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By PAUL SOKOLOSKI; Times Leader Sports Writer
Friday, November 17, 1995     Page:

For all the adversity it dealt with last season, College Misericordia
chased a playoff spot to the very end.
   
That experience could prove valuable in 1995-96.
    With seven lettermen returning to a full, healthy squad, the Cougars hope
to wind up in the postseason this time. That’s something that barely eluded
them in the final week of Pennsylvania Athletic Conference play last year, as
they wound up 11-13 overall and fifth in the PAC East.
   
“Obviously, we want to make our conference playoffs,” College Misericordia
coach Dave Martin said. “And then we’ll take it from there.”
   
He’s got reason to be optimistic.
   
First, the Cougars gained a boost with the return of point guard Joe
Harvey, a promising 5-foot-8 junior from Philadelphia.
   
“Joe Harvey is very, very good,” Martin said. “If he plays well, we’re
going to play well. And I think he’s going to have a very, very good year.”
   
Harvey appeared on his way to a banner season a year ago, as he led the
Cougars with a 14.4-point average, nailed 30 3-point goals and had 44 assists
after Misericordia’s first 12 games. But he was put on academic probation
after barely missing the college’s mandatory 2.0 GPA, and was forced to sit
out the second half of 1994-95.
   
“May have been the best thing that happened to him,” Martin said. “He
needed to get his priorities straight, and he did. He’s going to have a very
good year.”
   
Then, a couple of costly injuries healed.
   
Powerful John McGovern, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, is healthy again after
suffering a broken ankle that cost him all of last season. He was a
second-team All-PAC player in 1993-94. And Fausto Volpe, a 6-5, 220-pound
sophomore forward, is also recovered from a broken ankle he suffered two years
ago.
   
Their absence forced Misericordia to go with guys like 6-3 Damian Fritz,
6-6 Bart Clementoni and 6-foot guard Rich Wetzel — who gained valuable
experience on the court.
   
“The guys who were put in that situation were forced to grow up,” Martin
said. “They have a little experience now under fire. It can’t do anything but
help us.”
   
Clementoni, a junior center from Hughesville, is coming off a fine season
in which he averaged 10.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. Wetzel tied for third on
the team with 43 assists. And Fritz averaged 11.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per
game.
   
They’ll be back inside to join 6-5 Dan Fagan, who played in all 24 of
College Misericordia’s games a year ago and averaged 5.6 points and 3.7
rebounds.
   
From the perimeter game, the Cougars return 5-10 junior Bob Altmire and 6-2
sophomore Gary Pressler, a deadly 3-point shooter from Hazleton Area High
School.
   
“He can flat-out shoot the ball,” Martin said. “He’s working on his
defense. If there is an area of concern, it would be our 3-point offense.”
   
Altmire, who missed part of last year with mononucleosis, and 6-foot
freshman Bobby Tugend out of North Pocono will back up the point guard
position.
   
“The challenge right now is to get the right chemistry and get guys playing
together,” Martin said. “We have some question marks with people coming off
the bench.”
   
If they can answer them, the Cougars should find themselves catching up
with the PAC playoffs, which now include six of the league’s nine teams
instead of four.
   
“Hopefully, we’ll be pretty good,” Martin said. “I think we’ll be able to
run the ball a little bit, and we’re going to score inside. I’m excited about
it. Certainly optimistic.”
   
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