about that," Atkins said. "I think
they go eight, nine deep, and I don't think there's a whole lot of dropoff
going to their bench. We can't have any letdown for the whole 40 minutes." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Players to watch: Wilkes -- Jason Turner, 6-7 Jr. C, 8.4 rebounds per game
(7th MAC) and 59.5 FG percentage (4th MAC); Chris Parker, 6-foot Jr. G, 19.2
ppg. (6th MAC). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 King's -- Steve Mayernick, 6-6 Sr. C, 7.8 rebounds per game (8th MAC) and
14.5 ppg.; Marty Keithline, 5-10 Jr. G, 4.0 3-pointers per game (2nd MAC) and
14.1 ppg.; Mike Buskirk, 5-11 Sr. G, 51.9 3-point percentage (3rd MAC). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wilkes Seeking Revenge Colonels Facing Monarchs Tonight