The sixth-seeded University of Scranton men's basketball team will play the third-seeded Wilkes University Colonels in the first round of the Landmark Conference Playoffs at the Marts Center on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM in Wilkes-Barre, PA. 

Game Info

• The first round game will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 PM at the Marts Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
• Tickets: Purchase Here
  • Cash will not be accepted at the door.
  • $10 for adults (18+), $5 for minors (10-17), free for children 9 and under, and Landmark students and faculty with ID. 

Scranton

• Record: 12-13 (7-11, Landmark)
• Last Landmark Championship: 2022-23
• The Royals defeated Susquehanna University on Feb. 15 and Lycoming College on Feb. 19, securing their spot as the sixth seed in the playoffs.
• Scranton's defense is ranked second in the Landmark in points against per game (65.0), and the team is sixth in scoring margin (-1.4) and ninth in offensive scoring (63.6 PPG).
• Head coach Carl Danzig is in his 24^th season at Scranton, and after missing the playoffs in 2023-24, Danzig and his Royals are back in the postseason. Under Danzig's guidance, the Royals have won a conference-best eight championships since the league started in 2007-08. Scranton will look to secure its ninth Landmark title this postseason. Danzig is 18-10 all-time against the Colonels since 2001-02.  

Royals to Watch

• Senior Will McLoughlin has started 23 games this season and leads the team in points per game (15.8), rebounds per game (6.7) and blocks (26), and he is second on the team with 59 assists and 23 steals. 
• Junior Jon Spatola has started in all 25 games this year for the Royals, averaging a team-high 31 minutes per game. Spatola leads the team with 85 assists and 64 steals, while averaging 11.3 points per game.
• Freshman Sammy Tornabene has played in 22 games while making nine starts during his first year at Scranton. Tornabene is averaging 9.0 points per game, and he is second on the team with 12 blocks and fourth on the team with 58 rebounds.

Wilkes

• Record: 19-6 (13-5, Landmark)
• Last Landmark Championship: N/A
• Wilkes are the No. 3 seed coming into the 2024-25 Landmark Conference Playoffs after losing to the top-seeded and eventual Conference Champion Catholic University in the Semifinals last season.
• Wilkes is ranked third in the conference in points per game (79.6) and in scoring margin (9.0), and their defense allows 70.6 points per game, which is fourth in the Landmark.
• Head coach Izzi Metz is in his 11^th season at the helm of the Colonels. A recent addition to the Landmark Conference, Wilkes and Metz are looking for their first Landmark Conference Title. Under Metz's leadership, the Colonels have reached three MAC Freedom Conference title games but have yet to win a championship.

Colonels to Watch

• Junior Lucas Lesko has started all 25 games for Wilkes and leads the Landmark Conference with 21.2 points per game and 192 total rebounds. Lesko leads the team with 32 blocks, while adding 24 steals and 59 assists.
• Senior Cayden Merrifield has started in all 25 games for the Colonels and averages 14.7 points per game. He leads the team and ranks second in the Landmark with 111 assists, while shooting a team-high .393 on three-point attempts.
• Junior Jack Argento has made 25 starts and averages 11.1 points per game. Argento leads the team with 31 steals and is second on the Colonels with 143 rebounds while adding seven blocks this season.

Inside the Series

• Scranton has won nine of the last 14 match ups against Wilkes, but the Colonels have won the last four games dating back to the first contest of 2023-24 on Nov. 29, 2023.
• Wilkes defeated Scranton twice this season. The Colonels won the most recent meeting on Feb. 5, 2025, 71-58. Earlier in the year, Wilkes defeated Scranton, 58-48.