Matt LaCorte scored 20 points and the River Hawks bench outscored the Royals' reserves 53-6 as the Susquehanna University Men's Basketball team pulled out an 89-81 overtime victory over the University of Scranton in a critical Landmark Conference showdown Wednesday evening at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

How It Happened

• The Royals (16-4 Overall, 5-4 Landmark) were the aggressors to start, scoring on the offensive end and making stops at the defensive end. Trailing 18-7, the River Hawks used a 13-0 run on buckets by Jaden Martin, Dan Frauenheim, Dominic Dunn and Zach Knecht to take its first lead of the game.
• Scranton would regain control as the two sides went back-and-forth for the remainder of the half. Dunn and Knecht did a majority of the scoring in the final minutes of the period, but the Royals carried a slight 37-35 edge into the locker room.
• The second half started slow for both sides, with a banked in three-pointer by Scranton as the only points in the opening minutes. Bryce Butler hit a shot from long distance at the 16:55 mark to help open the flood gates. LaCorte owned the middle portion of the second half, nailing several three-pointers to regain the lead for the River Hawks.
• Martin and Frauenheim each hit big three-pointers to keep the momentum going and baskets by Dunn and Knecht extended the lead to 74-69 with five minutes remaining. The game stayed between a one-possession and two-possession contest in the closing minutes, but Scranton made a push and tied the score with under 30 seconds remaining. The River Hawks had a good look to close it out in regulation, but it would not drop and the game went to overtime.
• Back-to-back shots made by Martin and Knecht gave Susquehanna some breathing room to open the overtime period and the defense stepped up and made key stops. Martin was all over the court in the extra session, coming up with a variety of hustle plays to give the team extra possessions. The Royals were forced to foul late and Frauenheim iced the game with four consecutive made free throws, leading to an 89-81 win.

 
Inside the Box Score

• LaCorte led the way in scoring with 20 points, reaching the 20-point mark in his third consecutive game. He also added seven rebounds.
• Freshmen Dunn (18 points), Martin (17 points) and Frauenheim (15 points) scored in double figures off the bench. Dunn added 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
• Knecht rounds out the top scorers with 11 points.
• Susquehanna's bench has been a staple all season and stepped up in this one, outscoring the Royals bench 53-6. The team also out rebounded Scranton 38-29, limiting them to just two offensive boards.
• Logan Bailey led the Royals with 27 points.

 
Up Next for the River Hawks

• Saturday, February 2^nd at Elizabethtown –Thompson Gymnasium – Elizabethtown, Pa. – 4 p.m.

Facebook: susquehanna.riverhawks | Instagram: @gosusqu, Twitter: @GOsusqU